ATP Finals 2019 – Novak Djokovic vs Dominic Thiem Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Novak Djokovic vs Dominic Thiem taking place? The O2 Arena, London
When is Novak Djokovic vs Dominic Thiem on and what time does it start? Tuesday 12th November, 2019 – 20:00 (UK)
What channel is Novak Djokovic vs Dominic Thiem B on? This match will not be televised live in the UK
Where can I stream Novak Djokovic vs Dominic Thiem? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream the match via Amazon Prime Video
Where can I get tickets for Novak Djokovic vs Dominic Thiem? https://www.nittoatpfinals.com/en/tickets
Who won the last meeting between Novak Djokovic vs Dominic Thiem? Dominic Thiem beat Novak Djokovic 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, 5-7, 7-5
THE LOWDOWN
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
- Novak Djokovic made his ATP Finals intentions clear with a commanding display over Matteo Berettini in his first match on Sunday afternoon in which he broke the Italian’s serve five times and at one stage won eight games in a row.
- The 32-year-old is chasing a record-equalling sixth title at the ATP Finals and is hoping to better Rafael Nadal’s performance at the O2 in London as he desperately tries to reclaim the world number one spot before the year’s end.
- The current world number two holds a 6-3 lead in his head-to-head record with Dominic Thiem, including all of their three previous meetings on hard courts, although Thiem has won three of the last four encounters.
DOMINIC THIEM
- Dominic Thiem announced himself as a genuine ATP Finals contender with an assured straight-sets victory over Roger Federer on Sunday night, where he put in one of the performances of his season.
- The world number five’s win over Federer breaks a streak of losing his first match at the ATP Finals for the last three years to Kevin Anderson in 2018, Grigor Dimitrov in 2017 and his next foe here Novak Djokovic in 2016.
- 25-year-old Thiem’s three wins over Novak Djokovic have all come on his favoured clay surface and, remarkably, twice in the semi-finals of Roland-Garros, including a five-set thriller this year, the last time they met.
THE PREDICTION
It is interesting indeed to find that Dominic Thiem has won three of the four previous meetings with Novak Djokovic, but all three of these wins coming on clay is slightly less surprising as Thiem is second only to Rafael Nadal on that surface. On the hard courts, Novak Djokovic has the edge over almost every other player out there, with Daniil Medvedev the other imperious hard-court aficionado, and the Serb is likely to win this match. Thiem’s defeat of Federer will only serve as a warning to Djokovic, who will take the Austrian all the more seriously as a result. Dominic Thiem will have something say about this, of course, but beating Novak Djokovic is an entirely different challenge to Federer and mostly in the mind.
