ATP World Tour Qatar Open Highlighted By Federer’s Return

The ATP Qatar Open is generally played at the start of every season in early January. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event will be going down in March, live from Doha, Qatar. The ATP Odds for this tournament will be offering a ton of value when they go live!

2021 Qatar Open

• When: March 8-14, 2021
• Number of Entrants: 28 (Singles), 16 (Doubles)
• Location: Doha, Qatar
• Surface: Hard Court
• Prize Money: $787,930
• Defending champion: Andrey Rublev

While this tournament is a modest, ATP 250 series circuit event, each and every year, a handful of the world’s very best players take to the hard courts at Doha as a springboard to their new seasons. In addition to that, the prize money of more than $1.3 million helps to make this event attractive.

Thiem is the top seed and leads the top half of the draw. The second-seed Federer is the headliner in the bottom half. The top four players — Dominic Thiem, Roger Federer, Andrey Rublev, and Denis Shapovalov — have all received a bye in their opening round.

Rublev

At the time of this writing, Rublev, the defending champ, was set to play in the finals at Rotterdam, opposite Marton Fucsovics The 23-year-old Russian will face 2013 winner Richard Gasquet or a qualifier in his tournament opener. Fourth seed Denis Shapovalov will face Canadian countryman Vasek Pospisil or a qualifier in his opening match. Sixth seed David Goffin will make his third appearance at the ATP 250 event against Serbian world No. 32 Filip Krajinovic.

Thiem

The top seeded Thiem could have his hands full in his opener if he has to face Australian Open semi-finalist Aslan Karatsev. Tiem could also take on Qatar’s Mubarak Shannan Zayid. The 2018 semifinalist is joined in the top quarter of the draw by fifth seed and 2019 winner Roberto Bautista Agut, red-hot Kazakhstani Alexander Bublik, and Reilly Opelka.

Federer Returning

Despite all the big names in the field, the news getting the vast majority of the global media attention surrounding this year’s tournament is none other than Federer’s return. The 20-time Grand Slam champion, who underwent two right knee surgeries last year, will face red-hot Frenchman Jeremy Chardy or recent Murray River Open winner Daniel Evans in his return match.

Chardy is coming off a nice run in Rotterdam before falling to Rublev in a three-set thriller in the quarterfinals on Friday. Chardy has already reached two semi-finals this year and Evans climbed to a career-high No. 26 in the FedEx ATP Rankings last month.

Federer will be making his first appearance in Doha since 2012. The Swiss maestro has gone a stellar 26-3 while taking home the hardware in 2005, 2006, and 2011. If Federer wins his opener, he could face dangerous eighth-seed Borna Coric in the quarterfinals. Coric reached the semifinals in Rotterdam this past week. Stan Wawrinka will open against a qualifier after losing his opener against 24-year-old Russian Karen Khachanov at Rotterdam last week.

Early Predictions

Semifinalists

Roger Federer vs Denis Shapovalov

Andrey Rublev vs Borna Coric

Finals

Roger Federer vs Andrey Rublev

Winner: Andrey Rublev

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