Australian Open champion Carlos Alcaraz will return to the court when he faces Arthur Rinderknech in round one of the Doha ATP 500 on Tuesday. Jiri Lehecka and Jenson Brooksby are also on the order of play.
(1) Carlos Alcaraz vs. Arthur Rinderknech
Alcaraz and Rinderknech will be going head-to-head for the fifth time in their careers when they clash in the first round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Tuesday. All four of their previous encounters have gone Alcaraz’s way. Rinderknech took a set in their first two meetings, but the Spaniard cruised 7-5, 6-4 last summer on the grass courts of Queen’s Club and 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-4 a couple of months later at the U.S. Open.
It’s almost impossible to see Rinderknech getting over the hump in Doha. The 30th-ranked Frenchman is just 3-3 this season and his only win against anyone ranked better than 200th has come at the expense of an ice-cold Flavio Cobolli in a three-set thriller at the United Cup. Rinderknech lost to Fabian Marozan right away at the Australian Open and to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Rotterdam first round, both in straight sets. Alcaraz has enjoyed plenty of time off since triumphing at the Australian Open, so the world No. 1 should be ready to get back in gear.
Pick: Alcaraz in 2
(8) Jiri Lehecka vs. Jenson Brooksby
Brooksby played earlier this month in Dallas but decided to wrap up the February swing with the Doha-Dubai rather than take his talents to Delray Beach and Acapulco. It could pay off, because the world No. 47’s draw is open. Lehecka is not in spectacular form and Alexander Bublik, who withdrew, had been in the same section of the bracket.
This marks the second contest between Brooksby and Lehecka after the American prevailed 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 at a 2021 hard-court Futures event in Villena. Brooksby is just 1-3 this year, but he played well throughout a Dallas loss to Tommy Paul in a third-set tiebreaker. Lehecka is 2-2 and fell to Arthur Gea in straight sets in the Australian Open first round. The 22nd-ranked Czech faces some pressure to defend semifinal points, while Brooksby will be inspired to make the most of his trip to the Middle East.
Pick: Brooksby in 3