The stage is set for an emphatic showdown as two of the tennis giants will be going head-to-head against each other in the semi-finals of the ATP Paris Masters. Coming in red-hot form at the tournament, Novak Djokovic has made a bold statement and will be eyeing title glory after missing out back in 2022. However, standing his way this time around will be Andrey Rublev.
The Russian player has announced his arrival in style and knows no stopping at the moment. With just one among them making it through, which player looks more certain to lay his hands on victory this time around? Let’s find out!
Novak Djokovic vs Andrey Rublev: Preview
Novak Djokovic has been an absolute phenom this year. The Serbian legend has been playing some brilliant tennis and coming into the Paris Masters, it looks like he has made a bold statement. Having faced Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the first round, the Serbian player did not seem to struggle at all as he managed a straight-sets win. On the other hand, in his next match, against Tallon Greikspoor, he had to pull in some extra effort.
Coming into the quarter-finals, he recreated the classic 2022 ATP Paris Masters Finals as he faced Holger Rune. In an evenly tight contest, the Serbian legend brought back his strongest side and in a 3-set-thriller, defeated his Danoish opponent with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-7, 6-4.
On the other hand, his opponent, Andrey Rublev also managed to keep his momentum going. In his round of 32 and round of 16 matches, he did not have to make much effort as he managed to take the win home in straight sets. However, playing in the quarter-finals against Alex de Minaur, the game went into a classic 3-set showdown. After losing the first set 6-4, he went ahead to make a stunning comeback and win the match with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Djokovic vs Rublev: Head-to-head
When it comes to the head-to-head records between the two players, Novak Djokovic has almost a perfect record. Out of the five matches that he has played against Rublev, he has managed to win 4 out of them.
Their very first encounter came back at the ATP Finals in Italy back in 2021. It was a completely one-sided match where Novak Djokovic dominated over his Russian opponent. The final scoreline of the match was 6-3, 6-2 in favor of the Serbian legend.
Andrey Rublev was asked what he learned from playing Novak Djokovic:
“I didn’t learn. The 4 times he beat me, he beat me almost at 0. I didn’t learn anything, man.” 😂
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 4, 2023
On the other hand, their recent encounter came back at the Wimbledon this year. The stage was set for an emphatic quarter-final and Novak Djokovic was determined to get his hands on victory yet again. Eventually, the Serbian won and maintained his impressive record. The final scoreline of the match was 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic to make his place into the finals of the Paris Masters
Coming into the semi-final of the ATP Paris Masters, both the players are in sensational form and the result could go any way. After coming into the tournament with the US Open success, he would be looking to lay his hands on the title after missing out previously. Thus, Novak Djokovic is in a much sweet spot to win the match this time.
Andrey Rublev continues in great form, beats Alex De Minaur 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the semifinals in Paris against Novak Djokovic.
– De Minaur OUT of the ATP Race
– Zverev (two times champ) and Rune (debut) QUALIFY to TURIN! pic.twitter.com/00hE2hJ2F3
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) November 4, 2023
On the other hand, Rublev will give his everything to ensure he can turn things around in the semi-finals. However given the head-to-head records and the previous encounters that the two players had, the Serbian looks in a much more sweet spot to lay his head on the victory. However, it is only time that will reveal who among the two makes it through. Do let us know in the comments below!
Watch this story: Hilarious Meaning of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams on Urban Dictionary!
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pr%2FSnqWtoZGhubq%2Fz6ipratemLyue8Ctp2aslaO7qr%2BMp5ywq12WwbF5z5qpoqtdoq60wMSrqmamn6uurHnDo6akp6aesG7C0maYp5yimsZuvtSbo56uXaW%2FpsLInq5moJWWsW7AzmafnpmUYq6vsIypqZ6cmZjBqrvNaA%3D%3D