Novak Djokovic vs Dušan Lajović Prediction & Betting Tips - Belgrade, Serbia, Qualifying

Prediction published on 20/04/2023, 15:30  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 20/04/2023 at 17:33 in Tennis Predictions

The quarter-finals of the ATP Srpska Open will get underway on Friday, and on the center court, we will see Novak Djokovic take on Dusan Lajovic in what promises to be a match of high quality. Ranked as the best player in the world, Djokovic has been incredible again this year, boasting a record of 17-2 to go with two titles won, namely Adelaide 1 and the Australian Open. However, the Serbian comes into this tournament having failed to deliver in Monte Carlo Masters last week. After a decent showing against qualifier Ivan Gakhov in the first round, Djokovic looked out of sorts the next day and bowed out in the second round to Lorenzo Musetti in three sets. Djokovic has beaten this opponent twice in the past, once on the clay, though that did come back in 2018 in Monaco.  Nevertheless, holding a significant rank superiority, Djokovic will feel that he should get through this one with little bother. though he has expressed concern over an elbow injury.

On the other hand, Dusan Lajovic has had plenty of time to familiarize himself with the clay surface, having already played as many as 18 matches across five tournaments this year. His best finish to date came on the clay in Rio, where he reached the semi-finals, overcoming Diego Schwartzman in the first round, but he was little match for top seed Carlos Alcaraz who went on to finish as the runner-up. After qualifying for the Monte Carlo Masters, Lajovic was unable to get past the first round against Alexei Popyrin, losing in straight sets to the Australian. Having played a fair amount on clay this year, Lajovic has managed to maintain a good record of 12-6 on this surface; however, coming up against his countryman and the number one ranked player in the world in this one, Lajovic will have to possibly pull off the best result of his career to stand any chance of progressing.