World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will start his Australian Open campaign against the 24-year-old American Mitchell Kruger on Tuesday evening.
Watch & bet on Novak Djokovic v Mitchell Krueger with bet365 here* on Tuesday, January 15. The Djokovic v Krueger first round match will start at 7:00 pm local time (6:00 am BST).
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Djokovic’s Roaring Start to the Season
The Serbian started his pre-season preparations by participating in the exhibition tournament Mubadala World Tennis Championships. He moved on to win the competition and then proceeded to Doha, where he participated in the ATP 250 Series event.
He was in for a shock in Doha, to say the least.
There were instances when the top seed appeared to be rather out of form. For example, his match against Marton Fuscovics and Nikoloz Basilashvili went on to three sets. Interestingly, on both the occasions, he lost the first set and then moved on to stage a comeback.
In the semifinal, he lost to the eventual champion Roberto-Bautista Agut 6-3, 6-7(6), 4-6. Nonetheless, he is coming to Melbourne as one of the favourites to win the Grand Slam.
He ended his previous season with a win-loss tally of 53-12. He was the runner-up at the ATP Finals in London and Paris Masters but before that, he won the Shanghai Masters, US Open, Wimbledon, and the Cincinnati Masters.
Needless to mention, he achieved the No. 1 ranking on the back of that performance. Djokovic achieved all of this after a shaky start to the season.
Krueger’s First Major Appearance Since the US Open
Krueger, who is currently the World No. 231, has spent most of his previous year playing on the Challenger circuit. He did participate in the few events on the ATP Tour like the Masters and the Grand Slams but didn’t have much success there.
His last major appearance came at the Flushing Meadows, where he started as a qualifier and made it to the first round before losing to Roberto Carballes Baena.
He has started his stint at the Australian Open on a similar note. As a qualifier, he has made it to the main draw once again although, his journey here was quite rocky. He lost a set in all three of his qualifying matches.
Djokovic v Krueger – Who Will Win?
Given the form Djokovic is in, he should not have a problem in moving past the young American in straight sets. We can expect the Serb to finish this match rather quickly and move comfortably to the second round.
You can watch & bet on Novak Djokovic v Mitchell Krueger with bet365 here* on Tuesday, January 15. The Djokovic v Krueger first round match will start at 7:00 pm local time (6:00 am BST).
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