Serbia Open 2022: Novak Djokovic vs Laslo Djere preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and picks
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs Laslo Djere.
Date: 20 April 2022.
Tournament: Serbia Open 2022.
Round: Second Round (Round of 16).
Venue: Novak Tennis Center.
Category: ATP 250.
Surface: Outdoor clay.
Prize money: €534,555.
Match timing: Not before 2:30 pm local time, 8:30 am ET, 12:30 pm GMT and 6:00 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Discovery.
Novak Djokovic vs Laslo Djere preview
After a first-round bye, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will take on compatriot Laslo Djere in the second round of the 2022 Serbia Open on Wednesday.
After losing in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships to Jiri Vesely, Djokovic spent nearly two months on the sidelines before returning to action at the Monte-Carlo Masters last week. However, his comeback didn't go as planned, losing to eventual finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round.
Djokovic looked a little listless as he lost the opening set and trailed by a break in the second set. But the World No. 1 fought back and clinched the second set, pushing the match to a decider. However, the Serb's body didn't hold up and he fell to a 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1 loss.
As the defending champion at Roland Garros, Djokovic will be aiming to find some momentum on clay before the Grand Slam in Paris.
UPSET ALERT 
🚨 UPSET ALERT 🚨 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina gets the biggest win of his career!
@alexdavidovich1 takes out No. 1 Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1 to reach the 3rd round in Monte-Carlo!
@ROLEXMCMASTERS | #RolexMCMasters https://t.co/jooXoYtv0x
Laslo Djere competed in a couple of clay tournaments in South America a couple of months ago, but failed to win a match. He then began his European clay season at the Grand Prix Hassan II, where he reached the semifinals.
At last week's Monte-Carlo Masters, Djere defeated Maxime Cressy in a tough three-set encounter in the first round. He then defeated 16th seed Lorenzo Sonego in straight sets. The Serb lost to eventual champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in two tight sets in the third round.
Laslo Djere beats 18-year-old wild card Hamad Medjedovic 6-4 7-5 to reach 2nd round at Serbia Open. #Djokovic is next up for Djere, another all-Serbian encounter. 🇷🇸
Djere kicked off his Serbia Open campaign with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Hamad Medjedovic. Djere appeared to be cruising to victory when he went up a break in the second set, but his opponent clawed his way back into the match. The Serb, however, kept his composure to take control of the match once again and seal a straight-sets win.
Novak Djokovic vs Laslo Djere head-to-head
This will be the very first encounter between the two, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Novak Djokovic vs Laslo Djere odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Novak Djokovic vs Laslo Djere prediction
Djere heads into this contest with a couple of good results on clay under his belt, while Djokovic lacks match play. The World No. 1 himself stated his physical conditioning wasn't optimal following his three-set loss to Davidovich Fokina in Monte-Carlo.
His time away from the sport has affected his game a little bit, and his body will certainly need time to get used to the grind once again.
In Monte-Carlo, Djokovic's serving stats were less than impressive. He won just 55% of his first-serve points against Davidovich Fokina and conceded 20 break point chances, getting broken a whopping nine times. The Serb is one of the best returners on tour but his return numbers were quite poor as well. That's another area he will need to fine-tune ahead of sterner tests in the future.
Djere, meanwhile, went toe-to-toe with Tsitsipas last week and has the potential to challenge the World No. 1 as well. Under normal circumstances, this would've been a straightforward win for Djokovic. But as the 20-time Major champion is still finding his bearings, the possibility of an upset cannot be ruled out.
All things considered, it's unlikely that the World No. 1 will suffer yet another early exit. Djokovic will be more determined than ever after last week's loss and would love to gather some momentum ahead of his Roland Garros title defense.
Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in three sets.
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