Grigor Dimitrov, the 18th seed, will be looking to return to the semifinals at the Australian Open for the first time since 2017 when he takes on unseeded Aslan Karatsev in the quarterfinal round on Monday night.
Will Dimitrov get the job done as the sportsbook betting favorite as he tries to win the first grand slam of his career? Can the red-hot Karatsev continue his torrid run to pull off the upset as the online betting underdog?
Before we get to our tennis betting predictions on this affair, let’s look at all of the 2021 Australian Open odds on the board right now.
No. 18 Grigor Dimitrov vs Aslan Karatsev
When: Monday at 11 p.m. ET
TV: USA – Tennis Channel, India – Sony Ten Network / Sony Liv Premium
Quarterfinal Round ATP Odds
Grigor Dimitrov -4½
Aslan Karatsev +4½
Moneyline
Dimitrov -240
Karatsev +200
Total: 38 1/2
Dimitrov Looks To Take Advantage
The 18th-seeded Dimitrov took out slam winner Marin Cilic in three sets in his opener before smacking the unseeded Alex Bolt around in the second round, 7-6 (1), 6-1, 6-2. The 29-year-old Bulgarian then got past an injured No. 15 seed Pablo Carreno Busta 6-0, 1-0 in a walkover as the Spaniard was forced to retire early in the second set. Dimitorv then stunned a clearly exhausted third-seeded Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 on Saturday to reach the quarterfinals. Now, Dimitrov will look to take advantage of having only really played in three matches when he meets Karatsev. Dimitrov ranks 16th in aces this tournament with 42.
Special K Looking Dangerous
The unheralded Aslan Karatsev is clearly a player even if you don’t quite know who the world No. 114 is. The 27-year-old Russian won his first two matches in straight sets, but really threw his name into the mix by upsetting No. 8 seed Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in the third round. Karatsev then survived an epic five-set affair against 22-year-old Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime by coming back from two sets down to record a thrilling 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win on Saturday. Now, Karatsev is projected to break into the top 100 next week. The underrated Russian ranks a stellar second to No. 4 seed, Daniil Medvedev in breakpoints won (24).
Head-to-Head
Grigor Dimitrov and Aslan Karatsev have never met on the ATP World Tour.
The Pick
Grigor Dimitrov has had an easy path to the quarterfinals and he’s going to face his second straight opponent that went five sets in their previous match. Still, I think Dimitorv is in for a difficult time against Aslan Karatsev. The Russian possesses a downright blistering forehand that looks as good as any in the men’s game today.
Karatsev is also ‘playing with house money’ as he has nothing to lose and can play care-free tennis. Grigor Dimitorv is known to come up short when it matters most and I believe this could be one of those occasions where his underachieving best comes out.
Karatsev is actually the younger player in this matchup by two years and has to be full of confidence coming into this matchup. After watching him storm back from two sets down to take out my ‘under the radar’ pick the last time out, I’m going with Karatsev to get it done again – even if he is a little weary.
Pick: Aslan Karatsev in Four Sets
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