Round of 16.
Spain.
05.05.2022 13:00
Novak has a very favorable schedule at the Madrid tournament. First, Monfils, with whom Novak has more than two dozen head-to-head meetings. Now Andy Murray, former world number one and Novak's competitor. It is clear that now it is tough to compare opponents in terms of class because Murray could not reach his former level after the surgery.
Claim Your Welcome Bonus!Novak Djokovic
As we expected, Djokovic managed not to lose a set in the second round of the Madrid Masters, finishing his match against Monfils in two games. Overall, after a somewhat setback in Belgrade, Novak looked very good against the Frenchman, allowing Gaël to win just five games in the meeting, which would not have been enough to win even one set. The Serb made three doubles errors, two aces and won 70% of his first-serve points, while winning 56% of his second. Djokovic won 38% on Monfils' first serve and 59% on his second. Obvious progress, which clearly worries Murray and his staff.
He's moving well, playing better and better. It's really fantastic to see because he's an important player for our game. He's made his mark in the history of our sport by winning multiple Slams and gold medals and reaching No 1 of the world. He's one of the most important names that we have. To have him still compete is great, and to have him even play at a high level as the time goes by is impressive, considering the surgery and what he has been through in the past few years. His resilience and fighting spirit is really inspiring
Andy Murray
For Murray, the upcoming match will be the third on the clay this season, and he has less practice than Novak. However, the Briton has beaten Dominic Thiem, once Prince of Clay, and Denis Shapovalov, two prominent performers. But now, Thiem is far from his optimal form, and Shapovalov has never been very good on the clay, unlike Djokovic. Anyway, we doubt that the upcoming match will be an easy walk for Novak; he will have to work hard. Against Shapovalov, Murray fired three times, made zero double faults, and won 78% of his first serve points and 54% of his second. The reception was not bad either, winning 40% of the points on Shapovalov's first serve and 50% on his second.
He's obviously No 1 in the world, and I'm playing with a metal hip, so I shouldn't have a chance. I thought about it a little bit at the beginning of the third set. I didn't know if I was going to get the chance to play matches like that again. In theory, I shouldn't have a chance in the match, but I've put myself in a great position. I worked extremely hard in the last five or six weeks to get myself here, and it's a fantastic opportunity to play against him again on a huge court in a big tournament. I've got my game in good shape. My movement has been so much better than where it was at the beginning of the year, and it makes a huge difference to my whole game. It allows me to make different decisions on the court. I'll have a fantastic attitude in the match, give it my best and see where I'm at.
Expert Betting Tips
No doubt, Murray will try to give Djokovic a fight, to create the maximum problems. However, Novak, after failing Monte Carlo and Belgrade, started very well in Madrid, beating Monfils at ease. We expect further progress from him, and Murray is definitely a challenge for Novak. The Serb will do everything he can for a quick win over the once the world best player.
As we wrote above, we dont believe that the upcoming meeting will be a long one. On the contrary, we expect a short-lived match, in which the opponents are unlikely to spend more than 20 games.
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