World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will take on American tennis player Taylor Fritz in the opening round match at the ATP Italian Open 2021 in Rome. It promises to be an exciting contest to watch and to have such a match up in the early stages of the tournament is thrilling for the viewers.
Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz: Preview
After impressing thoroughly in Melbourne this year, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has failed to live up to his usual standards in the recent clay-court tournaments. He has managed to beat some of the upcoming talents, but his performances have been inconsistent.
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Therefore, he took a break and skipped the Mutua Madrid Open last week. Instead, he opted to go on a spiritual trip to Bosnia. He goes there from time to time.
On the other hand, Taylor Fritz has been playing quite a few tournaments in recent months. He was part of the tournaments in Monte Carlo and Madrid but fell victim to Spanish opponents Roberto Bautista Agut and Albert Ramos Vinolas, respectively.
Djokovic vs Fritz: Head-to-Head
The Serbian ace and the American youngster have faced each other previously on three occasions. All three matches had a similar outcome, Novak Djokovic emerging on top. The first couple of encounters were pretty one-sided and were played on the clay courts.
However, their previous match was not long ago at the Australian Open. They faced each other in the third round and the match was decided in the fifth set. Although Taylor was on the losing end, there were some positives he could take from the match.
Djokovic vs Fritz: Prediction
The 18-time Grand Slam winner will enter the contest as the favorite. Giving his experience and status as a player, he is expected to walk out as the winner.
On the other side, youngsters like Fritz look forward to these challenges. Moreover, Djokovic has not been in the best of form lately.
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Taylor Fritz on his next match vs Novak Djokovic: “We played twice on clay in 2018, in Monte-Carlo and Madrid. I got beaten pretty bad those two two times. I feel better prepared to play him now, after this year's match in Australia.”
— Luigi Gatto (@gigicat7_) May 10, 2021
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The American athlete has got not much to lose and can afford to play freely without much pressure. However, if he has to come out on top, he will need to play with consistency throughout the match at the Italian Open 2021 tomorrow.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in three sets