Novak Djokovic and Diego Schwartzman will be squaring off for the sixth time in their careers when they begin Group A competition at the Nitto ATP Finals on Monday afternoon.
Djokovic is sweeping the head-to-head series 5-0 after prevailing twice in straight sets earlier this season. The world No. 1 got the job done 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the Australian Open fourth round and then triumphed 7-5, 6-3 in the final of the Rome Masters. Their most competitive encounter came at the 2017 French Open, where Djokovic survived 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.
The setting for Schwartzman’s sixth attempt in this matchup is an unlikely one, as the 5’7” Argentine was not exactly thought of as a top year-end championship contender heading into the 2020 campaign. However, Schwartzman caught fire at the start of the clay-court swing and as a result will be making a debut appearance in London. After finishing runner-up to Djokovic in Rome, the world No. 9 reached the French Open semifinals, the Cologne 2 final, and the Paris quarters.
Djokovic’s season has been trending in a bit of a different direction. The Serb was literally unbeatable prior to the coronavirus hiatus, but he infamously got defaulted out of the U.S. Open and got blown out by Rafael Nadal in the French Open final and by Lorenzo Sonego in the Vienna quarterfinals.
Still, Djokovic is obviously a massive favorite on Monday. He is a four-time champion of this prestigious event, whereas Schwartzman has never played inside the O2 Arena. A straight-setter is the likely outcome, but don’t be surprised if the underdog is competitive in each set.
Pick: Djokovic in 2
WWW?
Djokovic is a bit too “cold” right now, I think that Schwartzmann takes the first set.
Joker loves London…in 2.