It wasn’t long ago when Verdasco faced Djokovic. That was just last week, when the Spaniard fell to the world no. 2 in the ATP Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, 6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 3-6.
Despite the loss, Verdasco managed to send across to the Serbian that he’s not someone who’s going to fold that easily. Verdasco held five match points in that match, proving he was more than a handful to Djokovic.
And while Djokovic has the edge in the all-time head-to-head with Verdasco, 9-4, note that Verdasco leads the Serbian in clay court matches, 3-2. Verdasco even won the last two clay matches against Djokovic, though both happened way back in 2010.
Verdasco had won 71 percent of his first serves in ATP tournaments last year.
Betting on Novak Djokovic
Djokovic needs no introduction at the Australian Open. With six titles in the past nine Australian Opens and an all-time record of 57-6 in Melbourne, Djokovic definitely deserves every bit of his odds of +130 to bag another Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.
Djokovic showed his readiness for another Australian Open run when he claimed the championship in Doha last week, defeating No. 1 Andy Murray in the final, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
Djokovic, who won the last two Opens, can’t afford to treat this game like a normal first round match. AS mentioned, Verdasco gave him troubles in Doha plus it was just last year when the Spaniard took out Rafael Nadal right in the opening round.
That said, Djokovic still is a tough beat for anyone, especially in Melbourne. Last year, Djokovic had won 70% of his first serve points on clay matches and won 85% of games on the said surface.
