Grigor Dimitrov vs Novak Djokovic Prediction and Odds: Australian Open

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Round 3 sees 2 very close friends from the Balkans facing each other for the eleventh time. The Bulgarian Dimitrov is the number 27 seed and despite his stagnating career he can be a danger to an injured Djokovic. Still the red-hot favourite for the title will feel confident he can win this match, despite his health issues. Below is our preview of the match, as well as some betting predictions.

These odds from Ladbrokes were correct at the time of writing

Grigor Dimitrov vs Novak Djokovic – Match Predictions

The two close friends off the court know each other inside out. They often train in off season together, so neither will be able to surprise the other. Djokovic nurses a hamstring injury, but he remains the favourite. Dimitrov had been impressive in the first 2 rounds. Now a closer look at our tennis predictions for this game:

​​Dimitrov to Win Set: Yes

Dimitrov has never materialised the very high expectations for him. Many years ago he was tipped to win multiple Grand Slams. Still he is ex-number 3 in the world, reached the 2017 Australian Open semi-final where suffered epic 5-set defeat against future champion Nadal, so he has proven that he can stand his ground even against the best.

Added to that the fact that Djokovic is clearly not 100% fit and already dropped a set in round 2 against a qualifier, we expect Dimitrov to be able to win at least 1 set.

​​Either to Lose Set 1 but Win Match

Djokovic’s injury has bothered him in the first 2 rounds. In both matches so far he was below par in the first 2 sets, but gradually got better as his troublesome hamstring warmed up. Considering that we think he might drop the opening set now, but as he is Djokovic we believe he will still be able to grit his teeth, block the pain and win.

Alternatively Djokovic might go all out in search of a fast start if he feels his hamstring won’t survive a long match. If he is in too much and Dimitrov manages to hang on for long enough the Bulgarian could be in for arguably the biggest upset of the tournament so far. In any case the enticing odds for this scenario are worth considering it.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Novak Djokovic Preview

After making our Dimitrov vs Djokovic predictions it’s time to take a closer look at the two players individually as they enter Australian Open 2023:

​Grigor Dimitrov

Dimitrov loves playing in Melbourne and this is by far his most successful Grand Slam event. He has 71% win rate in Australia with 29 wins and 12 defeats. He has reached the quarterfinals 3 times and in 2017 made it to the semi-final.

In 2022 Dimitrov had a steady year without too much success, but still decent enough results to remain inside the top 30. He reached 2 Masters semi-finals, beat several top 10 players and showed everyone that he can still cause an upset if the stars align in his favour.

The Bulgarian is yet to drop a set in this year’s Australian Open. He beat the dangerous Karatsev and Djere in the first 2 rounds, without giving them much hope. In both those matches Dimitrov played very well, reminding everyone of his very good run in 2017.

​Novak Djokovic

Novak seeks 24th consecutive Australian Open win, with the 9-time champions still the red-hot favourite for the title even injured. The Serbian has had countless magic moments in Melbourne and he always seems to play his best tennis Down Under.

Novak’s form so far in 2023 had been great and he is yet to lose a match in January. That said his injured hamstring seems to be starting to cause him more and more bother with each passing round.

Djokovic moved relatively well in round 1 on way to 3:0 win against Carballes Baena. He still wasn’t at his best in the first 2 sets of this match though. In round 2 he had to take a medical time out before eventually brushing off qualifier Couacaud 3 sets to 1. Again Djokovic wasn’t at a 100% in the first 2 sets of this match.

​​Grigor Dimitrov vs Novak Djokovic Head to Head

Djokovic has won 9 of the previous 10 matches between the two. Dimitrov’s only win was way back in 2013. However, it’s worth stressing that the pair of very good friends haven’t faced each other since 2019 when Djokovic won in the Pairs Masters.

​Grigor Dimitrov vs Novak Djokovic Match Detail

 

• When will the match start? The match is scheduled to start at 08:00 am GMT on Saturday, January 21st.
• On which court will the match be played? The match will be played on Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
• Where to watch AO 2023 in UK? You can watch Australian Open on Eurosport broadcast and online, or stream it on Discovery+.

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