Roland Garros: Novak Djokovic vs Daniel Galan preview, head-to-head & prediction | French Open 2020
Match details
Fixture: Novak Djokovic vs Daniel Galan
Date: 3 October 2020
Tournament: Roland Garros 2020
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: Approx. €38,000,000
Match timing: Approx. 6 pm CEST, 9.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC / Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Also check out: The Complete French Open 2020 Schedule
Novak Djokovic vs Daniel Galan preview
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has been in excellent form throughout 2020, boasting of an incredible win-loss ratio of 33-1. He has looked imperious at Roland Garros too, losing just 10 games combined in his two matches so far.
Djokovic ran through Ricardas Berankis in the second round, winning with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 scoreline. He was just as good in his opening game against Mikael Ymer; coming off a victory at the Rome Masters, the Serb started his campaign in Paris with a 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 win.
Djokovic has been involved in a bunch of controversies this year, including the US Open default that gave him the one blip in his record. However, his on-court play seems to have been unaffected by those incidents.
Qualifier Daniel Galan, on his part, has had a dream campaign at Roland Garros so far. He went through two qualifying rounds without dropping a set, before losing to Henri Laaksonen in the final round. But he was picked as a lucky loser, thus entering the main draw at a Major for the first time in his career.
Galan had a tough test in the form of World No. 72 Cameron Norrie in the first round. However, the Colombian fought through the five-setter, clinching a 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 win on his Roland Garros debut.
He followed that up with an excellent performance against World No. 47 Tennys Sandgren, dispatching him in straight sets with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 scoreline.
Novak Djokovic vs Daniel Galan head-to-head
Novak Djokovic and Daniel Galan have not faced off on tour so far. Their head-to-head is currently tied at 0-0.
Novak Djokovic vs Daniel Galan prediction
Novak Djokovic looks unstoppable at the moment. The misfortune at the US Open only seems to have spurred him on – he's lost just one set in seven matches since the incident.
The Serb's machine-like baseline play has looked perfect in Paris, and his serve is picking up too. The Serb hit just two aces in the first round against Ymer, but then fired 10 against Berankis.
Daniel Galan does have a reputation of spoiling the party for the big players though. Last year he beat top seed Steve Johnson in straight sets in Houston, and this year he's doing the same on clay.
Galan moves well on red dirt and can hit accurate, consistent groundstrokes off both wings. His one-handed backhand is a weapon, but it's his commanding forehand that the World No. 1 will be wary of.
All that said, the Djokovic juggernaut looks too powerful at the moment. It will take a special performance from Galan to stop it, and that is far easier said than done.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.