Nao Hibino vs Magda Linette Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Dubai Tennis Championships

Prediction published on 17/02/2024, 10:56  by Nella Wagah in Tennis Predictions

The qualifier Nao Hibino and the unseeded Magda Linette meet yet again in 2024 as they are set to battle next in Dubai. They will square off in the first round with the winner setting up a second-round showdown with Qinwen Zheng. Nao Hibino lost to Linette a week ago in the first round in Doha. This will be very fresh in her mind and she will be out for revenge. The Japanese number one has defeated Linette four times in their nine previous outings. Three of her wins have come on hard courts. Hibino has for the first time advanced to play in the main draw here. She had failed to go past the qualifying rounds in each of her previous three appearances. The 29-year-old defeated Lucia Bronzetti in three sets in her final qualifying match. This was her seventh win in 13 outings this year. Hibino is now up three places to 90th in the live ranking.

Magda Linette has defeated Hibino five times and is on a two-match winning run against her. Though she is struggling to get a foot right this season, she will be confident of a winning start here. The Pole is finding it hard to win matches and has only managed three victories in nine outings this year. After eliminating Hibino in Doha, the 32-year-old would suffer the same fate in the very next round. She lost to Qinwen Zheng in three sets. If she gets past Hibino, she will get the chance to avenge against Zheng in the second round. Linette is also playing in the main draw in Dubai for the first time. In her previous two appearances, she had lost in the qualifying rounds. She is currently up five places in the live ranking to number 48.