Zizou Bergs vs Roberto Bautista Agut Prediction, Stats, Form, H2H, 2/18/25

We’re back with a series of previews from the men’s tour for the week. The first comes from the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha as we look into Zizou Bergs vs Roberto Bautista Agut.

Bautista Agut is expected to win about 42.5%, while Bergs is favoured to win at 1.62 odds. The handicap is 2.5 games and the total games line is 22.5.

Jon Reid’s Bergs vs Bautista Agut prediction is for Bergs to win and cover the handicap.

Zizou Bergs vs Roberto Bautista Agut Prediction: Side with Youth in Battle of Generations

• Prediction: Bergs -2.5 Games
• Best Odds: 1.95
• Bookmaker: Unibet
• Stakes: 3/10

Odds as at 12:30 am UK Time on February 18th, 2025. Odds may now differ.

I feel like this is the kind of match where you don’t want to overthink the handicap and just bet the number that seems to be a pretty poor mistake.

Bergs is on the ascent, has had several strong weeks, has lost his match to some pretty decent competition for the most part and is finally breaking out.

Bautista Agut has yet to win a match this season, is in the twilight of his career and seems to be in big trouble – particularly on serve – when the conditions are slow and he finds it more difficult to maintain control of the rallies.

I’ll gladly back the former rather than the latter in a match I have him a much larger favourite in.

More tennis previews can be found on the expert insights page.

Zizou Bergs Recent Form

It’s been a long time coming for the 24-year-old, who has been a prospect to watch for a long time now, but this start to the season is going a long way to ensure he’ll be a mainstay on the ATP’s main tour for at least the rest of the 2025 season.

Sure, some who don’t follow the sport as closely will only recall a five set loss in Melbourne to a clay court specialist, but it’s important to note that he was coming off a fairly long week the week prior (as a qualifier no less, so he played an additional two matches in Auckland en route to the final) and that the loss stands out as a pretty clear outlier in the way of poor performances from the Belgian on the young season.

He’s got the ball striking, he’s shown the ability to play strong tennis across surfaces in the past and he’s playing a veteran who has had a great career but has probably aged his way out of being competitive at the highest levels of the game.

The long week in Marseille would’ve concerned me a tad had Bergs played on Monday – he has, after all, been someone that may not be all that trustworthy from a physical standpoint – but the Tuesday start is reassuring in terms of him getting some time to rest up.

It also reinforced the strong form he’s shown this year, with his losses now only coming to Facundo Diaz Acosta (that outlier loss) and three pretty decent (and strong serving) Frenchmen.

I can’t get to the point that Bergs is only a 1.65-1.70 favourite in a match where he’s the far better player at this point. Even if his opponent may have an advantage or two in terms of consistency and ability to deal with windy conditions.

Roberto Bautista Agut Recent Form

Now 36 years of age, it’s time to start questioning when we’re going to see that announcement from Bautista Agut regarding his final tournament. It certainly seems like Father Time is catching up with him on the court as his ability to dictate play dwindles and his incredible physicality and grinding abilities slowly fade as well.

Much like Frenchman Richard Gasquet, it’s to the point where we’re seeing him more comfortable in quicker conditions where points are shorter and where he doesn’t look so underpowered.

Now, he’s fared well here in the past, having made the final in back-to-back years, but that was several seasons back and his last two visits to the Qatari capital have seen him lose in the opening round or second round. That wasn’t due to his draw either. Neither Marton Fucsovics or Chris O’Connell are that close to the top of the game and they’re the two players that managed to eliminate him (and do so convincingly each time).

I’m more inclined to believe this one ends up much like the match in Rotterdam against Pedro Martinez than some of the quicker surfaces where he was competitive for a set here or there.

He’ll need a fatigued Bergs and/or very windy conditions for me to give him much of a chance to win this one.

Zizou Bergs vs Roberto Bautista Agut H2H – Stat of the Match

This is the first meeting between the veteran and his younger counterpart. With Bergs just recently establishing himself as more of a tour regular, this isn’t all that surprising.

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