Hubert Hurkacz vs Alexander Bublik Prediction: Hurkacz to Extend Dominance Over Kazakh

Hubert Hurkacz of Poland will face 37th-ranked and Kazakh Alexander Bublik on the fourth day of the 2023 United Cup, which will be contested on Sunday, January 1.

Last year, Hubert Hurkacz had a 41-21 record. That was the most wins he had in a single season at the highest level. However, he will be dissatisfied to have won only one trophy in 2022, after winning three the previous year.

The 25-year-old overcame Daniil Medvedev in the Halle Open final to win his fifth ATP championship, but he was unable to win another tournament in 2022. He came close to a sixth title when he reached his second Masters 1000 final of his career at the Canadian Open. However, Pablo Carreno Busta edged over the Pole to win the championship in Toronto.

Hurkacz previously won his sole Masters 1000 final in 2021 at Miami.

Hurkacz, ranked 10th in the world, delivered on all surfaces last year. However, he prefers quicker courts, as seen by his record on hard and grass courts. He reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2022 and has won three of his five titles on outdoor hard courts.

Hurkacz, who is playing his first match of the season, will be eager to get off to a good start and set the tone for the season.

Alexander Bublik made a terrible start to the event, losing his first match to Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland.

The world number 37 was defeated in straight sets by the three-time Grand Slam winner as Kazakhstan trailed 0-3 behind Switzerland following their encounter.

Wawrinka beat Bubik 10-7 in a contest between two big-serving players. He didn't give the Kazakh a single break point, but he did create four break opportunities, one of which he took advantage of.

Although neither player broke in the second set, the Swiss won the tiebreak 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) in 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Bublik, ranked 37th in the world, will be looking to return to winning ways in the next round as Kazakhstan attempts to keep its prospects in the event alive.

The 25-year-old is coming off a 33-27 season in which he won his first ATP championship in Montpellier. He also made the finals in Newport and Metz, becoming runner-up in each. It'll be intriguing to see if he can motivate the Kazakh squad for the rest of the competition.

Hurkacz is the contest's favorite. He has had greater success at the elite level and has recently dominated the rivalry. Last year, the Pole defeated the Kazakh in straight sets in Dubai and Astana.