Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Dusan Lajovic – Breakdown and Prediction

April 20, 2024

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Dusan Lajovic: ATP Barcelona – Semifinal

Stefanos Tsitsipas is looking for his fourth final at the the ATP Barcelona in the match against Dusan Lajovic.

Stefanos Tsitsipas Profile

Stefanos Tsitsipas is seventh in the ATP rankings, four spots lower than his career high. The Greek is 20-6 for the season and 9-0 on clay courts.

He is coming off a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 quarterfinal win over Facundo Diaz Acosta. Previously, he defeated Roberto Carballes Baena and Sebastian Ofner.

Last week in Monte Carlo, Tsitsipas won his first title this season and the 12th in his career. In the finals of the Masters tournament, he defeated Casper Ruud 6-1, 6-4. Earlier this season, Tsitsipas lost to Ruud in the semifinals in Los Cabos.

He played in three finals in Barcelona but never won the title.

Dusan Lajovic Profile

Dusan Lajovic is 59th in the ATP rankings, and his career high was No. 23 in the world. The Serbian is 11-9 for the season and 8-3 on clay courts.

Lajovic is coming off a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 quarterfinal win over Arthur Fils. Previously, he won 7-6, 3-6, 6-1 over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the round of 16 match, 6-4, 6-4 against Ugo Humbert and 6-1, 6-2 against Diego Schwartzman.

Lajovic failed to qualify for the main draw in Monte Carlo, losing to Alexandre Muller. The week before, he lost to Gael Monfils in the opening round in Miami after failing to defeat Frances Tiafoe in the second round in Indian Wells.

Lajovic played quite well on clay on the South American tour, making it to the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.

This is Lajovic’s second appearance in Barcelona after 2018 when he lost in the second round.

Head-to-Head – Tsitsipas leads 3-2

Lajovic vs Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-7, 10-7 (2023 Boddies Tennis Challenge)
Tsitsipas vs Lajovic 7-6, 6-2 (2020 ATP Hamburg, quarterfinal)
Tsitsipas vs Lajovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 (2019 ATP Beijing, first round)
Tsitsipas vs Lajovic 7-6, 6-4 (2018 ATP Rome, qualifiers)
Lajovic vs Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 (2017 Wimbledon, first round)

Prediction and Conclusion

Stefanos Tsitsipas has found his form, and he proved that he is back with the title in Monte Carlo last week. This is his sixth appearance in Barcelona, and he has made it to the final three times before. The last one was last year, when he lost 6-3, 6-4 to Carlos Alcaraz. He may get another chance to play for the crown, but first he needs to go over Dusan Lajovic. The Serbian is having an excellent week in Barcelona and the best tournament of the season. He showed high confidence in the previous matches, and he is definitely aware of this opportunity. The Serbian has defeated Tsitsipas twice before, but both of those wins were on grass. Tsitsipas will be dominant on clay and will win this match in straight sets.