Novak Djokovic is the resounding favourite to make it into the quarter-finals at the Paris 2024 Olympics when he takes on Dominik Koepfer in Wednesday's third-round match.
The No. 1 seed defeated great rival Rafael Nadal in the pick of the previous round's matches, and he seeks to advance at the expense of his German opponent, who beat Matteo Arnaldi in three sets in the second round.
Match preview
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Djokovic led Nadal 30-29 heading into the pair's 60th match, and the Serbian superstar's 6-1, 6-4 round-two victory saw him extend that advantage in what could be their last-ever match-up.
The No. 1 seed's superiority saw him notch a dominant first-set win before opening a 4-0 advantage in the second, only to be met with some delayed resistance from the Spaniard, who reeled off four consecutive games to nearly force a decider.
However, Djokovic broke again in the ninth game to edge ahead 5-4 before serving it out for a win in straight sets, setting up Wednesday's match with Koepfer.
Avoiding a loss to Nadal means the 37-year-old remains on course for his goal of claiming the one honour that has previously eluded him — an Olympic gold medal.
Having defeated Nadal, he is the undoubted favourite to make it all the way to the final, even if a possible battle against defending Olympic champion Alexander Zverev could come in the semis.
Djokovic will not be looking that far ahead, as he faces a banana skin against his German opponent, who showcased his powers of recovery to eliminate Arnaldi in round two.
Koepfer lost the first set 6-3 to the Italian before rallying in sets two and three to clinch a third-round place after a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory, setting up a second meeting with the co-favourite in Paris.
The 30-year-old has battled through his draw so far, underscored by his round-two comeback win following a first-round three-setter against Milos Raonic, a tight match that required the German to play at his best in tie breaks in the second and deciding sets.
He may be the underdog heading into Wednesday, but Koepfer will be prepared to go the distance again for the third match running.
Tournament so far
Novak Djokovic:
First round: vs. Matthew Ebden 6-0 6-1
Second round: vs. Rafael Nadal 6-1 6-4
Dominik Koepfer:
First round: Milos Raonic 6-7[2] 7-6[5] 7-6[1]
Second round: vs. Matteo Arnaldi 3-6 6-2 6-1
Head To Head
Rome Masters (2020) - Quarter-final:Djokovic 6-3 4-6 6-3
The previous meeting between Djokovic and Koepfer went three sets, possibly foretelling how Wednesday could go in Paris.
That match in Rome also took place on clay, with Djokovic pegged back after winning the opening set of that last-eight match before recovering from the setback to notch the deciding set 6-3.
We say: Djokovic to win in two sets
A four-game wobble against Nadal aside, Djokovic has looked like a man on a mission so far in Paris, dropping two games in his first three sets across two matches, and we are backing him to defeat his German opponent fairly comfortably to reach the last eight at the Olympics.
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