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Tennis – ATP Masters 1000 – Paris Masters – AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France – November 2, 2023 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts during his round of 16 match against Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor
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Tennis – ATP Masters 1000 – Paris Masters – AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France – November 2, 2023 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts during his round of 16 match against Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor
The group stage fixtures of the Nitto ATP Finals are drawing to a conclusion after some high-octane performances from the top eight qualified singles players. However, before the stage is set for the semifinal rounds, there are still some more exciting group-stage encounters to come on the hard courts of the round-robin competition in Turin. One such matchup will feature the defending champion, Novak Djokovic, squaring off against the current world No. 9, Hubert Hurkacz.
Even though it is a group-stage match, fans can expect high-quality tennis from both the ATP superstars who have been in remarkable form during the hard court season.
Novak Djokovic vs. Hubert Hurkacz: Group stage match preview
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After winning the Paris Masters, the Serbian tennis great entered the indoor hard-court event in Turin with an 18-match winning streak. Later, the top-seed player further extended his streak by prevailing in a three-set opener against Holger Rune, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3. The 20-year-old undoubtedly gave the Serb a difficult assignment, but in the next group stage match in Turin, another young tennis sensation, Jannik Sinner, stunned the ‘Djoker’, with a three-set victory, 5-7, 7-6, 6-7.
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Hubert Hurkacz, on the other hand, had to take a quick flight to Italy as he stepped in as the first alternate for the injured Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Polish tennis star is entering the ATP Finals after enjoying a great hard-court season as he clinched the Shanghai Masters title. Apart from this, the current world No. 9 player also secured a runner-up finish at the Swiss Indoors and a quarterfinal finish at the Paris Masters.
Djokovic vs. Hurkacz: Head-to-Head Record
The ATP superstars will now lock horns for the 7th time overall on the tour, with the Serb currently enjoying a massive 6-0 lead in their H2H. Djokovic and Hurkacz faced off twice this season, with the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships serving as the venue for their first encounter. Apart from this, the ‘Djoker’ bagged another victory against Hurkacz during this season’s grass Grand Slam event in London.
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Prediction: Djokovic to overcome Hurkacz in straight sets
It is now a dog fight between the Serb and his young colleague, Rune, as they only have one victory in their respective bags, making the final group stage match a must-win for both. Given the green group qualification scenarios, it is the Polish tennis star who will have a huge role to play in it, as his victory against Djokovic might take Rune to the semifinal rounds.
Nevertheless, the 24-time singles Grand Slam champion, who has been a formidable force on the hard court surface, will avoid such slip-ups by prevailing in straight sets against Hurkacz.
