Djokovic vs. Del Potro: Career Stats and Prediction for 2018 Men's Final
The 19th meeting between Juan Martin Del Potro and Novak Djokovic takes place at Arthur Ashe Stadium Sunday afternoon.
The third-seeded Del Potro takes on the sixth-seeded Djokovic in the 2018 U.S. Open men's final.
As we saw in Saturday's women's final with Naomi Osaka defeating Serena Williams, the favorite, which in this case is Djokovic, isn't a lock to take home the championship.
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Djokovic holds a decisive advantage in his head-to-head matchups with Del Potro, but the Argentinian's won at a few high-profile events against the Serbian.
Career Stats
Djokovic 14-4 All-Time vs. Del Potro
Djokovic holds a commanding lead in the head-to-head series with Del Potro, and he's been the dominant player in their meetings over the last five years.
The Serbian won seven of the nine matches between the players since 2013, beginning with a win in straight sets in Dubai.
In the latest showdown between the pair of Grand Slam champions, Djokovic lost five games in two sets in the quarterfinals on the clay in Rome in 2017.
Four of the 14 victories earned by Djokovic in the series came at major tournaments, with two of the wins occurring at the U.S. Open.
The most recent Grand Slam clash between the two players was a five-set semifinal at Wimbledon in 2013.
Although Del Potro hasn't achieved success against Djokovic at majors, he's ousted the Serbian from the last two Olympics, with one of the wins coming in the bronze-medal match in London.
Djokovic Has 13 Grand Slam Titles Compared To Del Potro's 1
Grand Slam finals feel like home for Djokovic, as he's participated in 23 championship matches in his career.
The two-time U.S. Open champion is back in the final in New York for the eighth time, and Sunday marks the third occurrence in the last four years.
If the sixth-seeded Serbian comes out on top Sunday, he'll become the first player to win back-to-back majors since he achieved the feat at the 2016 Australian Open and French Open.
On the other hand, Del Potro is making his second Grand Slam final appearance, and his first in nine years.
In 2009, the Argentinian captured the U.S. Open title with a five-set win over Roger Federer in which he won two crucial tiebreakers.
Since Del Potro won the only Grand Slam of his career, six players have captured 35 titles, with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic being the most successful in that span.
If the 29-year-old is able to fight with Djokovic in a similar fashion to the 2009 final versus Federer, he won't be overmatched and the contest could go the distance.
Prediction
Djokovic in 4 Sets
If Djokovic plays to his full potential, he'll come away with his 14th Grand Slam title.
Winning won't be easy for the Serbian, as he'll have to weather the storm against Del Potro's powerful forehand returns. But if Djokovic forces Del Potro to the backhand for stretches, he has a better opportunity to gain momentum.
Del Potro will win at least one set, as he comes into the final fresher than Djokovic after playing a set and a half in the semifinals before Nadal retired.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from ATPWorldTour.com.
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