Paris Masters 2022: Novak Djokovic vs Karen Khachanov preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (6) Novak Djokovic vs Karen Khachanov.
Date: November 3, 2022.
Tournament: Paris Masters 2022.
Round: Third round (Round of 16).
Venue: Paris, France.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Indoor hardcourt.
Prize money: €5,415,410.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN & Sportsnet | UK - Amazon Prime.
Novak Djokovic vs Karen Khachanov preview
21-time Major champion Novak Djokovic will lock horns with World No. 19 Karen Khachanov in the third round of the 2022 Paris Masters on Thursday.
After a first-round bye, Djokovic kicked off his title defense against Maxime Cressy in the second round. Both players defended their serve well in the opening set, though the Serb did miss three break point chances in the eighth game. The former World No. 1 went on to claim the set in the ensuing tie-break.
Djokovic held a break point in the first game of the second set, but Cressy managed to fend it off. The duo remained steady on serve over the next few games and it looked like the match was headed to yet another tie-break. But the Serb finally managed to secure a break of serve, doing so in the ninth game.
Djokovic served out the match in the following game to win 7-6(1), 6-4 and notch up a 10th consecutive victory.
After scoring a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over Sebastian Baez, Khachanov faced Marc-Andrea Huesler in the second round. The Russian nabbed the decisive break in the eighth game of the first set, which sealed the opener in his favor.
Both players served quite well in the second set, but it was Huesler who had the last laugh in the end. The Swiss managed to break his opponent's serve in the final game of the set to take it and level the proceedings.
Khachanov went up a break to start the third set, but squandered his lead immediately in the next game. The 26-year-old then broke Huesler's serve towards the end of the set and managed to close out the match in the following game to win 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Novak Djokovic vs Karen Khachanov head-to-head
Djokovic leads Khachanov 7-1 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at last month's Astana Open in straight sets.
Novak Djokovic vs Karen Khachanov odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Novak Djokovic vs Karen Khachanov prediction
Djokovic didn't face a single break point against Cressy in the previous round. He was a bit troubled by his opponent's frequent serve and volleys, but managed to counter the tactic in the end. The Serb was quite strong on serve and ended the match with 16 winners and just three unforced errors.
After a strong start to the tournament, Khachanov needed three sets to get past Huesler in the second round. The Russian's lopsided head-to-head against Djokovic is something he would want to improve upon. He lost their last meeting in Astana quite handily just a few weeks ago.
The Serb easily countered Khachanov's serve, which is otherwise a huge asset. Djokovic is able to get a good read on it, while managing to neutralize his powerful groundstrokes as well.
The Russian did manage to defeat the former World No. 1 when they contested the final here back in 2018. However, Djokovic is in great form at the moment and it doesn't look like Khachanov will be the one to put an end to his winning ways.
Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.