Paris Masters 2021: Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz

Date: 5 November 2021

Tournament: Rolex Paris Masters 2021

Round: Quarterfinals

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 Taylor Fritz preview

Novak Djokovic will square off against Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Rolex Paris Masters on Friday.

The Serb received a walkover into the last eight as Gael Monfils pulled out ahead of their third-round encounter on Thursday. Fritz, meanwhile, won the battle of the form players by defeating Cameron Norrie 6-3, 7-6(3) in one hour and 33 minutes.

Djokovic was ousted from the doubles competition on Wednesday, as he and partner Filip Krajinovic lost to the pairing of Filip Polasek and John Peers. The 20-time Slam champion was also given a brief scare in his second round by Marton Fucsovics, and would be keen to avoid any more slip-ups.

Taylor Fritz, meanwhile, has now won 11 of his last 13 matches on tour. The American is steadily growing in confidence, and would be hoping to break into the top 20 by the end of the season.

Taylor Fritz walks out for his match against Cameron Norrie

Fritz had previously failed to make it past the second round of the Paris Masters, in two attempts. The 24-year-old has now made it into the last eight of a Masters 1000 event for the second time in his career, having also finished as a semifinalist at Indian Wells a couple of weeks ago.

Cameron Norrie did have a window of opportunity in the second set on Thursday, as he held a couple of set points on the American's serve. However, Fritz stood firm and averted the danger, before clinching the match in the ensuing tiebreak.

Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz head-to-head

Novak Djokovic leads Taylor Fritz by a margin of 4-0 in the head-to-head. Djokovic and Fritz have faced each other twice this year already, with the Serb winning at both the Australian Open and the Rome Masters.

Interestingly, the only time Fritz managed to trouble Djokovic - or even take a set off him - was when they faced off on the hardcourts of Melbourne. Their other meetings have all been on clay.

It is pertinent to note, however, that Djokovic had injured himself during his match against Fritz in Australia.

Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz prediction

Novak Djokovic heads into this fixture as the favorite, as he does in practically every match he plays. However, it is no secret that Djokovic is a lot more vulnerable in the shorter format of the game than he is in best-of-five.

Taylor Fritz on his part is in the middle of a a purple patch, and would be keen to make good use of his form and put the World No. 1 under pressure.

Djokovic traditionally takes a few matches to find his best tennis, especially when he is coming off a long break. Having played only one singles match in the last couple of months, the Serb could struggle against Fritz's consistent power, especially since the American has had plenty of match practice in recent weeks.

That said, it is difficult to look past Novak Djokovic as the winner of this match. The 34-year-old is keen to secure the year-ending No. 1 trophy at Paris-Bercy, which means he would be extra motivated until the final.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in three sets.