NOTE: This match will not be played as Alex de Minaur withdrew due to injury
de Minaur vs Djokovic Odds, de Minaur – Djokovic Picks
| de Minaur Odds | +230 |
| Djokovic Odds | -290 |
| Over/Under | 38.5 (-115 / -110) |
| Date | Wednesday, 7/10 |
| Time | 10 a.m. ET |
| How To Watch | ESPN |
| Odds as of Tuesday afternoon via DraftKings | |
The second men's quarterfinal of the day should offer plenty of mystery as two players with physical concerns and plenty of experience against one another vie for a coveted spot in the Wimbledon semifinals.
Alex de Minaur has once again looked unbeatable on the grass, but it's his body that could ultimately stop him as he pulled up with a hip issue after sealing match point against Arthur Fils in the fourth round.
Of course, his opponent isn't without concerns of his own. It was just four weeks ago that 37-year-old Novak Djokovic underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
Let's get further into the Wimbledon quarterfinal below.
Here is my de Minaur vs Djokovic preview along with my de Minaur – Djokovic pick.
de Minaur:
It was just six months ago that the Aussie cracked the top 10 for the first time in his career, doing so in grand fashion with an upset of Djokovic at the United Cup. He introduced a backhand slice down the line to his game and that stifled some of the world's best players for months before we reached the clay-court part of the tennis calendar — one he's never enjoyed.
It would seem the rut that de Minaur fell into on an unfriendly surface led us to quickly forget just how well he was playing, but ever since stepping onto the grass, it's been hard to forget. The World No. 9 took home the title in Hertogenbosch and, after falling to Lorenzo Musetti on tired legs just a couple of days later, normal service resumed at Wimbledon with three sparkling performances and one advancement on a walkover.
De Minaur is well-suited for grass with his speed, which is arguably the best on tour, as well as his relentless flat hitting and ability to close down the net.
Djokovic:
The seven-time Wimbledon champion entered play last week with arguably the murkiest outlook he's had at a Grand Slam in many years. After undergoing a procedure to repair what was presumably a partially torn meniscus, Djokovic surely couldn't have been expecting his best level entering the tournament.
Through four matches, the jury is very much still out. The draw broke very well for him, and yet he still dropped two sets in his first three matches and looked to be in real danger against Alexei Popyrin. His win over Holger Rune in the fourth round was a quality one on paper, but was far from the Dane's best match.
So, I think the evaluation of Djokovic here is still very much ongoing. This will be his first big test, against a player who's not only playing brilliantly on this surface, but who also defeated him earlier in the season. His movement should be called into considerable question with the extended rallies that de Minaur will force, and unlike in the past four rounds, he won't be up against an opponent who will gift him free points on errors.
de Minaur – Djokovic Pick
Had de Minaur not tweaked his hip on match point against Fils, I'd be behind him here with the utmost confidence. Now, I'm slightly concerned heading into one of the toughest tests in tennis — facing Djokovic on a grass court.
The Aussie has downplayed the hip issue as simply "a scare," though it's hard to say he'd admit to being hurt ahead of playing Djokovic. It certainly didn't inspire confidence that he looked to his box shaking his head after the win over Fils, nor did it when he admitted his body was a bit brittle from all the tennis.
Despite the uneasy feeling, I'm going to put my faith behind his words, and more importantly his play. de Minaur didn't even play his best match against Fils with his serve deserting him late, and yet he looked in control throughout and closed out the fourth in spectacular fashion.
Even at 80%, I still think de Minaur's court coverage and ability to play long rallies on grass will wear down a slightly hobbled Djokovic.
I'm not sure Djokovic feels entirely confident in how he's moving or playing, and if he's anything less than his best here, I think the problems physically will grow against a grass-court weapon like de Minaur.
