ATP Serbia Open: Novak Djokovic vs Karen Khachanov, Preview, Head-To-Head, Prediction
Follow Us
Novak Djokovic will lock horns against Karen Khachanov in the semifinals of the Serbia Open on Saturday. The Serb has barely played this year and is in pursuit of his maiden title of the 2022 season.
Being the top seed in the draw, Djokovic received a bye in the first round. In the second round, he survived a massive scare against compatriot, Laslo Djere. In an epic that lasted close to three and half hours, Djokovic prevailed over Djere 2-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(4). He had to dig deep in his quarterfinals as well as he recorded a come-from-behind victory over Miomir Kecmanovic after dropping the opening set.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
On the other hand, being the 3rd seed in the draw, Khachanov also received a bye in his opening round. After receiving a walkover against Roman Safiullin in his Round-of-16 clash, Khachanov beat Thiago Monteiro in straight sets in the quarterfinal.
Djokovic vs Khachanov Preview
Owing to his vaccination status, Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia at the beginning of this season. Suffering a delayed start to his season, the Serbian finally played his first tournament in Dubai. However, far from his peak, the 34-year-old suffered a quarterfinal loss to Jiri Vesely.
The Australian Open wasn’t the only tournament that Novak couldn’t play because of his vaccination status. The Serb was denied entry into the US and was forced to withdraw from the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Masters. He last played at the Monte Carlo Masters, suffering a second-round loss. Hoping to better his results, he is now playing at his home country in front of his home crowd.
Trending
Madrid Open: Disappointed Coco Gauff Fans Demand Rightful Streaming of Her Intense Encounter Against Madison Keys
April 29, 2024 06:39 PM EDT
‘RIP Beautiful’ – Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach Mourns 15-YO Teenager’s Tragic Death Who Succumbed to Prolonged Bullying
May 01, 2024 03:38 PM EDT
‘Coco Come Collect Your Coach’ – Fans Brutally Troll Brad Gilbert as He Naively Falls for Carlos Alcaraz Involved Misinformation
May 01, 2024 12:05 PM EDT
Coco Gauff Brushing Aside Madrid Open Heart-Break With ‘Sexy’ Dinner Date Impresses Boyfriend Jalen Sera and Danielle Collins
May 02, 2024 05:57 AM EDT
WTA Rankings Update: Aryna Sabalenka’s No. 2 Ranking in Threat as She Narrowly Escapes Humiliation to Coco Gauff
April 30, 2024 04:30 PM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest Tennis stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
On the other hand, Khachanov started his season by being a runner-up at Adelaide International 1 and a quarterfinalist at Adelaide International 2. He suffered early-round exits at the Australian Open and Rotterdam. Even though he made a slight comeback in Doha (semifinals), he again suffered second-round exits in Dubai, Indian Wells, and Miami.
He last played at the Masters 1000 Monte Carlo, suffering a first-round loss to Diego Schwartzman. Against a rusty Djokovic, Khanchanov should be sniffing more than a chance in their upcoming encounter. The 25-year-old must grab his chances and choose the right moments to be aggressive to put Djokovic in trouble.
Novak Djokovic vs Karen Khachanov: Head-to-Head
Novak Djokovic and Karen Khachanov have met a total of 6 times in their career so far. They two have played each other 4 times on hard court, once on clay, and once on grass.
The first meeting between the two dates back to the fourth round of the 2018 Wimbledon, where Djokovic outplayed Khachanov in straight sets. Nevertheless, in the very same year, at Paris Masters 1000, Khachanov avenged his loss to beat Djokovic in the final to win his maiden Masters 1000 title.
However, even though Khachanov has played some impressive tennis over the years, it hasn’t been enough to match the highly balanced game of World No.1.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Djokovic leads 5-1 in the head-to-head race against Khachanov.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic in three sets
Novak Djokovic has been struggling with form since the start of the season. In his twin come-from-behind victories so far in Belgrade, Djokovic has shown signs of being tentative and circumspect. Nonetheless, he should be delighted to spend much-needed time on the court. While Khachanov is the biggest test so far at the Serbia Open, one can expect the Serb to prevail in three sets over his younger opponent to reach his maiden final of the 2022 season.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Watch this story-Will Smith Shows How King Richard Cast Trained Like Serena and Venus Williams
An intriguing and mouth-watering clash awaits us in Belgrade as Djokovic and Khachanov battle it out for a spot in the final.
Edited by:
Niranjan Deodhar