Olympic tennis tournament in Paris, semi-finals, Friday, 02.08.2024, 19:00
I have to admit, I actually have two odds in my sights for this tennis semi-final of the 2024 Olympic Games, and the decision was not easy. Ultimately, however, they are aiming for the same thing, a competitive Lorenzo Musetti against Novak Djokovic.
The Serb is aiming for his first Olympic gold and will face the man he knocked out of the Wimbledon semi-finals exactly three weeks ago. On clay, however, I see the duel as more even.
In my eyes, an overbet is just as good a choice as my Djokovic Musetti tip: set win for the Italian! I’ll take the odds at Winamax
Alexander Zverev can’t repeat his Olympic success after his gold medal in Tokyo. With his strength running low, he did not have the necessary freshness in the quarter-finals to fulfill his role as favourite against Musetti in the hot midsummer conditions.
Added to this was a strong Italian who is in the form of his young tennis life. The only time I didn’t like him was in the Wimbledon semi-final against Djokovic. He only pursued his classic style of play shortly before the end and promptly had break chances.
But the most successful player of all time pulled off a smooth victory. It was the sixth win in their seventh meeting for Djokovic, who only lost out at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2023, and this year he promptly got his revenge in the Principality.
In terms of win odds, Djokovic goes into the match with 1.47, while Musetti is given the slight underdog role of 2.80.
It was close between the stars at the French Open. Djokovic turned things around after trailing 1:2 in the set. They had previously met on Court Philippe-Chatrier in 2021, where the now 37-year-old also worked up a sweat, ultimately winning in the fifth set after Musetti retired.
Two five-setters in Paris and now the duel will be played on the same court at the Olympic Games. On clay, the man from Carrara has managed to win at least one set against the 23-time Grand Slam champion in three out of four matches.
Clay is definitely the best surface for Musetti, who actually has a slightly higher win rate on the green due to his winning streak on grass in a total of still quite few matches. He has taken the momentum from Wimbledon into the Olympic preparation tournament in Umag
There it went all the way to the final. Francisco Cerundolo finally prevailed in the final in a thriller. For Musetti, it was the fourth tournament in a row in which he reached at least the semi-finals. He is now aiming for his first major triumph in Paris.
The 22-year-old has yet to drop a set and has certainly not had easy competition. Before Paris specialist Alexander Zverev, who has reached the semi-finals of the French Open four times in a row, Musetti beat Taylor Fritz and the strong newcomer Mariano Navone.
He started with an away match against local hero Gael Monfils. He hasn’t lost a set yet, is still in top form and has pushed Djokovic to the limit practically every time on clay, so a set win is in the cards! The corresponding odds of 1.64 are waiting at Winamax
As I write these lines for you, I notice that it has already gone down and more and more Winamax users are opting for this market. Circled in red, it is marked as one of the coveted bets, a great feature from the bookie.
In fact, no user in this market has yet opted for the “No, Musetti won’t win a set” variant. The set win odds are 1.64 on the betting slip.
The alternative that is buzzing around in my head can be found at Intertops, among others, over 21.5 games at slightly lower odds. This bet would secure a long two-set win for Djokovic, but not a 2:0 for Musetti, which I don’t think is so unrealistic.
Either way, both bets are great and thanks to the great bonus offers, you can play both odds without risk. At Winamax you get 100 euros free bet credit up to 100 euros and at Intertops you can dust off a 5 euro freebet without deposit
My Djokovic Musetti tip
The matches between Djokovic and Musetti on clay were tough. The fact that Djokovic wants to fill the gap in his bulging trophy cabinet in the “Olympic Games – gold medal” section can be seen in his style of play. Like Musetti, he did not concede a set on his way to the semi-finals.
However, he only had one really strong opponent in Stefanos Tsitsipas. Matthew Eben hadn’t played a singles match since 2022, Rafael Nadal isn’t in top form physically or in terms of his game, and Dominik Koepfer isn’t one of the world’s elite either.
Musetti in his current form is a different proposition and I’m sure we’ll see a completely different performance from the man from Carrara than on grass. In any case, this matchup is much more evenly matched on clay than on the hallowed turf of Wimbledon.
At the French Open he forced the Djoker into the fifth set twice, and not far away he has already beaten him on clay in Monaco. With his speed, technique and wit to remain unpredictable, it will be difficult for the “Djoker”!
My Djokovic Musetti tip: Set win Musetti!
