ATP Finals 2022: Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (7) Novak Djokovic vs (8) Taylor Fritz.
Date: November 19, 2022.
Tournament: ATP Finals 2022.
Round: Semifinal.
Venue: Pala Alpitour, Turin, Italy.
Category: Year-ending championships.
Surface: Indoor hardcourt.
Prize money: $14,750,000.
Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video | India - Sports 18 & Voot.
Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz preview
21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will take on World No. 9 Taylor Fritz in the semifinals of the 2022 ATP Finals on Saturday.
Following wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev, Djokovic sealed the semifinal spot for himself. He was up against Daniil Medvedev in his final group tie, with the match being a dead rubber as the Russian had no shot at advancing further into the tournament.
The first set went the Serb's way, clinching the last three games in a row to take the set. Djokovic held a break point on two of Medvedev's service games in the second set but failed to convert. He then saved three points for a hold of serve to make it 5-5. The set eventually went into a tie-break, with the Russian coming out on top.
After saving a break point in the final set, Medvedev got the decisive break in the ninth game to lead 5-4. He was unable to serve out the match after that as the 21-time Grand Slam champion managed to level terms. The set soon went into a tie-break, with the Serb gaining the upper hand to win 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2).
Fritz commenced his ATP Finals campaign on a winning note as he defeated Rafael Nadal in straight sets. He lost a close three-set match against Casper Ruud in his next group tie. He faced Felix Auger-Aliassime in his last match of the round-robin phase, with the winner making it to the last four.
Neither player got close to a break point in the first set, leading to a tie-break, with Fritz coming out on top in it to take the set. Auger-Aliassime held three break points early on in the second set but failed to convert. The two remained unshakeable on serve as the match headed for yet another tie-break.
Fritz led 4-2 in it and was on the cusp of victory, but Auger-Aliassime fought back to clinch the set and force a decider. The duo started off strongly in the third set, but the American raised his level at the right moment. He bagged the last four games of the match to win 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-2.
Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz head-to-head
Djokovic leads Fritz 5-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2021 Paris Masters in straight sets.
Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz prediction
After a couple of easy wins, the 21-time Grand Slam champion was tested by Medvedev but prevailed in the end. He fought hard for every point and pushed himself despite the match being a dead rubber. After battling for more than three hours, the Serb is likely to be fatigued, but he's one of the most fittest athletes around at the moment.
Fritz played a pretty great match to defeat Auger-Aliassime and seal the semifinal spot upon his debut in the tournament. The fast conditions here have only further enhanced his game, especially his serve and backhand. So far, though, former World No. 1 has been able to easily neautralize his weapons.
All but one of their previous matches have been decided in straight sets. Fritz will need to play at a high level right from the start, but the five-time Champion is more than capable of responding in a similar manner. Expect the former World No. 1 to advance to the final.
Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.