ATP Finals 2021: Novak Djokovic vs Andrey Rublev preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs (5) Andrey Rublev
Date: 17 November 2021
Tournament: Nitto ATP Finals 2021
Round: Round robin (Green Group)
Venue: Turin, Italy
Category: Year-ending championships
Surface: Indoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $7,250,000
Match timing: Not before 2 pm local time, 1 pm GMT, 6.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Novak Djokovic vs Andrey Rublev preview
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will look to strengthen his position at the top of the Green Group when he squares off against Andrey Rublev in his second round-robin fixture at the ATP Finals on Wednesday.
Djokovic and Rublev both won their opening round-robin ties in straight sets, but the Serb occupies top spot as he won a greater percentage of games.
The top seed overcame a spirited challenge from Casper Ruud in his first match on Monday, prevailing 7-6(4), 6-2. Ruud gave Djokovic a tough fight in the first set, as the Serb struggled to find his rhythm. The Norwegian broke Djokovic's serve early but could not build a lead and eventually lost the set in a tiebreaker.
The Serb then pulled away in the second set to seal the win. Djokovic struck 23 winners, but his standout weapon was his serve. The Serb won a whopping 90% of his first-serve points and did not concede a single break point except for the game in which he got broken.
Andrey Rublev also produced a serving masterclass in his opening fixture against Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Russian won 90% of his first-serve points and did not face a break point throughout the match as he raced to a 6-4, 6-4 win.
Rublev landed a mind-boggling 92% of his first serves in the opening set (23/25), winning the point on 20 occasions, which amounts to a staggering 87% success rate. But he is unlikely to enjoy the same success against Djokovic, who is widely regarded as the greatest returner in the history of the sport.
Novak Djokovic vs Andrey Rublev head-to-head
Despite featuring together in multiple big tournaments in recent years, Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev have never faced each other. Thus, their head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Novak Djokovic vs Andrey Rublev prediction
Red-hot start 🔥
@AndreyRublev97 powers past 2019 champion Tsitsipas 6-4 6-4 to get his first win of the 2021 #NittoATPFinals https://t.co/mv9gTC9m0N
Andrey Rublev entered the ATP Finals in poor form but he appears to have found his groove at the Pala Alpitour in Turin. The Russian regularly clocked over 200 kph on his first serve against Tsitsipas and targeted the Greek's one-handed backhand, a tactic that yielded rewards.
However, he will have a much tougher time winning cheap points against Djokovic, who will undoubtedly find a way to neutralize the Russian's serve. Like Tsitsipas, Djokovic will also look to attack Rublev's second serve, which is one of the weakest aspects of the Russian's game.
Rublev was able to hold firm against Tsitsipas, but Djokovic is a far better returner than the Greek and should be able to push the Russian well behind the baseline with deep returns before taking control of the points.
Rublev may also struggle to deal with Djokovic's serve, which has developed into a formidable weapon for the Serb. All in all, the World No. 1 should easily be able to notch up a victory and boost his semifinal chances.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.
Record-breaker 🙌
@DjokerNole lifts the year-end number 1 trophy for a record 7th time!
#NittoATPFinals https://t.co/KuWfIOf05g