Carlos Alcaraz vs Dušan Lajović Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Rio Open

Prediction published on 24/02/2023, 02:58  by Kennedy Kechula in Tennis Predictions

For the second successive tournament, top seed Carlos Alcaraz and the unseeded Dusan Lajovic will square it off when they meet in the quarterfinals of the Rio Open on Saturday. Alcaraz and Lajovic met at this very same stage a week ago in Buenos Aires with Alcaraz winning in straight sets on his way to the title. It was the second meeting between the two and Alcaraz has won both matches. The Spaniard is playing in his second tournament of the year after returning from a leg injury that had kept him out since mid-December. He hasn’t looked to have been slowed down at all by the injury and has won all six of his matches this year with four being by straight sets. One of his dropped sets came in the second round as he was forced to come from behind to beat Fabio Fognini 6-7, 6-2, 6-4. Alcaraz won it all in Rio in 2022, a year in which he exploded onto the scene and won five titles including two 1000 Masters and a Grand Slam to ascend to the top of the world rankings. He has since dropped to second place due to his long absence but he can tie top spot with Novak Djokovic if he retains his title in Rio.

Dusan Lajovic has won six of his last seven matches with the only exception being the loss to Alcaraz in Buenos Aires. This purple patch has seen him shoot up 10 places in the live ranking to 80th, the highest he has been all year. The Serb has won both of his matches in Rio by straight sets. He defeated fifth seed Diego Schwartzman and compatriot Laslo Djere in the first and second rounds respectively. He started strongly against Schwartzman and allowed the Argentine just one game in the opening set. There was some resistance from Djere but he too was dominated in the first set 6-2. Lajovic won the Challenger in Maspalomas to close out 2022 and a win here against Alcaraz will send him to his first semifinal since then. Lajovic has played in every Rio Open since making his debut tournament debut in 2015 but this is the first time he has advanced to the quarterfinals. A win here will see him move up five places to 75th in the live ranking.