Davis Cup Qualifiers 2022: Jannik Sinner vs Norbert Gombos preview, head-to-head and prediction
Match Details
Fixture: Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs Norbert Gombos (SVK)
Tournament: Davis Cup
Date: 4 March 2022
Round: Qualifying Round
Venue: Bratislava
Category: ITF Tournament
Surface: Hard
Live Telecast: Slovakia - JOJ | Italy - SuperTennis
Jannik Sinner vs Norbert Gombos preview
Italy's Jannik Sinner takes on Slovakia's Norbert Gombos in the Davis Cup Qualifiers in Bratislava on Friday. The World No. 11 had a strong start to 2022, winning all his matches at the ATP Cup. However, it wasn't enough to see Italy through to the semifinals.
Sinner then entered the Australian Open as the 11th seed and reached the quarterfinals before losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Italian backed it up with another run to the last eight in Dubai.
Gombos, meanwhile, couldn't qualify for the Melbourne Summer Set 1 in his first tournament of the season. He made amends for it soon after by securing a main-draw berth at the Australian Open before bowing out to Marin Cilic in the second round.
The 31-year-old then lost his openers at the Open 13 and the Pau Challenger.
Jannik Sinner vs Norbert Gombos head-to-head
Sinner leads Norbert Gombos 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their only meeting so far 6-4, 7-6(5) in the first round of 2020 Open 13.
Jannik Sinner vs Norbert Gombos prediction
Sinner will be the heavy favorite entering the match due to his quality and recent run of form.
The Italian is one of the finest young talents in the game and has a pretty decent record on hardcourt, winning 48 out of 64 matches on the surface since the start of 2021.
Sinner's two-handed backhand with heavy topspin is one of the best in the game at present and he will look to fetch points using that shot. He also has a strong forehand and can generate a lot of speed on it, which will make things difficult for Gombos.
The Slovak is a decent server but has a tendency to serve too many double faults under pressure. If he can't keep his unforced errors in check, Sinner will have little trouble beating Gombos.
Prediction: Sinner to win in straight sets.