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Match Details
Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs Roberto Carballes Baena
Date: May 30, 2024
Tournament: French Open 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Clay (Outdoor)
Prize Money: £53,478,000
Live Telecast: USA - NBC, Tennis Channel, Peacock | Canada - TSN, RDS | UK - Eurosport, Discovery+ | India - Sony Ten
Novak Djokovic vs Roberto Carballes Baena preview
Novak Djokovic will continue his title defense against Roberto Carballes Baena in the second round of the 2024 French Open on Thursday.
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Defending champion Djokovic drew home favorite Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the first round. The Serb secured a break of serve in the early stages of the opening set and held on to the lead to claim the set.
The two were evenly matched in the second set but Djokovic raised his level in the tie-break to outplay Herbert and bag another set. It looked like the third set would also go to a tie-break but the Frenchman stumbled towards the end. The Serb snagged a final break of serve to begin his campaign with a 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win.
Carballes Baena, meanwhile, also faced a French player in his opener, Constant Lestienne. The Spaniard broke his opponent's serve twice in the first set to clinch it. The second set featured some back-and-forth between the two.
Carballes Baena led 3-1, then fell behind 5-3, before sweeping the next four games to capture the set. He was on the cusp of victory but blew a 4-1 lead in the third set as Lestienne fought back to snatch the set from him. The Spaniard got back on track in the fourth set, overcoming resistance from his opponent to record a 6-3, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 victory.
Novak Djokovic vs Roberto Carballes Baena head-to-head
Djokovic leads Carballes Baena 2-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2023 Australian Open in straight sets.
Novak Djokovic vs Roberto Carballes Baena odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Novak Djokovic vs Roberto Carballes Baena prediction
Djokovic wasn't in top form against Herbert but managed to get past him nonetheless. His level did improve gradually as the match progressed. The Serb won 84 percent of his first serve points and hit a total of 29 winners.
Carballes Baena downed Lestienne to record his sixth career win in Paris and reach the second round for the third straight year. Even though he's a clay specialist, his odds of causing an upset in the next round are quite slim.
While Djokovic isn't at his best these days, he has shown he doesn't need to give it his all against lower-ranked players. He has beaten Carballes Baena in straight sets on both occasions they've met.
Additionally, Carballes Baena is 1-16 against top-10 players, and Djokovic has only lost to Rafael Nadal at the French Open this decade. As such, the defending champion should advance further with ease.
Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.
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