Novak Djokovic v Francisco Cerundolo: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Novak Djokovic was pushed to his limits in the third round of the French Open and it could be curtains for the Serbian when he faces Francisco Cerundolo on Monday.

The rain has wreaked havoc on the French Open this week and a reshuffled schedule resulted in Novak Djokovic playing until past 3am against Lorenzo Musetti in the third round.

Djokovic eventually showed the superior stamina to win 7-5 6-7 2-6 6-3 6-0 but it was a tough encounter for the 37-year-old and things will not get any easier against Cerundolo.

Novak Djokovic v Francisco Cerundolo betting tips and predictions

Francisco Cerundolo to win - 5/1

Djokovic is 1/8 favourite to win this fourth-round encounter but Cerundolo is being underestimated.

It has not exactly been a blistering season from Djokovic, who is yet to pick up a title in 2024 and the players to have beaten him in the last few months are Luca Nardi, Casper Ruud, Alejandro Tabilo and Tomas Machac - hardly a blockbuster list.

It is clear Djokovic is not operating at full tilt right now and his five-set epic with Musetti in the third round will not do him any favours.

He trailed 2-1 in that match on the Philippe-Chatrier court and even for an industrious individual like Djokovic, it could be tough to turn his attention to the fourth round so quickly.

To make matters worse, Cerundolo is certainly a man who can capitalise on any signs of fatigue.

It has been an up-and-down season from the Argentinian, who has won 13 and lost 15 of his 28 matches on the ATP tour this year.

But he has played some of his best tennis on the slower terrain this year, reaching the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open last month.

And he has barely broken a sweat in Paris, easing to straight-set wins over Yannick Hanfmann and Filip Misolic before recovering from a set down to beat 14th seed Tommy Paul.

These players have never clashed before and it would be a mistake for Djokovic to underestimate Cerundolo, who is overpriced to pull off a shock win.

Match to feature five sets - 7/2

Another way to show support for Cerundolo in this match is to back it to feature five sets.

Djokovic's third-round clash with Musetti went the distance and it featured a gigantic total of 48 games.

The Serbian is sure to flag at times in this match with Cerundolo, who himself is not opposed to letting his opponent getting on top of him for short periods while he recharges and prepares to explode in the next game.

There could, consequently, be a lot of back and forth in this match and it is worth noting two of Cerundolo's last four matches have seen both players win a set.

Francisco Cerundolo to win 3-2 - 12/1

Combining the previous two bets, a wager on Cerundolo to win this match in five sets makes serious appeal at 12/1.

If Cerundolo does defy the odds to pull off a surprise win, he is unlikely to blow Djokvoic away and, as mentioned, he is not the kind of player who looks to control a match from start to finish.

He was a little shaky in the third round against Paul, losing the first set 6-3 before winning the next three sets to prevail.

His second-round battle with Misolic, meanwhile, featured a tiebreaker, as did Djokovic's opener against Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

Neither of these individuals have been unplayable on the clay courts this year and this clash could go the distance with Cerundolo fancied to come out on top as he grows in confidence, especially after Djokovic's marathon battle against Musetti, which has likely left him drained.

Read more tennis betting tips and predictions on site.

Novak Djokovic v Francisco Cerundolo odds

Novak Djokovic - 1/8
Francisco Cerundolo - 5/1

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.