Cincinnati 2023: Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick | Western & Southern Open

Match details

Fixture: (2) Novak Djokovic vs (9) Taylor Fritz

Date: August 18, 2023

Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2023

Round: Quarterfinal

Venue: Cincinnati, US

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Hard

Prize money: $6,600,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv

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Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz preview

Novak Djokovic at the 2023 Western & Southern Open

23-time Major champion Novak Djokovic will square off against World No. 9 Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Western & Southern Open on Friday.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina's mid-match retirement sent Djokovic into the third round, where he faced his long-time rival Gael Monfils. The two were evenly matched at the start of the first set, but the Serb eventually pulled ahead. He bagged the last three games of the set to take it.

Djokovic raced to a 5-0 lead in no time in the second set. He failed to close out the match on his first try as Monfils broke back to keep himself in contention. However, the former World No. 1 got the job done on his next attempt to score a 6-3, 6-2 win.

Fritz knocked out Jiri Lehecka and Lorenzo Sonego in straight sets to set up a third-round date against Dusan Lajovic. The Serb had knocked out last week's Canadian Open champion Jannik Sinner in the previous round.

Unfortunately, Lajovic was hampered by an injury right from the start. Fritz won all 20 points they played as he built up a 5-0 lead. The Serb retired from the match after this point, leaving the American four points shy of winning a golden set but still moving on into the quarterfinals.

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Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz head-to-head

Djokovic leads Fritz 6-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2022 ATP Finals in straight sets.

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Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Novak Djokovic	-500	+1.5 (-1400)	Over 21.5 (-120)
Taylor Fritz	+333	-1.5 (+600)	Under 21.5 (-115)

(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)

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Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz prediction

Taylor Fritz at the 2023 Ultimate Tennis Showdown.

Aside from a minor stumble while trying to wrap up the match, Djokovic remained in control of the proceedings to score his 19th straight win over Monfils. Fritz, on the other hand, didn't really get to test himself against an injured Lajovic.

Aside from a five-set tussle at the 2021 Australian Open, Djokovic has defeated Fritz in straight sets on every other occasion. He's able to counter the American's big serve with ease.

Fritz is also unable to hit through Djokovic, whose impeccable defense can turn into an all-out attack in the blink of an eye. The American has been in decent form over the last few weeks as he won the Atlanta Open and reached the semifinals of the Citi Open as well.

However, given their past history, Djokovic is likely to have the upper hand yet again. He also gets more dangerous and difficult to beat as the tournament goes on. While Fritz has played at a good level this week, the Serb should be able to extend his winning record against his younger opponent.

Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.