French Open 2022: Novak Djokovic vs Alex Molcan preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs Alex Molcan
Date: 25 May, 2022
Tournament: French Open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 64).
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor clay
Prize money: €21,256,800
Match timing: Approx. 2 pm local time | 12 pm GMT | 5.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, NBC Sports and Peacock TV | Canada - TSN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Ten and Sony LIV
Novak Djokovic vs Alex Molcan preview
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will square off against Alex Molcan in the second round of the French Open on Wednesday.
The Serb made a slow start to the season, but has found his form at the right time. After exiting the Monte-Carlo Masters in the second round, he reached the final of the Serbia Open, where he lost to Andrey Rublev in three sets. Djokovic then made it to the semifinals of the Madrid Open before losing a thrilling encounter to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.
The 35-year-old then competed at the Italian Open as the top seed. He won the tournament without dropping a set, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. He achieved his 1000th career win in Rome after beating Casper Ruud in the semifinals.
Djokovic is the top seed at the French Open and booked his place in the second round with a comprehensive win over Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka.
#1 and defending champ Novak Djokovic plays a very good match to beat Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 and reach the 2nd round at #RolandGarros.
Back on court on Wednesday toneladas the winner of Molcan-Coria, who couldn’t enter the court today… https://t.co/GJK2iL4KTA
Alex Molcan, meanwhile, has won 15 out of 23 matches this season, reaching the final of two tournaments. The Slovak's first final came at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech, where he lost to David Goffin in three sets.
He then lost in the last 16 of the BMW Open against Ruud, but not before giving the Norwegian a tough fight. Molcan failed to qualify for the Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome and entered the Lyon Open unseeded.
He defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, fifth seed Karen Khachanov, Federico Coria and fourth seed Alex de Minaur to reach his second final of the season. Up against top seed Cameron Norrie, Molcan once again went down in three sets, handing the Brit his second title of the season.
Molcan is competing at the French Open for the first time and reached the second round after beating Coria 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
#Tenis | CORIA DIO LUCHA ANTE MOLCAN Y SE DESPIDIÓ DE ROLAND GARROS
El tenista eslovaco Alex Molcan derrotó en 4 sets por 6-3, 6-4, 3-6 y 6-3 al argentino Federico Coria en la primera ronda del #RolandGarros. En la segunda ronda enfrentará al serbio Novak Djokovic. https://t.co/oI21Zp54JO
Novak Djokovic vs Alex Molcan head-to-head
Djokovic leads Molcan 1-0 in the head-to-head. He beat the Slovak 6-4, 6-3 when they met in the final of last year's Belgrade Open.
The winner of the match will face either Pablo Cuevas or Aljaz Bedene in the third round of the French Open.
Novak Djokovic vs Alex Molcan odds
(All odds sourced from Oddschecker)
Novak Djokovic vs Alex Molcan prediction
Novak Djokovic will enter the match as the heavy favorite, but Molcan shouldn't be counted out completely. The World No. 38 is on the rise and is being coached by the Serb's former coach, Marian Vajda.
Djokovic, the defending champion, looked in imperious form in the last couple of sets against Nishioka. His serve is a good indication of how well he is playing. He served nine aces against the Japanese and didn't double fault even once.
Molcan's athleticism and movement make him a difficult opponent on clay. The Slovak packs a punch with his forehand and will look to use it to push Djokovic deep in the court.
While he has beaten the likes of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur this season, Djokovic is likely to be a step too far for the young Slovak.
Molcan might win a set, but isn't likely to push Djokovic much further than that.
Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in four sets.
Also Check Out :- French Open 2022 Results