Djokovic vs. Norrie Odds
| Djokovic Odds | -1700 |
| Norrie Odds | +890 |
| Over/Under | 31.5 |
| Time | 8:30 a.m. ET | ESPN |
| Odds via FanDuel. For tips on watching tennis matches, click here. | |
Novak Djokovic and Cameron Norrie arrive in the Wimbledon semifinal after inspired comebacks in their previous rounds.
Djokovic was staring at a two-set hole before he turned his match around against Jannik Sinner. Kicking it into the next gear, Djokovic proceeded to not drop serve for the last three sets of his comeback.
Norrie was being outplayed by the veteran David Goffin early on in the match. Finding some new energy with the help of the British crowd, Norrie locked in while Goffin stuttered and found himself victorious at 7-5 in the fifth.
After both players played remarkable tennis while facing extreme pressure to arrive here, who will prevail and reach the final?
Let's find out.
Norrie Riding the Crowd
The home crowd for Norrie has been a huge boost when he's needed it most. Feeding off the energy it provides, Norrie has shown tremendous emotion and thrived during big moments throughout his matches.
Twice this tournament Norrie has found himself down 1-2 in sets, and twice he has raised his level to make it through difficult opponents.
When matches go the distance, Norrie often finds himself with the advantage. He has a seemingly infinite tank of energy, and Norrie is willing to chase down balls every point and make his opponent hit the extra shot consistently.
His stamina may just be the best on tour. This fitness prowess began when he was a runner at a young age, and he has continued to improve that as he trains it vigorously.
Facundo Lugones, his coach, has said that Norrie will train with his heart rate exceeding 200 bpm for six or seven minutes. The normal person would likely face serious problems if their heart rate remained in this zone for a mere 2 minutes.
Norrie has been able to use the crowd and his remarkable fitness to get through two tough matches so far this tournament, but will he be able to extend this match enough to make these factors prominent?
Djokovic Through After Mighty Scare
Djokovic found his way through the ball-striking Sinner after falling into an early hole. After a pep talk to himself during a toilet break before the third set, he returned as the unbeatable and impenetrable Djokovic we so often see at this tournament.
He essentially closed the match with an astonishing sliding backhand passing shot at 4-2 30-30 in the fifth set which summed up his last three sets of the match perfectly. Despite remarkable hitting from Sinner, Djokovic was producing unbeatable tennis.
Now, Djokovic is two wins away from snagging his awaited 21st Grand Slam and his seventh Wimbledon title.
With his counter-punching tennis, it takes flawless aggressive play to find your way through him, something that very few players have figured out. Adding that to his underrated serve and first ball, it is obvious why he has found so much success at Wimbledon in recent years.
Riding a 26-match winning streak and not losing since 2017 at the All England Club, it seems unlikely to come to an end this round.
Betting Value
As the odds suggest, this match is set to be quite one-sided.
The perks that Norrie has rode to his best slam result will likely be non-factors tomorrow. In order for his fitness to have a significant effect, he has to extend the match and wear down his opponent as well. That's something I do not envision happening against the defending champion.
The crowd will likely boost Norrie's game, but it surely won't affect Djokovic's as it did Goffin's. Djokovic has been the player that crowds cheer against so often. Although he may not prefer it, he has learned to cope with it and thrive in situations as the unwanted victor.
Breaking Norrie five times while being broken zero times at the ATP Finals last fall highlights how well this matchup suits Djokovic. A different surface is present this time, but the fast indoor courts at the Tour Finals are the most similar players will see to grass.
Norrie simply has no weapons to hurt Djokovic and Djokovic does everything Norrie does, but better.
I believe it would be a remarkable feat for Norrie to snag a set off of Djokovic, especially if he is playing how he did in his last three sets against Sinner.
I predict Djokovic will win in straight sets and end the home favorite's dream run.
Although bets like Djokovic 3:0d are as low as -200 on DraftKings, we can find huge value in an identical bet to take advantage of the expected result.
Pick: Norrie to win at least one set – No (-134 via FanDuel)
