Cincinnati Open 2023: Taylor Fritz vs Dusan Lajovic preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick

Fixture: (9) Taylor Fritz vs (Q) Dusan Lajovic

Tournament: Cincinnati Open

Round: Third Round (Round of 16)

Date: August 17, 2023

Venue: Cincinnati, USA

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Hardcourt

Prize money: $6,600,000

Live telecast:- USA: Tennis Channel | UK: Amazon Prime | Australia: beIN Sports | Canada: TSN

Taylor Fritz vs Dusan Lajovic preview

Ninth seed Taylor Fritz will lock horns with Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic on Thursday as a place in the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals beckons.

World No. 9 Fritz saw off Italy's Lorenzo Sonego for his second straight-sets win of the week, after opening his campaign against Jiri Lehecka. The 25-year-old Fritz dropped four games as he pocketed the opening set against Sonego.

He faced a sterner challenge in the second set - which went to a tiebreak - before coming through in straight sets for his 44th win in 62 matches in 2023. After falling in the third round at the Canada Open in Toronto last week, Fritz will hope for a deeper run in Cincinnati ahead of the US Open later this month.

The American has had a solid season, winning titles at Delray Beach and Atalanta, reaching the semifinals at six tournaments and the last eight at Indian Wells and Miami. Fritz has a 6-5 record at Cincinnati.

Meanwhile, the 66th-ranked Lajovic needed to come through qualifying to make the main draw, where he beat Francisco Cerundolo in his opener before upsetting last week's Canada Open champion Jannik Sinner in the second round.

The 33-year-old Serb was impressive at the net - winning all 16 points - and saved all five break points for his fourth straight top-10 win. Lajovic conceded four games in the opener before winning the second-set tiebrek to improve to 19-15 on the season and 2-4 at Cincinnati.

Taylor Fritz vs Dusan Lajovic head-to-head

Fritz lost his lone meeting with Lajovic in the 2018 Lyon quarterfinal in straight sets. This will be their first clash on hardcourt.

Taylor Fritz vs Dusan Lajovic odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (over/under)
Taylor Fritz	-500	-1.5 (-140)	Over 21.5 (-155)
Dusan Lajovic	+340	+1.5 (+100)	Under 21.5 (+110)

All odds are sourced from BETMGM.

Taylor Fritz vs Dusan Lajovic prediction

Lajovic got off the mark in Cincinnati this week.

Both Fritz and Lajovic are quintessential baseliners, but the similarities in their game styles end there.

The American is a big server and powerful hitter off either flank, while Lajovic - a counterpuncher - has more modest weapons. Moreover, Fritz plays his best tennis on hardcourt - where he has a 162-111 record and four titles. Meanwhile, Lajovic is only 74-110 on the surface.

Both men are yet to drop a set in two matches this week, but expect the in-form Fritz to see off Lajovic.

Pick: Fritz in straight sets

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Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Arshit Garg