World number one Novak Djokovic will hope to iron out any chinks before his ATP Rome Masters 2020 quarterfinal against Dominik Koepfer which will be held on Saturday, September 19. It is expected to start at around 2.30 pm local time (1.30 pm BST). Get the live streaming options of this Novak Djokovic v Dominik Koepfer match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Novak Djokovic v Dominik Koepfer Head to Head
This will be the first ever meeting between the world number one Djokovic and Koepfer.
Also Read:
Djokovic Stretched but Wins in Straight Sets
There were enough signs in the way these two had faced off in the past that Novak Djokovic could be stretched by Filip Krajinovic. In fact we had predicted something similar, of Krajinovic even snatching a set off the world number one in their third round match.
While that didn’t quite materialise and Djokovic was able to come away a winner in straight sets, it wan’t before he suffered a few heart-stopping moments. After the two players had exchanged breaks early in the first set, Djokovic had a chance to close out the set on his opponent’s serve at 4-5 but wasted a couple of opportunities.
And those opportunities kept presenting themselves in the tie-breaker as well despite Krajinovic taking a 4-1 lead in it. It was off his fifth set that Djokovic finally won the set.
It became easier for Djokovic in the second set as he broke Krajinovic early and maintained that solidity till 5-3 before breaking him again to take the match in straight sets. With a 6-3, 6-2 win over Salvatore Caruso in his previous match, Djokovic looks to have put the US Open debacle behind him.
He now takes on a qualifier, and with not too much of a challenge left otherwise in his half of the draw anyway, the possibility of a finals appearance with Rafael Nadal looks likely. First things first though, it’s Koepfer to get past.
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Koepfer Steamrolls Musetti
The 18-year-old Lorenzo Musetti had been much spoken about since the time he shocked Stan Wawrinka in straight sets and in a battle of the qualifiers, he had begun at 2/5 odds to end Koepfer’s journey in the tournament. As it turned out, he stood no chance.
The 26-year-old from Germany, who has never seen the inside of the top 80 on the ATP rankings before the start of this week, blitzed past Musetti in straight sets, winning 6-4, 6-0 to reach the quarterfinal. This, for a player, who had never made the main draw of a Masters tournament before this.
What makes the sealing of this quarterfinal spot special for Koepfer is it follows close on the heels of his performance at the 2019 US Open where he was a qualifier and still made the fourth round of the tournament.
Add that to the fact Koepfer’s last Challenger title came on grass, he could well call himself an all-court player!
Unfortunately for him though, Koepfer now faces arguably the best all-court player of all time. Can he remain in the contest for long?
Djokovic v Koepfer Prediction and Tip
Not surprising you would get laughable odds for a Djokovic win (namely 1/33 or thereabouts). Even a straight-setter, which looks very likely is at 1/7. The better option would be to look at how Djokovic does in his opening game.
Tip: Djokovic to win first service game to 0 or 15 – Yes: 8/11 (bet365)
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The Italian Open 2020 will be played from September 14 to September 20. You can watch & bet on the Italian Open here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
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