Paris Masters 2021: Novak Djokovic vs Daniil Medvedev preview, head-to-head & prediction

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Match details

Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs (2) Daniil Medvedev

Date: 7 November 2021

Tournament: Rolex Paris Masters 2021

Round: Finals

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Masters 1000

Surface: Indoor hardcourt

Prize money: €2,603,700

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Novak Djokovic vs Daniil Medvedev preview

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will square off against World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev in the final of the 2021 Rolex Paris Masters on Sunday.

Djokovic came from a set down to beat a spirited Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals on Saturday. With the win, Djokovic clinched the Year-End No. 1 title for a record-breaking seventh time in his career, moving past Pete Sampras' tally of six.

The World No. 1 was made to work extremely hard by Hurkacz. After splitting the first two sets, Djokovic led by a break in the decider, but the Pole raised his game and leveled proceedings. Hurkacz then led by a mini-break in the tiebreak but faltered with the finish line in sight.

Hurkacz dumped a short forehand into the net at 5-5 and then sent another shot wide on match point to concede the contest.

Medvedev, on the other hand, won in far more emphatic fashion as he obliterated Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-2 in a mere 80 minutes. The Russian produced a near-flawless display to register his fourth consecutive win against the German.

The defending champion was immaculate on return, breaking Zverev four times despite the German landing close to 80% of his first serves.

Medvedev conceded a mere 14 points on his own serve to cap off a wonderful all-round performance.

Novak Djokovic vs Daniil Medvedev head-to-head

Novak Djokovic leads Daniil Medvedev 5-4 in the head-to-head. They have split their two meetings in 2021, with Djokovic beating Medvedev at the Australian Open and the Russian outplaying the Serb at the US Open.

Novak Djokovic vs Daniil Medvedev prediction

Novak Djokovic is a five-time champion at the Rolex Paris Masters

This is one of the few fixtures in which Novak Djokovic is not the clear favorite. Daniil Medvedev has shown on numerous occasions that he has the tools to down the Serb and will be looking to pull off a repeat of his US Open heroics.

The Russian has grown in strength throughout the tournament and was particularly impressive against Zverev. The World No. 2 has also been serving exceptionally well, unlike Djokovic, who has been inconsistent on serve throughout the week.

Having secured the Year-End No. 1 rank, Djokovic might play with much more freedom and aggression, but that could also make him more error-prone. All things considered, Djokovic is yet to find his best tennis after a two-month hiatus, making Medvedev the slight favorite for the title on Sunday.

Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in three sets.

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