Dubai starts next week, and it looks like a pretty good field. Federer will be playing for the first time since the Australian Open, and Nadal is due to play as well - although i'm not sure what the status of his injury is?

What does everyone think? Is it Federer's to lose? Do you think we can expect a Fed-Nadal final? How important is this tournament in terms of Nadal's prospects? And is there ANY tournament this year that Davydenko won't be playing? :P

Here's the line up:

Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal
Nikolay Davydenko
Tommy Robredo
Tommy Haas
Tomas Berdych
Novak Djokovic
David Ferrer
Marcos Baghdatis
Jarkko Nieminen
Mikhail Youzhny
Dominik Hrbaty
Robin Soderling
Stanislas Wawrinka
Olivier Rochus
Kristof Vliegen
Marc Gicquel
Jonas Bjorkman
Florian Mayer
Hyung-Taik Lee
Gilles Simon
Fabrice Santoro
Igor Andreev
Joachim Johansson

The draw is out..

Killer draw for Nadal..first roung Baghdaddy. Also has Youzhny and Berdych on his half.

Fed opens with Pless (who Murray routed twice). He had Djoko and DDonkey on his side. Fed should fancy himself to the final again.

Here's the draw: http://www.atptennis.com/en/common/TrackIt...007/495/MDS.pdf

1 FEDERER, Roger SUI
2 PLESS, Kristian DEN
3 QUALIFIER
4 BRACCIALI, Daniele ITA
5 QUALIFIER
6 QUALIFIER
7 VLIEGEN, Kristof BEL
8 DJOKOVIC, Novak SRB
9 DAVYDENKO, Nikolay RUS
10 QUALIFIER
11 LEE, Hyung-Taik KOR
12 ROCHUS, Olivier BEL
13 SERRA, Florent FRA
14 BJORKMAN, Jonas SWE
15 STEPANEK, Radek CZE
16 HAAS, Tommy GER
17 FERRER, David ESP
18 SODERLING, Robin SWE
19 BAHROUZYAN, Omar UAE
20 HRBATY, Dominik SVK
21 KOHLSCHREIBER, Philipp GER
22 SIMON, Gilles FRA
23 SANTORO, Fabrice FRA
24 ROBREDO, Tommy ESP
25 BERDYCH, Tomas CZE
26 AL GHAREEB, Mohammed KUW
27 YOUZHNY, Mikhail RUS
28 NIEMINEN, Jarkko FIN
29 ANDREEV, Igor RUS
30 GICQUEL, Marc FRA
31 BAGHDATIS, Marcos CYP
32 NADAL, Rafael ESP

Will anyone be doing a predictions contest? :pray:

BTW; possible match up in the second round against the last man that beat him on clay: Igor.

Has anyone noticed that Federer is playing in doubles too?

I'm saying Fed will win this tournament dropping 2 sets at most.

People are saying that Nadal is playing badly at the moment, but remember, he found his groove in Dubai last year, and I wouldn't rule out that happening again next year.
So I'd bet on Rafa.

Tomorrow's order of play is out:

DUBAI DUTY FREE MEN'S OPEN

Monday, 26th February

CENTRE COURT start 2:00 pm
[WC]O Bahrouzyan (UAE) vs D Hrbaty (SVK)
[6]T Berdych (CZE) vs [WC]M Al Ghareeb (KUW)
Not Before 7:00 PM
[1]R Federer (SUI) vs K Pless (DEN)
F Santoro (FRA) vs [4]T Robredo (ESP)

COURT 1 start 2:00 pm
I Andreev (RUS) vs M Gicquel (FRA)
F Serra (FRA) vs J Bjorkman (SWE)
Not Before 5:00 PM
Andreev/Ferrer (ESP) vs Baghdatis/Simon - Possible Court change

COURT 3 start 4:00 pm
H Lee (KOR) vs O Rochus (BEL)
Not Before 5:00 PM
[1]Knowles/Nestor vs [WC]Bopanna/El Aynaoui
Rochus/Vliegen (BEL) vs [WC]Bahrouzyan/Nader (UAE) - After suitable rest

I forecast a Federer win, but I reckon he'll be pushed hard by Tommy Haas in semi-finals. Haas hopefully won't be too tired from winning in Memphis last week. Nadal has a tricky half - has to beat Baghdatis, and then possibly Youzhny...I reckon the young Spaniard will have an early exit in Dubai this year.

well he has dropped one already.....

Ace is definitely a "wise anaylst." 2 sets it was!

Well done!