Cincinnati 2020: Novak Djokovic vs Roberto Bautista Agut preview, head-to-head & prediction | Western & Southern Open 

Match details

Fixture: Novak Djokovic vs Roberto Bautista Agut

Date: 28 August 2020

Note: All Cincinnati Masters semifinals have been postponed by a day as a part of the "collective stance against racial inequality and social injustice" announced by the Western & Southern Open authorities on Thursday, 27 August.

Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020

Round: Semifinal

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $4,674,780

Match timing: 3 pm EDT, 12.30 am IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Sony Ten 2

Novak Djokovic vs Roberto Bautista Agut preview

21, not done 🙌@DjokerNole powers past Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3 6-1 to improve to 21-0 in 2020. #CInCyTENNIS pic.twitter.com/dXc9kcDOCb

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 26, 2020

Novak Djokovic has hit the ground running since his return from the lockdown, running through his first three opponents at the Western & Southern Open with straight-sets victories. The Serb was in a particularly brutal mood in the quarterfinal against Jan-Lennard Struff on Wednesday, recording a 6-3 6-1 win.

Djokovic has been in superb form throughout the year, boasting of a win-loss record of 21-0 in 2020 so far. His only on-court blemish came in the exhibition games at the Adria Tour this year, where he lost in the Belgrade semifinal to Filip Krajinovic.

Roberto Bautista Agut has also had a decent year, winning 12 out of 15 games so far. He's claimed three-set victories in his last two rounds at Cincinnati, fighting it out against Karen Khachanov in the Round of 16 and Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinal.

The World No. 12 represented Spain in the final of the ATP Cup earlier this year, but hasn't won a title in 2020 so far.

Novak Djokovic vs Roberto Bautista Agut head-to-head

The hard-court meetings between Novak Djokovic and Roberto Bautista Agut have been very close

Novak Djokovic leads the head-to-head against Roberto Bautista Agut 8-3. However, Bautista Agut has won two of their last three encounters, both on hardcourts.

Their head-to-head on outdoor hardcourts is tied at 3-3.

Novak Djokovic vs Roberto Bautista Agut prediction

The @atptour final 4⃣🇷🇸 Djokovic vs. Bautista Agut 🇪🇸🇬🇷 Tsitsipas vs. Raonic 🇨🇦#CInCyTENNIS

— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) August 27, 2020

This is a difficult game to call, particularly considering how close the hardcourt matches between Novak Djokovic and Roberto Bautista Agut have been. While Djokovic claimed victories in their first three hardcourt encounters, Bautista Agut has drawn even with wins in the last three.

This promises to be a tight, high-intensity fixture between two top players. While Djokovic has been nearly unstoppable so far this year, he is bound to suffer a blip sooner or later. And there's nobody better to take advantage of that than Bautista Agut.

Prediction: Roberto Bautista Agut to win in three sets.