French Open 2022: Novak Djokovic vs Aljaz Bedene preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Roland Garros
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs (PR) Aljaz Bedene
Tournament: French Open 2022
Date: 27 May 2022
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor clay
Prize money: €21,256,800
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, NBC Sports and Peacock TV | Canada - TSN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Ten
Novak Djokovic vs Aljaz Bedene preview
Defending champion Novak Djokovic will take on Aljaz Bedene in the third round of the 2022 French Open on Friday.
After cruising past Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round, Djokovic was tested a little by Alex Molcan in the second round. The first couple of sets were rather straightforward, but the third set went the distance, with the Serb just about fending off the Slovak.
Djokovic went up an early break in the third set, but Molcan hit back to level the score at 2-2. Neither player lost serve after that, forcing a tie-break. Djokovic played a flawless tie-break to seal a 6-2, 6-3, 7-6(4) victory and extend his winning streak to seven matches, having won the title in Rome before arriving in Paris.
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Aljaz Bedene needed four sets to get past Christopher O'Connell in the first round, before pulling off a big upset against clay specialist Pablo Cuevas in the second round.
Bedene was on the backfoot at the start as he fell behind 5-1 in the opening set. He retrieved one break, but Cuevas was able to close out the set on his second attempt.
Bedene trailed at the start of the second set as well, but fought back to level the score. He then broke his opponent's serve twice to level the proceedings. The third set played out in a similar manner, with Bedene trailing early before making a comeback. He eventually won in it in a tie-break.
The Slovak took the final set 6-4 to reach the third round of the French Open for the third time.
Novak Djokovic vs Aljaz Bedene head-to-head
Djokovic leads Bedene 3-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter in straight sets at the 2017 Italian Open.
Novak Djokovic vs Aljaz Bedene odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Novak Djokovic vs Aljaz Bedene prediction
Bedene was not in the greatest of form coming into the French Open, but he seems to have found his footing in Paris.
The Slovak has a compact game and likes to take the attack to his opponents from the baseline. He also has a strong serve, which worked well in his previous match against Cuevas. Bedene struck 13 aces and won 76% of his first-serve points. But against a returner of Novak Djokovic's caliber, those numbers will likely take a nosedive.
Djokovic has been on a roll over the past couple of weeks. He didn't drop a set en route to the title in Rome and has carried the momentum to Paris. The Serb was pretty imposing in his previous match against Molcan, hitting 10 aces and 40 winners, while committing just 19 errors. His serve has developed into a huge weapon, even on clay, and allows him to play the points on his own terms.
Given his current form, the Serb should be able to pick apart his opponent's game and advance to the fourth round of the French Open.
Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.
Also Check Out :- French Open 2022 Results