The qualifiers of the 2024 ATP Qatar ExxonMobil Open are over. Now, the first round matches are happening. In the bottom half of the tournament, there is the Alexei Popyrin vs Abedellah Shelbayh scheduled. Shelbayh entered the tournament as a wildcard entry, whereas Popyrin is a regular competitor. The Alexei Popyrin vs Abedellah Shelbayh match will take place on the outdoor hard courts of the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar.
Australian tennis player Alexei Popyrin is coming on the heels of his third round finish in the Australian Open 2024. It is his best performance so far, in which he will be known for a long time to make Novak Djokovic break quite a sweat, the man who knocked him out eventually. Popyrin has won two ATP titles in his career – The 2021 Singapore Open where he beat Alexander Bublik 4-6, 6-0, 6-2, and the 2023 Croatia Open Umag, where he beat sixth-seeded Stan Wawrinka 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4 in the final.
With a world rank of 45, Popyrin looks in good form currently. Popyrin’s coaches are Xavier Malisse and Neville Godwin.
Abedellah Shelbayh of Jordan is ranked 187th currently. He has reached the second round of the US Open and Wimbledon in 2021. In 2022, Shelbayh made history by being the first Jordanian to win a match at a Challenger tournament. In the quarter-finals, he beat Dmitry Popko 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. He also became the first Jordanian to win the 2023 LTP Men’s Open in Charleston. He defeated Olivier Crawford 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 in the final.
Although Shelbayh has been making waves of late, in the tennis circuit with his historic wins as a Jordanian, Alexei Popyrin still seems ahead of him in big match experience and better performance. This is why, The SportsRush predicts Alexei Popyrin to win the Alexei Popyrin vs Abedellah Shelbayh match.
Which side does history choose in the Alexei Popyrin vs Abedellah Shelbayh contest?
The Alexei Popyrin vs Abedellah Shelbayh match will take place for the first time in their careers. Both these players have never faced each other in any main draw of a tournament. While it would be hard to derive any information from it, the BetMGM odds for Popyrin is -210, and for Shelbayh is +160. They predict Alexei Popyrin to win the match as the favorite.
The match will stream live online on Tennis TV, and for the American audiences, it will stream on Tennis Channel at 11.20 AM ET. The UK audience can watch it on Sky Sports. The weather in Doha, Qatar is moderately cozy. The temperature is 25 degrees Celsius and the wind speed is 23 km/h. With no precipitation, there is hardly any chance of rainfall. It should be a thrilling contest.
