World No. 139 Filip Misolic will take on fellow qualifier Jozef Kovalik in the second round of the 2023 Swedish Open on Wednesday, July 19. Get the predictions and odds of this Filip Misolic v Jozef Kovalik match along with its preview, head-to-head, and tips here.
- Other Swedish Open match previews & predictions options here
- Also get all the Swedish Open live streaming options here
Filip Misolic v Jozef Kovalik Head to Head
Misolic and Kovalik have not played each other on either the ATP Tour or Challenger level.
Also Read:
Misolic Masters Lajovic In Straight Sets
Filip Misolic’s breakthrough moment came in Kitzbuhel last summer when he went all the way to his first final. Although it has taken so long to finally get another win on the main tour, it was well worth the wait.
Misolic qualified for the main draw in bizarre fashion, benefitting from a retirement by Damir Dzumhur after playing one point in the match on Monday.
And the 21-year-old came out with a steady performance to oust the higher-ranked Dusan Lajovic. The last time he beat Lajovic, incidentally, was during his stunning run in Kitzbuhel, so this could actually be a good omen.
Misolic didn’t have things going to plan early on, as he dropped his serve in the third game of the match and trailed 4-2. But it wasn’t long before he got the break back. The Austrian had a look at set point at 6-5 on Lajovic’s serve, but it was quickly wiped off.
Misolic, however, took control of the first set tiebreak, romping to a 4-1 lead and using his consistent ground strokes to overpower Lajovic and eventually won the breaker 7-4.
There were four breaks at the start of the second set, two apiece. Lajovic’s lack of game time since Wimbledon was apparent and after the Serb wasted a set point at 5-4 on Misolic’s serve, he ended up losing the second-set tiebreak too.
Also Read:
Kovalik Shocks Off Color Davidovich Fokina
Jozef Kovalik scored one of his best wins this season as he sent seventh seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina packing in straight sets – 6-3, 6-4 – easily the most shocking result of the day in Bastad.
Kovalik was as high as 11/2 to win that opener with the bookies, but proved once again, matches were not won paper. The Slovak, with just one win on Tour all year, has doubled that tally and will look to reach his first quarterfinal in two years.
Kovalik sensed an opportunity that his higher-ranked opponent could be caught cold. Davidovich Fokina was playing his first match since a chaotic five-set defeat at Wimbledon over a week ago.
And the qualifier took advantage of an off-color and erratic Davidovich Fokina, converting his two break points in the first set, and winning almost half of his return points.
The second set was a tough watch for the Spaniard, who was once again broken twice in quick succession midway through the set. Although Kovalik needed two bites to close the match, he eventually prevailed.
Misolic v Kovalik Prediction and Tip
Both players authored shock wins in the opening round and neither player is struggling with momentum of late. Expecting a barnburner with a tiny edge on the Slovak who has had a more impressive run.
Tips:
- Low Risk Tip: Over 21.5 games in the match: 4/6
- Moderate Risk Tip: Kovalik to win: 1/1
The 2023 ATP Bastad will be played from July 17 to 23. You can get all the tennis betting news with our tennis betting blog here. Also get rest of the tennis match previews here.
Be the first to comment