Serbia Open 2022: Novak Djokovic vs Miomir Kecmanovic preview, head-to-head and prediction

Match Details

Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs (7) Miomir Kecmanovic.

Date: 21 April 2022.

Tournament: Serbia Open 2022.

Round: Quarterfinal.

Venue: Novak Tennis Center.

Category: ATP 250.

Surface: Outdoor clay.

Prize money: €534,555.

Match timing: Not before 4 pm local time, 10 am ET, 2 pm BST and 7.30 pm IST.

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Discovery.

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Novak Djokovic vs Miomir Kecmanovic preview

Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and seventh seed Miomir Kecmanovic will lock horns in an exciting quarter-final showdown at the 2022 Serbia Open on Thursday.

Djokovic commenced his clay season with a three-set loss at the hands of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the Monte-Carlo Masters last week. He then traveled to the Serbia Open, where he received a bye into the second round.

Taking on compatriot Laslo Djere, the top seed dropped serve in the first game of the opening set. Djere held on to his lead and secured another break of serve towards the end of the set, eventually winning it on his fourth set point.

The 26-year-old took the lead in the second set as well, but Djokovic started to get into his groove and leveled the score. The World No. 1 held three set points on his opponent's serve at 6-5, but failed to convert. He ultimately won the set in a tie-break.

Djokovic had momentum on his side and started the deciding set with a break of serve. However, Djere immediately broke back. The duo held serve for the rest of the set, forcing another tie-break, which went the way of Djokovic, who completed a tough 2-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(4) comeback win.

Miomir Kecmanovic at the 2022 Miami Open.

Miomir Kecmanovic arrived at the Serbia Open in good form, having reached the quarterfinals of his four previous tournaments. He started off with a commanding 6-0, 6-3 win over Richard Gasquet in the first round.

Kecmanovic was tested a bit more in the second round by John Millman, but the 22-year-old defeated the Australian 6-4, 7-6(5) to reach yet another quarterfinal this season.

Kecmanovic hasn't progressed beyond this stage yet this year and will be aiming to end that streak against Djokovic.

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Novak Djokovic vs Miomir Kecmanovic head-to-head

The two have faced off just once before, with Djokovic leading 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter in the quarterfinals of the Serbia Open last year in straight sets.

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Novak Djokovic vs Miomir Kecmanovic prediction

Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

Kecmanovic has been playing really solid tennis over the last few weeks and has had a much easier time than Djokovic in this tournament as well.

Djokovic is lacking match practice at the moment but should never be counted out. While his determination on the court is second to none, he still needs some time to get into his groove.

Djokovic's serve was not very impactful against Djere and although he did a decent job during return games, he will need to step up his level against Kecmanovic.

Kecmanovic is a much better server than Djere, so he'll certainly pose problems for the World No. 1. After playing such a lengthy match last time out, fatigue could be a factor as well for Djokovic. He hasn't played much tennis this year, so it remains to be seen how his body handles back-to-back matches.

Kecmanovic, on the other hand, will be relatively fresh, and the longer the match goes on, the better his chances are of winning. The younger Serbian has been quite consistent over the last few weeks and this seems like the perfect opportunity for him to score a win over his idol.

Prediction: Miomir Kecmanovic to win in three sets.

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