Match details
Fixture: Dennis Novak vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Date: 16 October 2020
Tournament: Bett1Hulks Indoors 2020
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Cologne, Germany
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €325,610
Match timing: Approx. 4 pm CEST, 7.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Dennis Novak preview
After knocking out fourth seed Benoit Paire in the pre-quarterfinals, Dennis Novak will aim to continue his fine form in Germany when he locks horns with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Friday.
Novak hasn't dropped a single set at the Cologne 1 event so far. He won his first-round match against Jordan Thompson 6-3, 6-3, and then beat Paire 6-3, 6-4 in the Round of 16.
The World No. 94 player had a win-loss record of 4-9 this year before the Bett1Hulks Indoors 2020 tournament. Last month, the Austrian faced Alexander Zverev in the first round of Roland Garros 2020 but went down in straight sets.
Dennis Novak now goes up against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, whom he had lost to at the US Open earlier this year.
Davidovich Fokina is one of the brightest young prospects on the ATP tour right now, and is currently ranked No. 71. The Malaga-born player has a win-loss record of 8-7 in the current season.
Davidovich Fokina had made it to the US Open pre-quarterfinals, where he lost to Zverev. Apart from Dennis Novak, the 21-year-old had also overcome 24th seed Hubert Hurkacz and Cameron Norrie at Flushing Meadows.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Dennis Novak head-to-head
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina leads Dennis Novak 1-0 in the head-to-head record. As mentioned above, the two European players had faced each other in the US Open opening round earlier this year, where Davidovich Fokina won in five sets.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Dennis Novak prediction
Although Dennis Novak has registered two clinical wins in Cologne, it must be noted that Benoit Paire was far below his best in the second round. The Frenchman got just 44% of his first serves in, and looked disinterested in the proceedings for most of the match.
On the other hand, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat former US Open champion Marin Cilic in the second round even after dropping the opening set. The Spaniard is well-known for his incredible drop shots, and they could trouble Novak too in the quarterfinal.
If Davidovich Fokina is on his game, he will likely have too much firepower and variety for Novak.
Prediction: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to win in three sets.