Novak Djokovic is a notorious slow starter at Grand Slams, but I think he’s in a good position to dominate ahead of his round four clash with Adrian Mannarino on Sunday.
The Serbian powerhouse battled past Tomas Martin Etcheverry in three sets today, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing as the 36-year-old failed to cover the 7.5-point spread assigned to him, but comes out with a bigger one next to his name against perhaps a better hard courter… why?
Well, Adrian Mannarino might have lifted multiple hard court titles in 2023, but there’s a serious question mark over a couple of things, one being his endurance as he’s not long removed from a gruelling 3-2 win over USA’s Ben Shelton, a contest that stretched four hours and 46 minutes.
Another is the clash of styles as it’s likely Mannarino’s crafty, left-handed approach won’t work against someone as infallible as Djokovic.
It’s hard for me to explain as my tennis pedigree doesn’t run overly deep, but players who sit at the baseline and knock it around don’t usually fare too well against the Serbian.
Djokovic has been knocked off the court by players with big games, but grinders and baseline specialists usually run out of ideas.
It simply feels like a situation in which one player is flying so high, and one player is waiting to peak. Mannarino hit sixth gear against Shelton and Djokovic is yet to hit the accelerator.
I think these are good spots to bet into.
Suggested Bet:
0.75 units Novak Djokovic – 9.0 games @ $2.10 with Pinnacle.
Over 18s Only (21+ in some jurisdictions). 1 unit = 1% of bankroll. Please enjoy your betting responsibly. Never bet more than you can afford to lose, and do not chase a loss.
Jake’s Australian Open Preview: Djokovic vs. Mannarino
