Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal Prediction: Betting on Djokovic to Win 3:1

The centerpiece of the Roland Garros quarterfinals will be a match between Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal. This confrontation would have graced the tournament's final, but the fate decided otherwise. The Serb and the Spaniard will have to meet in the quarterfinals. Bookmakers are on the side of Novak, they believe that the Balkan has a better chance to win than the Spaniard.

As expected, Novak Djokovic defeated Diego Schwartzman 3:0. The match lasted two hours and 17 minutes, and Diego won only seven games. The score was very convincing for Novak, one can even say smashing, 6:1, 6:3, 6:3. Still, Diego forced Novak to sweat, especially in the second game when the Argentine had the courage to lead 3:0. Overall Novak fired three times and made one double fault, winning 74% of his first serve points and 54% of his second. Winners/unforced errors statistic: 29:31 so we can see that Diego fought back. Recall that before beating Schwartzman, Novak knocked out Nishioka, Molcan and Bedene without losing a single set.

It’s obviously a well-anticipated match [since] the draw came out. I’m glad that I haven’t spent too much time on the court myself up until the quarter-finals. Knowing that playing Nadal in Roland Garros is always a physical battle along with everything else that happens. It’s a huge challenge and probably the biggest one you can have here.

Djokovic about the match with Nadal

Nadal struggled mightily in the last 16. The Spaniard's opponent was Auger-Aliassime, a promising young Canadian coached by Rafa's uncle, Tony. Apparently the lessons of the Clay King's uncle was not in vain. Felix gave Nadal a real fight, even leading after the first game, but still lost 2:3. The match lasted four hours and 23 minutes, but the men didn't break even once. Nadal won 67% of points on his first serve and 66% on his second, a 36%/53% success rate on the receiving end. Winners/unforced errors stats: 47:41.

I didn't play these kind of matches for the past three months, so [it is] going to be a big challenge for me. Of course he already won I think his past nine matches in a row, winning in Rome and now winning here in straight sets every match. Probably he will be confident. I know how my situation is and I accept it well. I’m going to fight for it.

Nadal before the quarterfinals

Nadal has a historic advantage over Djokovic, both on the court and at Roland Garros. However, given the Spaniard's less-than-perfect form, we doubt that he has a serious chance of making it to the semifinals. Nadal barely outplayed Auger-Aliassime, while Djokovic has a nine-match winning streak without losing a single set. We believe that the series of the Balkan will extend and Nadal will probably take one set. 

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