Dubai Tennis Championships 2022: Novak Djokovic vs Lorenzo Musetti preview, head-to-head and prediction

Match details

Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs Lorenzo Musetti.

Tournament: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2022.

Date: 21 February 2022.

Round: First Round (Round of 32).

Venue: Dubai, UAE.

Category: ATP 500.

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.

Prize money: $2,794,840

Match timing: Approx 8.30 pm local time, 4.30 pm GMT, 10 pm IST.

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.

Novak Djokovic vs Lorenzo Musetti preview

Novak Djokovic will take on Lorenzo Musetti in the first round of the 2022 Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships on Monday.

The Serb failed to defend his title at the Australian Open last month after being deported by Australian authorities due to problems with his visa and vaccination status.

Djokovic has not played a match since December and it remains to be seen how sharp he will be. The Serb will be eager to rack up as many points as possible in Dubai, given the fact that his vaccination status puts his participation at many upcoming events in doubt.

Lorenzo Musetti at the 2022 Australian Open

Musetti, meanwhile, comes into the tournament in streaky form. The Italian raised expectations over the last few years after picking up some significant wins on the ATP tour, but he has started the year quite poorly.

The 19-year-old lost all his matches in Australia before traveling to Pune, where he bowed out to Kamil Majchrzak in the quarterfinals. He then took down World No. 11 Hubert Hurkacz in Rotterdam before losing in the quarterfinals to Jiri Lehecka.

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Novak Djokovic vs Lorenzo Musetti head-to-head

The first-round encounter in Dubai will be the second meeting between the two players, with Novak Djokovic leading the head-to-head 1-0.

The pair met in the fourth round of the 2021 Roland Garros, where Musetti raced to a two-set lead after winning two tie-breaks. Djokovic then went on to win 16 of the next 17 games before the Italian retired due to injury late in the fifth.

Novak Djokovic vs Lorenzo Musetti prediction

Novak Djokovic at the 2021 Davis Cup Finals

Novak Djokovic is the heavy favorite, despite having been out of action for three months. The Serb's level is unpredictable coming into the tournament, but the conditions in Dubai suit his game.

Musetti could cause a few problems for the Serb. The Italian's forehand is his biggest strength, but he has a steady backhand and decent movement.

But the Serb's experience and overall quality should be enough for him to withstand whatever Musetti throws at him, even if the going gets a bit tricky.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in two tight sets.