Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur Pick

Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur
January 23, 2023 6:00 am EDT
The Line: Novak Djokovic -400 / Alex de Minaur +275
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Novak Djokovic will meet Alex de Minaur in the Round of 16 of the 2023 Australian Open. The match will be played on Monday January 23rd, 2023.

Fourth seeded Novak Djokovic is the heavy favorite here at the Australian Open, especially with many of the top players being upset early. He is on a serious hot streak, winning the year-end masters event and then the title in Adelaide right before Melbourne. The Serbian is struggling with a hamstring injury this week but it doesn’t seem to be limiting him too much, winning his first three matches for the loss of only one set. He cruised past Grigor Dimitrov in the Third Round and will be the big favorite here against Alex de Minaur, but this can be tougher than he would like, with the Aussie being one of the fastest and most consistent players on tour, he won’t make things easy for Djokovic.

Alex de Minaur is seeded 22nd here at the 2023 Australian Open and is one of the few Aussies left in the draw. Like his opponent Novak Djokovic he has looked good so far here in Melbourne, only losing one set en route to the Round of 16. If there is one opponent that Djokovic would be dreading playing against it would be de Minaur, as the rallies are sure to be very long, with the Aussie never giving anything away. He is definitely the underdog here but under the right circumstances and with the crowd behind him, he has a small opportunity at the upset here.

This is shaping up to be a tough battle for Djokovic, but one I expect him to win in the end. Alex de Minaur will make things incredibly difficult and I wouldn’t be surprised if he took an early lead, but Djokovic is simply too good, and the Australian Open is his tournament. Expect a very long match, but Novak Djokovic will win in three or four sets, going on step closer to the title here in Melbourne.