In one of the better quarterfinals from the 2023 Rolex Paris Masters, Hubert Hurkacz will face Grigor Dimitrov. Dimitrov is into the quarterfinals following a routine win over Alexander Bublik on Wednesday. In a match that only took 67 minutes, the Bulgarian had sharp tennis on display to advance. He is the favorite against Hurkacz as they prepare for their Friday match. My Hurkacz vs Dimitrov prediction is that the former will serve quite a few aces in this upcoming match.

Schedule of Play: Right-click/Open in the New Tab to check match times: subject to change

Hubert Hurkacz vs Grigor Dimitrov Head-to-Head Series

Dimitrov has owned the matches in this head-to-head series. He is 3-0 against Hurkacz, including a win from ATP Rotterdam earlier this season. That match featured two tiebreakers, both of which went Dimitrov’s way. Despite the 3-0 series lead, all of the matches have been competitive. Two of them went to third-set tiebreakers. In fact, half of the eight sets between them have included tiebreakers.

Hurkacz is a difficult player to read. After making the Basel final last week, Friday’s match will be his 9th in just 11 days. Usually, when players play that kind of volume of tennis against better-rested players, they fall flat on their faces. In fact, all finalists from Basel and Vienna, the tournaments that were played last week, are already out of the Paris draw due to either losses or withdrawal. Hurkacz is the exception.

The Draw: Right-click/Open in the New Tab for the draw for the 2023 Rolex Paris Masters

Hurkacz vs Dimitrov Prediction: OVER 1.5 Double Faults (Hurkacz)

But Hurkacz only played 68 minutes of tennis in the last round. In the second round, Hurkacz played just 56 minutes before advancing. Those are really efficient victories for him. It’s possible that the pedestrian matches have helped him recover from all his efforts of late.

Moneyliners should be going for Dimitrov at -150 (bet365). However, it’s not that exciting of a betting line. I would recommend watching this match and seeing if Hurkacz is at all sluggish or moving oddly, even in warmups. Then bettors should use in-play options accordingly.

For pre-match options, I think bettors should focus on Hurkacz’s game. He is going to have to play aggressive early in order to try and shorten the points. That means going for a lot of service winners when he is serving (ie. aces). Also, since he might not be in terrible condition right now due to the quick matches in the previous two rounds, there’s a chance that he will stay with Dimitrov for a long time on Friday.

I think over 1.5 double faults is a good bet on Hurkacz. If the match is a long one, like their matches usually have been, then there will be a lot of opportunities for service errors. Also, Hurkacz may tire a lot during this match, and that can produce lapses in form. Lastly, I think Hurkacz will attempt to go for a lot of aces strategically. Not only is it his bread and butter but at this stage he needs to keep the match points as short as possible.

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