Novak Djokovic has lived to see another day in Belgrade and he will face a second consecutive Serbian opponent in the form of Miomir Kecmanovic. Round two wraps up with a showdown between Andrey Rublev and Jiri Lehecka.
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (7) Miomir Kecmanovic
Djokovic’s bid for a second Serbia Open title almost did not even get off the ground. The world No. 1 needed three hours and 22 minutes to overcome compatriot Laslo Djere 2-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(4) on Wednesday afternoon. Another loss would have been a borderline disaster for Djokovic–especially in front of the home crowd. The 34-year-old is playing in just his third tournament of the season and his record prior to this week was a modest 2-2.
Up next for Djokovic during quarterfinal action on Thursday is another Serb–and an even tougher one than Djere. Djokovic vs. Kecmanovic was supposed to a be a first-round matchup at the 2022 Australian Open, but the top seed was infamously forced to withdraw and Kecmanovic capitalized in the form of a run to round four. That kickstarted what is becoming a breakout year on tour for the 22-year-old. This is his fifth consecutive quarterfinal appearance–a stretch that includes huge results in Indian Wells and Miami. Kecmanovic opened on Wednesday in Belgrade with a 6-4, 7-6(5) defeat of John Millman. Given Djokovic’s second-round marathon and his general struggles at the moment, this is a great opportunity for a red-hot world No. 38.
Pick: Kecmanovic in 3
(Q) Jiri Lehecka vs. (2) Andrey Rublev
Rublev started the year hot with titles in Marseille and Dubai, but now he could use some momentum back on his side in advance of the French Open. The world No. 8 got a bad draw in Miami and lost right away to Nick Kyrgios before falling to Jannik Sinner in the Monte-Carlo third round.
Up first in Belgrade for Rublev is a Leheckha, whom he has never faced. Lehecka is just now making a name for himself with the first four ATP-level wins of his career coming in 2022 and leading to a top 100 position (currently two spots off his best-ever mark at No. 93). Lehecka qualified for the Belgrade main draw and then ousted Henri Laaksonen 6-2, 7-5. Unfortunately for the 20-year-old Czech, he has only one top 50 victory in his career. With his grass-court summer likely wiped out by Wednesday’s Wimbledon and LTA announcement banning Russian players, Rublev should be a man on a mission on clay.
Pick: Rublev in 2
why is a quarterfinal match on Thursday?