Manuel Chávez
Dailysports's expert
Alex de Minaur
Novak Djokovic
On July 7, Alex de Minaur and Novak Djokovic will face off in the fourth round of Wimbledon. Here’s my prediction for this highly anticipated clash.
Alex de Minaur
The Australian has long been part of the elite group of the world's top tennis players. However, de Minaur has yet to make a real breakthrough at Grand Slam tournaments, never progressing beyond the quarterfinal stage.
It’s tough to recall any standout moments for the Aussie this season—there was a final in Rotterdam and a quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open. At this Wimbledon, de Minaur has cruised so far, dispatching Spain’s Carballes Baena 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 in the opening round, then overcoming France’s Cazaux 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-0. In his latest match, he beat Denmark’s Holger Holmgren 6-4, 7-6, 6-3. De Minaur is currently ranked 11th in the world.
Novak Djokovic
The most decorated player in tennis history has no intention of bidding farewell to his beloved sport. Djokovic holds an astonishing 24 Grand Slam titles and is surely aiming to add at least one more to his collection. Wimbledon alone, Nole has conquered seven times.
Now 38 years old, the Serbian maestro is ranked world No. 6 but continues to deliver top-level tennis. He kicked off this tournament with a victory over France’s Muller—6-1, 6-7, 6-2, 6-2—then brushed aside Britain’s Evans 6-3, 6-2, 6-0. His third-round win over countryman Kecmanovic was just as dominant: 6-3, 6-0, 6-4.
Match facts
De Minaur has won 30 of 42 matches this season.
Djokovic has played 32 matches, winning 24 of them.
Here are the current odds for this match: De Minaur to win – 4.95, Djokovic to win – 1.19.
Head-to-head
The stats show these two have met four times, with Djokovic leading the series 3-1. They were set to face off at last year’s Wimbledon quarterfinals, but the Aussie withdrew, handing Djokovic a walkover victory.
Prediction
In this high-profile showdown, Djokovic is the clear favorite, though de Minaur certainly has the potential to spring an upset. Expect a high-quality contest, but the Serb’s chances of victory are undeniably higher. I’m backing Nole to win with a -5.5 game handicap.
