Astana Open 2022: Novak Djokovic vs Botic van de Zandschulp preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (4/WC) Novak Djokovic vs Botic van de Zandschulp.
Date: October 6, 2022.
Tournament: Astana Open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Astana, Kazakhstan.
Category: ATP 500.
Surface: Indoor hardcourt.
Prize money: $1,900,000.
Match timing: Not before 6 pm local time, 12 noon GMT, 8 am ET and 5:30 pm IST.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | Australia - beIN Sports.
Novak Djokovic vs Botic van de Zandschulp preview
21-time Major champion Novak Djokovic will square off against World No. 34 Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the 2022 Astana Open on Thursday.
Djokovic arrived here after winning his 89th career title at the Tel Aviv Open over the weekend. He defeated Pablo Andujar, Vasek Pospisil, Roman Safiullin and Marin Cilic en route to the title. The Serb was drawn against Cristian Garin in the first round in Astana.
Djokovic started the match on a strong note, breaking his opponent's serve in the very first game of the match. He followed it up with a hold of his own to make it 2-0. Garin got on board in the next game, but that would be the only time he managed to hold serve in the first set. The Serb won the next four games in a row to clinch the opener.
The second set wasn't competitive either, with Djokovic reeling off five games in a row to win the match 6-1, 6-1. He has now won his fifth match in a row without the loss of a set as well as earned a 12-match win-streak that extends all the way to Wimbledon.
@DjokerNole cruises into the second round in Astana with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Garin!Simply flawless 💥
🇷🇸 @DjokerNole cruises into the second round in Astana with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Garin!
@ktf_kz | #AstanaOpen https://t.co/mgiuH6knor
Botic van de Zandschulp, meanwhile, commenced his campaign in Astana against home favorite Beibit Zhukayev in the first round. The Kazakh player proved to be no match for the experienced World No. 34, who broke his opponent's serve thrice to claim it.
Zhukayev gave the illusion of a challenge at the start of the second set as he broke the Dutchman's serve to go 1-0 up. However, van de Zandschulp reeled off the next six consecutive games to win the match 6-1, 6-1.
Novak Djokovic vs Botic van de Zandschulp head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Novak Djokovic vs Botic van de Zandschulp odds
Odds are sourced from Betway.
Novak Djokovic vs Botic van de Zandschulp prediction
Both players scored dominating wins in the first round, with identical scorelines. Djokovic looks determined to kick off another winning streak after missing out on quite a few tournaments this season.
Everything clicked for the Serb in the previous round. His serve was amazing, he crushed it during return games and his groundstrokes were finding their mark every so often. His backhand down the line was a shot that stood out as well. With the former World No. 1 looking in such ominous form, van de Zandschulp has his task cut out for him.
The Dutch player will need to match his opponent's intensity and bring his very best right from the very first point. Even a minor slip-up will put him on the backfoot immediately. Considering the form Djokovic has been in recently, it's hard to see him losing this encounter even if van de Zandschulp makes it challenging.
Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.