Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune played each other recently at the Paris Masters, and they will again at the 2023 ATP Finals.
Novak Djokovic has high ambitions at the ATP Finals, and for good reason. He played amazing tennis last year in Turin going undefeated to win the trophy. The Serbian just recently won the Paris Masters so he arrives in Turin with high spirits.
He didn't play bulletproof tennis in Paris, but he did enough to win the matches, which is the goal. Holger Rune is debuting at the event, and while his form is trending upward, he's not really playing on a level where you'd expect a player to be if he were to win this event.
Head-to-head:
They played a few times already, including two times this year, and it's 2-2 overall and 1-1 this year. Rune won the first match this year in Rome, while Djokovic won the most recent one in Paris. It was a solid effort from Rune as he pushed Djokovic to three sets but didn't have enough.
There is a good chance he will do that again however some familiarity with the venue should help Djokovic overall. It's really tough to predict because it is a really close matchup on paper because Rune has a game that Djokovic can struggle with.
Prediction:
It's particularly evident indoors if the Dane has his serve going. He plays aggressively, which can give Djokovic trouble but also allows the Serbian to win the match. It's essentially a matchup that depends more on Rune than Djokovic.
If Rune plays his best and hits all the shots then he should win. If Djokovic frustrates him enough to overhit, then he's going to win. In this spot here, I think Djokovic is more likely to win.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in two sets.
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