(Tennis news) World No. 3 Djokovic lost a 5-2 lead in the first set of his second-round encounter, and Marton Fucsovics forced a tiebreak after he failed to serve out the frame. To draw first blood after 87 minutes, the 36-year-old produced a nearly flawless tiebreak while only giving up two points.

Fucsovics appeared to lose his composure after losing the opening set since the Hungarian capitulated following that in a somewhat meek manner. With a bagel in the second set, Djokovic extended his unblemished record against Fucsovics to 5-0 by breaking his opponent a remarkable seven times in the following two sets.

The Serb has advanced to the third round for the 18th consecutive year and is currently 22-4 on the season. He is 87-16 at Roland Garros, where he is attempting to win his third title. The 22-time Major champion will face the 34th-ranked Davidovich Fokina after the Russian defeated Frenchman Luca Van Assche in straight sets. 

The Spaniard struggled in the third set, which was extended to a tiebreak, after losing just seven games in the first two. However, he eventually prevailed. Davidovich Fokina, who lost in the first round of the tournament last year but advanced to the final eight in 2021, is currently 19-13 on the year and 7-4 at Roland Garros. 

Head-to-Head

In two of their three encounters, Djokovic has prevailed. But in their most recent match, which took place in the second round of the Monte-Carlo tournament last year, the Spaniard prevailed.

Predictions

The parallels between Djokovic and Davidovich Fokina’s games end there, despite the fact that both players are classic baseliners. Although the Serb isn’t a strong server or ball-hitter, his movement, attitude, and shot-making are all above average.

Additionally, there is a significant difference in the two players’ history on clay courts: Djokovic is 38-30 while Davidovich Fokina is 264-66 and has 18 victories. One of the all-time great returners, Djokovic won an astonishing 52/99 points off of Fucsovics’ serve. Davidovich Fokina will feel confident because he defeated the Serb in their previous meeting, but Djokovic should advance to the second week due to his superior recent form.

Novak to win four sets (3-1) 

Also read: Novak Djokovic advances to the 3rd round of the French Open