Tsitsipas Huge Favorite to Reach Semis
World No. 71 Jiri Lehecka defied the odds to reach his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal. His reward is a date with world No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is the next best-bet after Novak Djokovic to win the year’s first major title as we look at the latest tennis odds.
Bookmakers tip Lehecka as the +475 underdog on the moneyline, while Tsitsipas is the firm favorite at -650 to win and advance into the semis. As well, the games handicap is projected to 6½ while the total is projected to 35½ with the over and under juiced to -110, respectively.
Where are the best bets to be had? On the moneyline? Games Handicap? Or Total? Find out as we weigh in on the Australian Open quarterfinal match between Tsitsipas vs Lehecka and examine the latest tennis odds, key storylines and serve up choice tennis picks for your consideration.
Let’s check the latest Tennis news, stats, injury reports, and Tennis lines for Tsitsipas vs Lehecka.We’ve got plenty of Tennis picks for you to consider.
Australian Open Men’s Outrights
- Novak Djokovic +150
- Stefanos Tsitsipas +250
- Sebastian Korda +700
- Holger Rune +850
- Karen Khachanov +1400
- Andrey Rublev +1600
- Alex De Minaur +3000
- Roberto Bautista Agut +3000
- Jiri Lehecka + 4000
- Tommy Paul +4000
- J.J. Wolf +5000
- Ben Shelton +5000
Tsitsipas, Lehecka Tennis Outrights Overview
Tsitsipas entered the tournament as the fourth-best bet to win the title at +1200. But with the untimely exit of Daniil Medvedev in the Round of 32 and the withdrawal of Nick Kyrgios on Day 1, the No. 1 Greek saw his odds trimmed down. Now, as we enter the final eight, he’s the second-best bet at +250.
Few saw Lehecka coming at the Australian Open. The 21-year-old Czech wasn’t even an afterthought in the futures market, priced as a +25000 longshot or thereabouts. Now, as he books his place in the final eight, he’s tipped at +4000 to win it all.
Tsitsipas Survives Scare
Tsitsipas edged Jannik Sinner in the R16, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3. The five-set marathon marked the Greek’s first real test of the tournament after he’d sailed through the early rounds and dropped just one set along the way..
Tsitsipas reached the semifinals of the Australian Open three times in the last four years, but on each occasion he was denied either by Medvedev or Rafael Nadal in the penultimate round.
Ironically, both of them were drawn into the top half of the draw alongside Tsitsipas this year, promising that one of them would/could have been a potential semifinal challenger. But, as luck would have it, both crashed out early.
Thus, Tsispas suddenly finds himself in a wide-open draw and with an unobstructed path to the final, as far as seeding and bookies’ favorites go. It will be up to him to seize the opportunity now.
Raising his level when it matters most!@StefTsitsipas is an #AusOpen quarter-finalist for the third straight year after outlasting Sinner in five 🙌 pic.twitter.com/IPWaszVL9G
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) January 22, 2023
Lehecka a Stumbling Block
Lehecka is enjoying a banner start to the season as he moves through the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career. The 21-year-old Czech had zero wins at a major before this year’s Australian Open. Last year, he was a first-round casualty in Melbourne.
Lehecka’s emergence was unpredictable and unexpected, but you wouldn’t know it watching him play. He looks like he belongs among the top contenders in a Grand Slam, which in of itself is a remarkable achievement and shows a poise and maturation that belies his tender years.
He kicked off his campaign with an upset over 21st seed Borna Coric. He then took out Christopher Eubanks and dismissed No. 10 seed Cameron Norrie in five sets.
In the R16, he secured his biggest upset of the tournament over No. 7 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, taking the down highly fancied Canadian in four sets after bouncing back from a set down, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3) win.
Czech. Mate.
Young 🇨🇿 Jiri Lehecka pulls off the biggest win of his life! pic.twitter.com/mVCamgGiiw
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) January 22, 2023
Tsitsipas vs Lehecka Head-to-Head
The pair met for the first time in the semifinals of Rotterdam last year. Tsitsipas rallied from a set down to win in three, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Tsitsipas vs Lehecka Picks & Prediction
Tsitsipas is the runaway favorite to win and advance into the semis, but Lehecka is a legitimate underdog with serious upset credentials. Indeed, their first-ever meeting in Rotterdam last season was one of the best matches of the young Czech’s fledgling career against a top player and a harbinger of what was to come.
The pressure is going to be entirely on Tsitsipas, who is now being tipped to reach his maiden Grand Slam final in Melbourne. He’s struggled in the past to live up to those kinds of expectations.
By contrast, Lehecka has played with a confidence beyond his age and experience. Thus, he might fancy his chances, even if the bookies don’t.
Backing Lehecka for the outright upset is tempting at +475, though risky and not for the faint-hearted. The safer option for your tennis picks might be to shade Lehecka as the +6½ underdog on the games handicap or taking the over on the total.
