The stage is all set for the men’s singles final of Australian Open 2023 as Novak Djokovic takes on Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The match commences at 2PM IST(7.30 PM AEST) on 29th January, venue being the Melbourne Park.
The Serb is just one slam away from equaling Rafael Nadal’s record for the most number of slams(22) in the open era. The final will mark Novak’s record 10th one at the Australian open. He has won all of his previous finals here.
The 9 time champion is in stupendous form coming to Australia, winning titles at the Tel Aviv Open, the Astana Open, ATP Finals and the Adelaide International. He has only lost twice in the last 32 matches he played.
Djokovic didn’t sweat much on his way to the final, beating players like Enzo Couacaud, Dimitrov, Alex De Minaur, Andre Rublev and Tommy Paul.
On the other hand, Stefanos Tsitsipas has also been in great form as he is unbeaten in the last 11 matches he played. The Greek defeated Sinner, Lehecka, Khachanov on his way to the final. Tsitsipas hasn’t yet won a slam in his career. Although he made an appearance in a slam final at the 2021 French Open, he eventually lost to Novak Djokovic in a roller coaster battle.
Djokovic vs Tsitsipas prediction
In current form, the Serb looks unbeatable. One thing that’s clear is that Tsitsipas should play the tennis of his life to even get close to defeating the 9-time champion.
Novak leads the head-to-head with 10-2. The last meeting was at 2022 ATP Finals where the Greek lost to the Serb in straight sets.
Djokovic’s serve has been brilliant throughout the tournament, especially in the semi final match against Paul. Tsitsipas has also been serving well. He won 84% of his first serve points in the semi-finals.
The Greek needs to keep up his good serve and should make the Serb move around the court when facing his serve. Despite playing against a tough opponent, the Greek stands a good chance if he keeps up the balance of his game and minimize the errors on the D-day.
After considering all the factors, we see no reason for Djokovic not lifting his 10th title at the Melbourne Park.
Our Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in four sets.