Novak Djokovic is back on US soil, and he'll start off at the 2023 Cincinnati Masters against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, whom he beat this year already.
Novak Djokovic will contest a singles match for the first time since Wimbledon. The Serbian already played a match on US soil, a doubles match he lost with compatriot Nikola Cacic. Singles is where he earns most of his money, so all eyes will be on him finally playing on US soil again. It's been a while since his last one was the 2021 US Open final against Daniil Medvedev.
This will be his only tuneup event for the US Open later this month, and the goal is to win a couple of matches. An early exit wouldn't be perfect; however, it's a possibility because of how Davidovich Fokina is playing right now. He was terrific in Toronto, only losing to eventual finalist Alex de Minaur.
Head-to-head:
Djokovic and Davidovich Fokina are familiar with each other, having played four times so far. As expected, Djokovic leads 3-1, with the only match this year going his way as well. It happened back at Roland Garros, and it was a good one where the Spaniard had decent chances but lost in three sets.
Prediction:
Djokovic is not the ideal matchup for the Spanish player who likes attacking tennis and rarely strays from it. The issues that Fokina does give Djokovic are mostly related to his energy which is the same problem the Serbian has with Alcaraz.
These young relentless players keep coming and coming until they wear you down. Being able to absorb the power of his opponents gives Djokovic a minor edge, but he has to work hard in these matches. It's not the ideal starting point after a long break, so expect some struggles. Could he lose? Indeed but I think he'll pull through in three sets.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in three sets.
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