Novak Djokovic vs Gael Monfils, Cincinnati Open 2023: Round of 16 preview, Head-to-head record, live streaming info

Two-time champion Novak Djokovic takes on Gael Monfils within the spherical of 16 of the Cincinnati Open, ATP 1000 Masters occasion, on Thursday.

The conflict is scheduled to be the fifth match on the Center Court on the fifth day of this yr’s version.

World No. 2 Djokovic comes into the third-round fixture after his opponent, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, was pressured to retire with a again damage whereas trailing 4-6 within the second spherical. The 36-year-old Serbian is competing on US soil for the primary time in two years and in Cincinnati after 4 years.

He couldn’t enter the US final yr because it required the worldwide travellers to be vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19. He additionally missed the Masters occasions at Indian Wells and Miami this yr because of the similar cause. However, the US authorities ended the vaccine mandate on May 11, clearing the best way for Djokovic’s entry. 

Former World No. 6 Monfils got here to Cincinnati after his stunning run to the quarterfinals in Toronto the place he beat the likes of Christopher Eubanks and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

In Cincinnati, the 36-year-old Frenchman started his marketing campaign with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Twelfth-seeded Brit Cameron Norrie earlier than beating Alex de Minaur, the Canadian Open runner-up, 7-5, 6-4 within the second spherical.

Head-to-head file

Played: 18 | Djokovic: 18 | Davidovich Fokina: 1

The Djokovic vs Monfils head-to-head file is the joint-most one-sided one on the ATP Tour together with Rafael Nadal vs Richard Gasquet – each 18-0.

Monfils did have the possibility to finish the streak within the semifinals in Dubai in 2020 however the Frenchman couldn’t convert any of the three match factors.

In their solely earlier Cincinnati Open conflict, Djokovic got here from a set all the way down to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 within the quarterfinals in 2011.