Robbie Koenig backs Djokovic to claim maiden French Open title

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ANI Johannesburg
Last Updated : May 20 2015 | 1:13 PM IST

ATP World Tour commentator Robbie Koenig believes that Novak Djokovic will claim his maiden French Open title in 2015.

The 27-year-old Serbian World No 1 has won four Masters Series events (Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome), with his only loss coming to Roger Federer in the Dubai Tennis Championships final, News24.com reported.

Spain's Rafael Nadal, who has won nine of the last 10 French Opens, also lost to Djokovic in Monte Carlo, as well as to Italy's Fabio Fognini in Barcelona, and has looked nowhere near the player who has lost only one match at Roland Garros in the last ten years.

Koenig acknowledged that Nadal's record in Paris makes him dangerous, but given the recent form of both players, he considers Djokovic the clear favourite, and said that almost everybody in the tennis community thinks Novak is the guy to beat as he is playing in a different league to anybody else.

He added that Nadal feels so comfortable on centre court and his record there is 66-1. The feel good factor is high and so he thinks that negates for him, 60/40, in favour of Djokovic being the favourite.

He noted that with Nadal currently ranked at No 7 in the world, his lower ranking could see him meet Djokovic as early as the quarter-finals, something which would favour the Serb.

The 43-year-old former tennis player continued that if the duo meets in the final, then it gets reduced to about a 55-45 (ratio, in favour of Djokovic), adding that he would still favour Djokovic, because he thinks the pressures of winning it the first time would kind of narrow that difference.

Koenig said that Djokovic has mentally been in the best state, as his record this year is incredible.

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First Published: May 20 2015 | 12:40 PM IST

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