Djokovic vs Zverev has been one of the best mini-rivalries in men’s tennis this year, with both men facing each other in significant clashes throughout the 2021 season. In this match, they will play for a spot in the championship match of the 2021 ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. In Saturday’s tennis betting picks, we look at this clash of tennis titans and make our best bet for what will be the second to last men’s tennis match on the ATP Tour in 2021.
Novak Djokovic vs Alexander Zverev
Why Bet On Alexander Zverev:
✅ Sascha Zverev has won at least one set against Novak Djokovic in all four matches they have played against one another in 2021. The last time that Djokovic beat Zverev in straight sets came in last year’s ATP Finals, but Zverev has been playing much better tennis this year than he did going into that event.
✅ Zverev will be looking for revenge on Djokovic after the world’s number one player took Zverev down in the semifinals of the 2021 US Open. That match was itself a revenge match, as Djokovic won it after Zverev beat him in the Olympic tournament, ruining Djokovic’s chances at the Golden Slam in 2021.
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✅ Djokovic has won all six sets that he has played at this event so far this week. But his path to the semifinals has been incredibly soft. The top player in the world played Casper Ruud and Cam Norrie, both of whom are outside of the top-eight in the world, along with a struggling Andrey Rublev. Against a tougher opponent, Djokovic will have to grind out a win.
Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic has had a relatively straightforward path to the semifinal round of this year’s ATP Finals. He has beaten his three group stage opponents in straight sets, allowing him to play the second seeded player in the opposite group. Djokovic managed to avoid Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals, making him the favorite in his semifinal against Zverev.
If Djokovic wants to get through Zverev, he will need to simply dig in and play the classic brand of Djokovic tennis that everyone knows. Zverev is so susceptible to hitting himself out of a match against a player like Djokovic, even if Djokovic will have to take his lumps playing that way at times against a player as talented as the German.
Alexander Zverev
Sascha Zverev had an interesting path to the semifinals of this event. He got a retirement from Matteo Berrettini in his first round robin match, before losing to Daniil Medvedev and beating Hubert Hurkacz. That win over Hurkacz clinched him his spot in the semifinals, though Medvedev was able to take the top spot in that group to force Zverev into playing Djokovic.
For Zverev, this Djokovic vs Zverev match is going to require him to play aggressive tennis, but his margin for error will be miniscule. Striking a balance between aggressive tennis and foolish tennis is tough to do against a player as good at defending as Djokovic, but Zverev has been very competitive against him all year long and will look to continue that trend.