Australian Open 2023, Final, Sunday, 29.01.2023
Novak Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open 2023? A few days ago, that was considered as certain as the Amen in the church. It sounds a lot like a cliché, but the Serb is arguably simply the best thing running around the tennis circuit at the moment.
No sooner said than done – Djokovic has played his way into the final without any problems. There he will meet someone against whom he has almost lost a Grand Slam final before! Can we expect a close match?
The odds at Bet365 speak, unsurprisingly, rather a different language, the values point with a 1.22 to 4.50 clearly to the Djoker. In my Tsitsipas Djokovic tip, I now reveal what the chances of a surprise are and why I recommend keeping an eye on a possible tiebreak.
What is the best way to analyse Novak Djokovic’s performance in Melbourne? It almost seems as if the last two years of not being allowed to play here Down Under have ensured that he is now hitting back all the more ruthlessly.
He has already won the Australian Open nine times and even before the tournament started it was clear that nobody could stop him from triumphing for the tenth time. At least I can highlight the name Enzo Couacaud.
Unknown at the top of the world? True, but it was the Frenchman who managed to win a set against Djokovic in the 2nd round at 7-6, the 35-year-old didn’t surrender another.
But whenever one thought that now the opponents would become more demanding, all one elicited from him was a tired smile. Such was the case with Alex de Minaur, who was sent home by express 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 in the round of 16.
Even when it came to Andrey Rublev, against whom Djokovic had lost the final in Belgrade in 2022, there was no surprise. 6-1, 6-2, 6-4, Djokovic marched on unstoppably.
Finally, in the semi-finals, Tomm Paul was waiting. Djokovic was shaken once when he made a mistake in the first set when leading 5-1 and the score was suddenly 5-5. The Serb quickly pulled himself together again and won the set 7-5.
Obviously spurred on by the close result, he really turned up the heat. 6-1, 6-2, a good hour later the match was already decided. In the process, he offered Paul the chance to break nine times, which is a rather weak result by his standards.
The US American and Grigor Dimitrov in the 3rd round, only these two managed to take a game from Djokovic on his serve. And now he faces a certain Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The two have already fought twelve duels, and with 10:2 the favourite has a strong record. The fans have seen the match four times in 2022, each time with the same winner.
Perhaps strikingly, four of the last five direct duels have featured a tiebreak. Of course, I must also briefly mention the final of the 2021 French Open. Tsitsipas was already ahead 7-6, 6-2 and many sensed the big sensation.
So long, in fact, until the old champion counter-attacked and stormed to the title 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. It was the first Grand Slam final for Tsitsipas, who can now finally step onto the big stage for a second time.
And fully deservedly so, as he seems to have got his nerves together in Melbourne. He had no opponents in the first three rounds against Quentin Halys, Rinky Hijikata and Tallon Griekspoor, each of whom he won outright.
Only when Jannik Sinner was waiting at the net did the Greek slip up once. 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, he probably could have saved himself the extra sets. But it was enough against Jiri Lehecka in the quarter-finals, 6-3, 7-6, 6-4.
Again, the 24-year-old was called upon to fight much more against Karen Khachanov. Two strong servers faced each other and in the end it was a close result.
Tsitsipas won 7-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, partly because he hit 18 aces and collected 82% won points on first serve. He averages 80% here, so Djokovic has to watch out too.
At 24 years and 170 days, Tsitsipas is the youngest Australian Open finalist in the last twelve years. In 2011, one of the finalists was named what? That’s right, Novak Djokovic of course!
It’s not just about the crown at the first Grand Slam of the year on Sunday, it’s also about becoming world number 1. No matter who wins in the end, it will definitely be the name of Djokovic or else the name of Tsitsipas at the top.
Novak Djokovic is playing his best tennis in Melbourne, he really can’t be accused of anything. But: Tsitsipas, too, has only lost three sets and is enormously strong on serve. Serving is something they both do excellently in Down Under.
That’s exactly why I decide to steer my betting recommendation in this direction. It’s not for nothing that Tsitsipas has already completed a few tiebreaks in this tournament, which is why my tip is specifically:
At least one set will go to a tiebreak!
