Shanghai Masters 2024: Novak Djokovic vs Roman Safiullin preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (4) Novak Djokovic vs Roman Safiullin

Date: 9 October, 2024

Tournament: Shanghai Masters 2024

Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)

Venue: Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai, China

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Hard-court (Outdoor)

Prize Money: $8,995,555

Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN | India - Sony

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Novak Djokovic vs Roman Safiullin preview

Novak Djokovic in action at the 2024 US Open (Picture: Getty)

Fourth seed Novak Djokovic will continue his pursuit of a fifth Shanghai Masters title against Roman Safiullin in the fourth round on Wednesday, October 9.

Djokovic began his Shanghai Masters campaign with a challenging 7-6 (3), 7-6 (9) win over American youngster Alex Michelsen in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. He looked more comfortable in his third-round match against Flavio Cobolli, breaking the Italian's serve in the opening game.

A second break in a competitive fifth game helped Djokovic cruise through the first set without dropping a point. In the second set, both players held serve early, but Djokovic shifted gears at 2-2, winning four consecutive games to seal a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory.

Safiullin, meanwhile, opened his Shanghai campaign with a 7-6 (0), 6-4 win over Beibit Zhukayev. He followed that up with a rain-affected victory over Alexander Bublik that spanned two days, closing out the match 6-4, 6-2.

Safiullin's most impressive performance came in the third round against 13th seed Frances Tiafoe, where he fought back from a set down and clinched a dramatic 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5) win in a gripping third-set tiebreak.

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Novak Djokovic vs Roman Safiullin head-to-head

Novak Djokovic leads Roman Safiullin 2-0 in their head-to-head. The former comfortably won their previous encounter 6-1, 6-2 in Monte-Carlo earlier this year.

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Novak Djokovic vs Roman Safiullin odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bet	Total Gams
Novak Djokovic
Roman Safiullin

(Odds to be added once available)

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Novak Djokovic vs Roman Safiullin prediction

Roman Safiullin in action at the 2024 China Open (Picture: Getty)

Novak Djokovic enters his fourth-round clash with a 34-8 match record this season, including 13-4 on hard courts. Surprisingly, he is yet to win a title on the surface this year, with his only triumph coming on clay at the Olympics. Djokovic has played just three Masters 1000 events in 2024, failing to reach the final in any, and has been knocked out twice in the round of 32.

Roman Safiullin, meanwhile, has a 17-22 match record for the season, including 12-12 on hardcourts. He holds a 6-6 record at Masters 1000 events and is making his first fourth-round appearance of the year, with his previous best being a third-round finish at Indian Wells. The 27-year-old has yet to defeat a top-10 player this year, making his task against Djokovic particularly challenging.

Both players have exhibited impressive performances in Shanghai, but the momentum currently favors Djokovic following his commanding third-round victory. Given his statistical advantage and rising form, Djokovic is anticipated to progress in straight sets.

Pick: Djokovic to win in straight sets.