US Open Tennis Betting Preview: Novak Djokovic can build on return to form with 2018 US Open title
Recommended bet
US Open Men’s Winner – Novak Djokovic @ 9/4 (3.25) with bet365
UPDATE 03/09/2018
US Open enters its second week, with all the expected challengers still in contention in the men’s event.
Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer remain the likeliest to add another Grand Slam title to their respective collections, although Juan Martin Del Potro and Marin Cilic certainly can’t be discounted either.
Having accounted for Nick Kyrgios in the last round, Roger Federer now faces another Aussie in John Millman in the last 16. The 29 year-old has had an excellent tournament to date in seeing off Jenson Brooksby, Fabio Fognini and Mikhail Kukushkin, but it’s difficult to see him improving on Kyrgios’s straight sets defeat against the 37 year-old Swiss legend. Federer to win in straight sets is available at 1.49 with Unibet.
Nadal and Djokovic also look to have relatively straightforward matches (given the stage of the tournament) against the Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili and Portugal’s João Sousa respectively. Nadal is 1.41 with Unibet to win his match 3-0 and Djokovic is 1.36, also with Unibet, to do likewise. It would be something close to a seismic shock were all three not to progress to the last eight.
Other games of note in the men’s event include Dominic Thiem against Kevin Anderson. The giant South African was a beaten finalist at the US Open last year and again at Wimbledon this year and has a 6-1 record against clay court specialist Thiem. The Austrian was a runner-up to Nadal at the French Open earlier in the year, but has never been beyond the 4th round at any of the other three Grand Slam events.
John Isner faces Milos Raonic in another intriguing match, in which it might pay to back the American on his home turf and with the backing of the majority of the spectators. At 6/5 (2.20) with Palmer Bet, Isner looks worth an interest against a player who has never been beyond this stage at the US Open.
It’s a tightly contested market, but Djokovic still looks the pick to secure a 3rd US Open title at 9/4 (3.25) with bet365.
In the women’s event, Australian hopes rest with Ashleigh Barty. The 22 year-old faces a tough test against the 8th Czech Republic players Karolina Pliskova in the last 16, but it’s by no means an impossible task and she is actually favoured to prevail at 1.70 with Palmer Bet.
Unsurprisingly it’s Serena Williams who leads the market to win the women’s event at 3/1 (4.00) with TopBetta, with last year’s winner Sloane Stephens a 13/2 (7.50) shot with TopBetta and last year’s runner-up, Madison Keys at 8-1 (9.00) with bet365. Petra Kvitova looks a danger and is good value at 10-1 (11.00) with TopBetta.
US Open Tennis 2018 Betting Tips
Recommended bet:
2018 Outright Winner – Novak Djokovic @ 11/4 (3.75) with Pointsbet
The 2018 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York will begin on August 26th and reach its conclusion with the Men’s Singles Final on September 8th.
Rafael Nadal is the defending champion, having defeated Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in last year’s final and the current World No. 1 would be looking to grab his 4th US Open title and his 18th Grand Slam overall.
He is naturally among the favourites to do so, along with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, with the ‘Big 3’ of men’s tennis having already split the first three Majors of 2018 between them.
Indeed, such has been the trio’s dominance of the men’s game over almost a decade and a half, that since Federer first won Wimbledon in 2004, no fewer than 50 of the 61 Grand Slam titles have been won by Federer (20 titles), Nadal (17) or Djokovic (13). It’s equally telling that no male player born in the 1990s has yet to win a Grand Slam title.
Djokovic goes into the US Open as the narrow favourite to build on his recent win at Wimbledon with a second Grand Slam title in quick succession. The Serb has, perhaps surprisingly, only had two title wins at the US Open (2011 and 2015). On the plus side, both of those wins came immediately after having won at Wimbledon, so he will be hoping this year’s title at London SW19 sets a similar precedent.
Following the elbow surgery that derailed his dominance, Djokovic has slowly been regaining form throughout 2018, having reached the quarterfinal of the French Open, the final of Queen’s and then winning at Wimbledon.
After winning his fourth Wimbledon crown Djokovic said, ‘This is going to be a huge confidence and springboard for what’s going to come up. I like hard courts. The US Open has always been a great tournament for me.’
Roger Federer is a 7/2 (4.50) shot with bet365* and Rafael Nadal is on offer at 9/2 (5.50) with Pointsbet, but a rejuvenated Novak Djokovic now has the self-belief and is the player to beat at 11/4 (3.75) with Pointsbet.
* Odds correct at the time of writing
