21-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic will face 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in the 2022 Tel Aviv Open Final. Djokovic is ranked 7th worldwide, while Cilic is the World No.16.
Match Details
- Tournament: Tel Aviv Open 2022
- Match: Novak Djokovic vs. Marin Cilic
- Round: Final
- Date: 2nd October 2022
- Venue: Tel Aviv, Israel
- Surface: Hard
- Prize Money: $144,415
Djokovic vs. Cilic: Tel Aviv Open Final 2022 Preview
Novak Djokovic reached his fourth final of the season with a straight-sets win over Roman Safiullin in the semifinal of the Tel Aviv Open on Saturday.
The World no. 7 raced to victory in the first set but faced some resistance in the second, with the Russian returning the break immediately after conceding one in the ninth game. The Serb eventually took the set and the match by winning the set in the tiebreak. The 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) victory was the Serb’s third straight-set win in a row. He had begun his campaign with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Pablo Andujar in the second round. He then ousted Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.
Djokovic is 27-6 this season. He won the Wimbledon and the Rome Masters titles but fell in the final at the Belgrade Open.
He will play in a 127th career final on Sunday, and a win will earn him an 89th career title.
Marin Cilic recovered from a slow start to end Constant Lestienne’s solid run at the Tel Aviv Open on Saturday.
The Frenchman had broken Cilic early in the opening set but couldn’t close out the set at 2-5 with the world no. 16 fighting back and winning five games in a row to take the first set.
The momentum had shifted in the Croatian’s favor, and he continued his dominance in the second set, breaking Lestienne twice to win the match 7-5, 6-3.
Cilic, who had a first-round bye, had scored a come-from-behind win over Dominic Thiem in the second round. he had a walkover against Liam Broady in the quarterfinal before outclassing Lestienne in the final four clashes on Saturday.
The 33-year-old is 30-16 this year and will feature in his first final of 2022. He has featured in 35 finals before, and a win on Sunday could fetch him his 21st title.
When and Where is Novak Djokovic vs. Marin Cilic?
The Tel Aviv Open Final between Djokovic and Cilic will take place on Sunday, 2nd October 2022. Here is the start time for different countries:
- Melbourne– 1:30 AM (next day)
- Paris– 5:30 PM
- London– 4:30 PM
- New York– 11:30 AM
- Toronto– 11:30 AM
- India– 9:00 PM
Head-to-Head
Djokovic leads 18-2 in the head-to-head against Cilic and the duo will face each other for the 21st time on Sunday. It will also be their third meeting in the finals.
Prediction
Djokovic will start as the overwhelming favorite to win the match. He has finally found form and is performing consistently well. He needs to get as much match time as possible, which is the only reason he’s playing in Israel. Cilic will also fancy his chances to get an elusive win over Djokovic, an opponent he has only beaten twice in 20. Expect a good match with Djokovic winning his second title of the season.
- Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in three sets.
Where to Watch Tel Aviv Open 2022 Live?
Tennis Channel will broadcast the matches live in the United States. Fans in Canada can catch the live action via TSN. From Australia, you can watch the tennis tournament on beIN Sports.
Here are the TV Channels to watch Djokovic vs. Cilic Final Match
- USA – Tennis Channel
- UK – Amazon Prime Video
- Australia – beIN Sport
- France– Eurosport
- Germany– Tennis Channel
- Canada –TSN
- Greece – OTE TV
Tel Aviv Open Prize Money in 2022
Singles
| Winner | $144,415 |
| Runner Up | $84,245 |
| Semi-Final | $49,535 |
| Quarter Final | $28,700 |
| Round 2 | $16,660 |
| Round 1 | $10,185 |
| Q2 | $5,090 |
| Q1 | $2,775 |
Doubles
| Winner | $50,180 |
| Runner Up | $26,850 |
| Semi-Final | $15,740 |
| Quarter Final | $8,800 |
| Round 1 | $5,180 |
