Indian Wells Open 2024: Novak Djokovic vs Aleksandar Vukic preview, head-to-head, prediction, live streaming details

Published at :March 10, 2024 at 1:52 AM

Modified at :March 10, 2024 at 1:53 AM

(Courtesy : beIN Sports/Daily Mail)

Djokovic returns to action for the first time since his shock defeat at the Australian Open.

World No. 1 and top seed, Novak Djokovic, will face Australian Aleksandar Vukic in the second round of the Indian Wells Open 2024. Djokovic was on a short break from the game following his early exit from the 2024 Australian Open. The Serbian, who is still holding on to the top spot in the ATP rankings, suffered a setback while aiming for a record 11th Australian Open trophy.

Djokovic could not find his way past Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, crashing to a 1-6, 2-6, 7-6(6), 3-6 defeat. Prior to 2024, the Serbian had won four finals at Melbourne on the trot.

Back in the saddle after five years at Indian Wells, Djokovic will be looking to return to his winning ways at the Masters event he won five times – three of which came between 2014 and 2016. It is the first time since 2018 that Djokovic is without the Australian Open title in the opening part of a new season.

Djokovic is closing in on 1,100 career wins, and achieving that particular milestone will make him just the third man in history to achieve that feat. The Serbian legend is third with 1,094 victories, trailing only Jimmy Connors with 1274 career wins and Roger Federer with 1,251 career wins on the all-time leaderboard.

The World No. 69 Australian Aleksandar Vukic will be the opposition in the Serbian’s first-round match at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open. Djokovic is just two titles away from his 100th tour-level trophy. Standing in the way of that aim could be either American Tommy Paul or Ugo Humbert, who is fresh off his win on debut at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

A potential quarter-final with Casper Ruud or Hubert Hurkacz is on the cards should Djokovic make it that far. An opportunity to move Roger Federer’s haul of six titles at Indian Wells and win his 41st Masters title also beckons.

Novak Djokovic vs Aleksandar Vukic – Preview

Novak Djokovic and Aleksandar Vukic have had a lacklustre start to the 2024 season. Djokovic hasn’t set foot on a court since January, and his two losses this season came against Alex de Minaur at the United Cup and Jannik Sinner in Melbourne. However, he is 7-2 this year as against Vukic, who is 1-5. The Australian’s sole win came at the ATP 250 event in Los Cabos, Mexico last month.

Vukic, who was given a wildcard, will be facing off against Chinese player Zhizhen Zhang in the first round. The Aussie came through qualifying in the ATP Masters 1000 event in Toronto in 2023, reaching the round of 16, taking out Seb Korda, who is ranked 30 spots above him. He broke into the top 50 of the PIF ATP Rankings following the event’s conclusion.

Head-to-head records

Matches – 0

Novak Djokovic – 0

Aleksandar Vukic – 0

The 27-year-old Aleksandar Vukic, who is of Serbian heritage, will be playing Novak Djokovic for the very first time over the weekend. Djokovic has an envy-inducing 50-9 win-loss record at Indian Wells. Overlooking the less-than-stellar streak between 2017 and 2019, the Serbian has been a consistent performer at the BNP Paribas Open.

Largely the journeyman, Aleksandar Vukic, is 1-2 at the venue, and his best performance is the second-round appearance against Alex de Minaur in 2021—a match he lost in straight sets.

Where and how to watch live streaming and TV broadcast of Novak Djokovic vs Aleksandar Vukic, second round match, at Indian Wells 2024 in India?

Novak Djokovic and Aleksandar Vukic have their second-round match-up scheduled for approximately 1:00 PM (PST) on Saturday, 9th March, which translates into 4:00 AM (IST) on the morning of 10th March on Sunday for viewers in India.

As is the case with Masters events, the Sony Network has exclusive broadcasting rights. Fans can watch the game on Sony’s television channels as well as their streaming service – SonyLiv.

Prediction

Vukic was considering early retirement while dealing with an elbow injury last season. His decision to stick around has given him an opportunity to face the 24-time Grand Slam Winner.

The World No. 69 had to contend with a bad shoulder over the last few months, yet he reached his first ATP final in 2023 and earned his first top 20 at the Toronto Masters against World No. 15 Borna Coric.

Both the players have won nearly the same percentage of points on their first serve – Djokovic at 74% and Vukic at 73% this season. Djokovic has a higher percentage of service games won at 86% to Vukic’s 80%. The Serbian has also converted a more significant percentage of breakpoints – 44% to the Australian’s 33%.

Result: Novak Djokovic to win in three sets.

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