Strengths: Lajović is a technical player capable of causing trouble for any opponent when in good form. He has shown he can play well on clay, like in Buenos Aires, where he won against Roberto Carballes Baena.
Achievements: Lajović has frequently reached the quarterfinals in major tournaments, including in Rio de Janeiro, where he reached this stage twice.
Current form: This season, he’s been inconsistent and has lost many matches, particularly against stronger opponents like Alexander Zverev.
Winner: Dušan Lajović. Reasoning: Although Lajović isn’t in perfect form, his experience and past consistency on clay, including strong results in Rio, make him the favorite for this match. Džumhur, despite being stronger on clay, hasn’t been in good form lately, and his debut in Rio raises questions about his preparation.
Both players enter this head-to-head match not in their best form. They’ve come to Rio de Janeiro with the goal of improving their performance and will be focused on the fight ahead. Looking at their previous encounters, it's clear that these matches were closely contested. This is further supported by the fact that both players had to work hard for their most recent victories. It's unlikely that this match will end quickly.
Our prediction — total over 21.5 games at odds of 1.80.
