Wimbledon, 3rd round, Saturday, 06.07.2024, 18:00
What about his fitness, what about his motivation, what about his consistency? Novak Djokovic is under particular scrutiny at Wimbledon, having survived the first two rounds in a variety of ways.
Now he will march onto the court in round 3, again clearly favored, of course.
In my Popyrin Djokovic betting tip, I’ll tell you why I think there’s a good chance of an exciting match and why I think the underdog will win at least one set
For years, it was a very simple credo: Novak Djokovic alone decides who he beats, when and by how much. The Serbian had a very clear goal for Wimbledon 2024: to win the title and ultimately draw level with record champion Roger Federer.
What do you mean “had”, of course he is still pursuing this goal. There still seems to be one or two records left, but he obviously doesn’t want to retire before then.
After having to pull out of the French Open involuntarily before the quarter-finals, Djokovic underwent knee surgery and everyone waited with bated breath to see what his form would be like on his rapid comeback.
Djokovic got off to a very confident start in London, winning 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 against Vit Kopriva. Of course, not a very well-known opponent, but you still have to get into a tournament like this after a weeks-long break
No break chance for the opponent, 90% points won on the first serve, according to these statistics I was expecting a clear outcome in the second match as well, but it actually didn’t happen.
Jacob Fearnley, a courageous local hero ranked outside the world’s top 200, made life very difficult for Djokovic. In the end, the favorite won 6-3, 7-4, 5-7, 7-5, but was well aware that the match could have tipped towards the end.
This time he conceded two breaks (with six opportunities) and his service percentage dropped to 80 percent. That still reads well, of course, but it wasn’t quite how Djokovic imagined it himself.
“A very windy day, very challenging conditions. He made me work. I was probably a bit lucky in the fourth set. This match probably deserved to go into the fifth set. But I’m happy that it didn’t turn out that way. Hopefully I can play better in the next round. “
Djokovic was very realistic in his assessment of the match, expecting a clearer performance against the world number 277. Knowing full well that Alexei Popyrin will now be a completely different challenge.
In 2019, the Djoker won the first direct duel by a clear margin, the second and last to date came a few months ago at the Australian Open. 6-3, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 – Djokovic had to work very differently here.
But our best bookmakers still favor him, of course, offering odds of 1.08 to 6.50. The Australian knows that a win would be a big surprise, but would it also be an absolute sensation?
Popyrin is ranked number 47 in the world and, at 1.96m, he is likely to be particularly dangerous on serve. This is the first time he has ever made it through to the 3rd round of Wimbledon
A round of 16 at a Grand Slam tournament? That would be uncharted territory for him. The 24-year-old had beaten Thiago Monteiro in the opening match here at Wimbledon, winning 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 by a relatively narrow margin.
The second round against Tomas Martin Etcheverry then offered one more set. 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, it went back and forth. When it really came down to it in set number 4, Popyrin was on hand with nerves of steel.
He had already hit 41 aces over the net on the holy grass, but the eight double faults against Etcheverry also cost him important points. His service game deteriorated significantly compared to the first round.
However, his service is still his great strength, although I have to say that: Popyrin lost early to Andy Murray in Queens, so I don’t think his form is really stable either
My Popyrin Djokovic tip
I can’t really answer the question about Novak Djokovic’s athletic and health condition. Top in the first match, much more careless in the second, he definitely allows something to happen against him.
Alexei Popyrin can, if he has a good day, become a very unpleasant opponent. The Australian has held his nerve twice, is strong on his own serve and already made the duel with Djokovic very close at the AO. I therefore opt for the following tip:
Popyrin takes a set against the Djoker!
