Radu Albot vs Novak Djokovic Prediction: Too easy to Novak Djokovic

Four-time US Open champion Novak Djokovic will start his campaign for another title in Flushing Meadows against Radu Albot in the Round of 128. Djokovic is fresh off a successful season, where he clinched many titles, among them the Australian Open and Wimbledon. and looks in very good form to clinch his record-extending 25th Grand Slam. His opponent, ranked well outside the top 100 in the world and rather out of form this year, has entered the US Open as a qualifier.

Albot has struggled to find much consistency at the ATP level and has usually lost early on in many events. His ability to qualify for the US Open, however, does suggest that he may have found some late-season form. The game of Albot is about baseline playing and counter-punching, but he doesn't have the power to really worry top-tier opponents like Djokovic.

Albot will have to lean on his defensive skills and counter-punching to hang around in rallies. His best chances would be taking Djokovic into longer exchanges, hoping for uncharacteristic errors.

Albot will have to serve at his best to avoid an early break. Clearly, both variety and placement are going to be the way forward, as Djokovic is not going to be troubled by raw pace alone.

He has demonstrated incredible resilience and tactical flexibility all year long, in how he worked out how to modulate his game against different opponents. In addition to having one of the best return games in tennis history, he is able to neutralize some of the finest servers around, something that will be a critical factor against Albot.

Djokovic will most probably dominate because he is the best return player, and this really puts pressure on Albot's serve. His deep returns are going to set Albot behind the baseline, which will give Djokovic forced errors or short balls easily attacked for a winner.

The consistency that Djokovic is able to hit from the baseline, along with his ability to change from defense to offense with ease, is going to keep Albot back behind the baseline. The manner in which he mixed up his play against the Slovak with drop shots and angles will prove very effective against Albot, who lacks court coverage.

With the kind of form Djokovic is in, overall record dominating head-to-head clashes, and far better class, Djokovic is highly expected to win this match in straight sets. The biggest task for Albot is to somehow avoid being suffocated from sunup to sundown by the suffocating pressure that Djokovic would be exerting at both the baseline and on return.

Albot's best hope would be to elongate rallies and pray for perhaps any slow start from Djokovic, but the chance of an upset here seems remote.

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