Italy’s Jannik Sinner delivered the tournament’s biggest upset, beating the bookies’ third overall title favorite, Carlos Alcaraz, in the R16. His reward: a formidable date against three-time reigning champion and six-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, who also happens to be chasing his 21st Grand Slam title.
Will Sinner make it back-to-back upsets to reach his maiden grand slam semifinal? Read on as we preview this scintillating quarterfinal matchup slated for Tuesday’s Wimbledon card. We’ll bring you the latest Tennis news, stats, injury reports, and Tennis odds for Norrie and Goffin. We’ve plenty of tennis Picks and predictions for you to consider.
2022 Wimbledon Outrights
- Novak Djokovic -250
- Rafael Nadal +350
- Nick Kyrgios +650
- Jannik Sinner +1800
- Taylor Fritz +2000
- Cameron Norrie +2500
- David Goffin +8000
- Cristian Garin +8000
Sinner Shines At Wimbledon
Sinner’s star has been overlooked somewhat by teen phenom Alcaraz’s rising star. But when it came to a head between the pair, it was Sinner’s star that shone brighter.
Sinner, 20, and Alcaraz, 19, are touted by many as the future of tennis. They’ve also been its present at times, winning tournaments and serving up eyebrow-raising upsets over their established peers.
On the tournament’s first middle Sunday of action, it was the Italian that reigned supreme. Sinner dispatched his NextGen counterpart in four sets, 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-3. The 19-year-old Spaniard fought back valiantly in the third set and pushed a fourth, but Sinner regrouped quickly. He quashed the dogged Spaniard’s fightback and clinched the fourth set to win the match comfortably.
Centre court feelings. That was special! #Forzaa pic.twitter.com/zWFrE5mrQM
— Jannik Sinner (@janniksin) July 3, 2022
Sinner was the dominant player from the first point. He outhit, outserved, and outshot Alcaraz in a match befitting their Centre Court debuts. Both players showcased their undeniable talent, taking turns to wow the crowd with inspired points and moments of great skill (they can’t help themselves). They also showed great sportsmanship. However, Sinner on the whole was the better and more consistent player.
Djokovic: The Player To Beat
Djokovic isn’t only the runaway favorite to win this quarterfinal match, but he’s also the player to beat according to the bookmakers. Having entered the tournament as the odds-on favorite at -125, bookies have now slashed Djokovic’s odds to -250.
Djokovic’s run at the All England Club has been relatively untroubled, aside from dropping a couple of sets. He dropped the first set in his opener against Soowoo Kwon, when he was playing his first grass-court match of the season and probably a little bit rusty.
In the last 16, wild card Tim Van Rijthoven stole a set off Djokovic. He’d caught the former World No.1 by surprise late in the second set with a series of inspired points to pull off the feat. That was all it took for Djokovic to raise his level ruthlessly and close the match whiled dropping just three games in the last two sets, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
The Serbian star hasn’t faced an opponent of Sinner’s qualify yet. The Italian is the toughest challenger left in the top half of the draw and, arguably, the only player that has even the remotest chance of stopping Djokovic from making a fourth-straight Wimbledon final.
11 years ago Novak Djokovic won his first Wimbledon title, becoming world #1 for the first time.
He would soon become the recordman with 373 weeks at the top! pic.twitter.com/mgMHErD4J0
— Mario Boccardi (@marioboc17) July 3, 2022
Sinner vs Djokovic Head-to-Head
Sinner has faced Djokovic once, predictably coming out on the losing end. Djokovic beat Sinner 6-4, 6-2 in the R32 of the 2021 ATP Monte-Carlo Masters.
Sinner vs Djokovic Betting Verdict
The tennis betting market for this quarterfinal needs a little introduction. Djokovic is the whopping -850 favorite to win on the Moneyline. As well, the games handicap is projected to 6½ and the match total is set to a rather low 34½ games.
By this market, it’s safe to assume that Djokovic is expected to cruise into the semifinals of Wimbledon. Something he’s done more often than not.
However, this is Sinner’s moment to shine. His chance to show his mettle against one of the greatest players and on one of the biggest and most prestigious stages in the game. The Italian just beat the player that upset Djokovic in Madrid. A player that many believed could upset Djokovic at the All England Club. That should give the 20-year-old some confidence and wiggle room for optimism.
Perhaps, betting on the upset is a bit of a longshot bet with Sinner priced at +625 to pull off the feat. Then again, it’s a tempting price tag indeed.
Cooler heads would suggest the sensible option is to bet on Sinner to make a fist of it and cover the 6½ game’s handicap because it isn’t beyond the realm of probability. Certainly, that is the only way Sinner can win this match by taking it to Djokovic.
Whichever way you slice this match, it should be a fascinating contest between the old vs the young. May the best player win!
