Shanghai Masters, 3rd round, Tuesday, 07.10.2024, 12:30 p.m.
He doesn’t have much time to catch his breath before the first match against his idol. Flavio Cobolli only managed to get his third-round ticket against Stan Wawrinka at the last hour before the Shanghai tournament. For the world number 40, the Masters continues with a tough opponent in Novak Djokovic waiting in the round of 16.
The Serb did not have a flawless performance at the start against Alex Michelsen. In any case, the veteran has had little game practice recently. I believe that Cobolli can win a few games, if not an entire set. He should be able to play 19.5 games. Tipwin offers a strong rate!
In terms of sport, Djokovic has now achieved everything possible with his Olympic gold in Paris. He is also retiring as the player with the most Grand Slam titles. One person who has looked up to him since he was a boy is Cobolli.
“He’s been my idol since I started playing tennis. I used to watch tons of videos of him,” the Italian enthused in the winner’s interview after the match against Wawrinka. Another veteran who is in the late autumn of his career.
In Shanghai, the man with the one-handed backhand was in much better form than he has been in a long time, and was on the verge of reaching the third round. However, the Swiss has yet to make it to the US Open 2023. Given his current form, however, it is only a matter of time.
Cobolli’s father Stefano, who follows his son’s matches, has already played Wawrinka twice, even beating him once after trailing in sets like his son.
He was never on court against Djokovic. It would have been possible in terms of time. Djokovic reached the pro level in 2003 when Flavio was just a year old. His father played until 2019. A victory against Djokovic would be another great success for the tennis family history.
However, the sports betting providers are pessimistic. Djokovic is clearly ahead with odds of around 1.10. For the Cobolli coup, a 7.50 is sometimes offered. Will there really be a significant difference in performance?
Djokovic struggled against Alex Michelsen, had to go to tie-breaks twice, and was trailing once. Between the US Open and Shanghai, he only played one match against an absolute underdog for Serbia in the Davis Cup. A good competitive rhythm looks different.
But the “Djoker” knows how to prepare for Masters and Major tournaments without endurance tests in order to perform to the point. Nevertheless, I don’t see him currently at the top level. In New York, he surprisingly lost early against Alexei Poyprin.
In general, I am excited to see what we will experience in the near future from a Djokovic who, with the title in Paris, was able to add the last piece to the puzzle of his magnificent career. From the outside, after 2024 would be the perfect time to end the career.
On the other hand, he has shown in the French capital that, despite rushing towards the age of 40, he can still conquer the young and wild. Despite missing many tournaments, the Serbian superstar is still ranked fourth in the world.
He is also continuing to gain experience, as he is doing now in round three in Shanghai against Cobolli, whom he has not faced before.
Cobolli was in the final in Washington, is having his best year of tennis so far in his still young career, and has now advanced to the top 30. On the tour, he was only defeated by bigger names, most recently with Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz.
He has won at least one set in ten of his last twelve matches. At Winamax, you can get 2.65 odds for beating Djokovic. What’s more, the betting provider offers a free bet of up to 100 euros with no betting tax. The first deposit is doubled in the form of freebet credit.
The odds are great, but as you already know from my other betting tips, I like to play it safe. That’s why I’m targeting the over 19.5 games. You can get overplay odds from both Tipwin and Intertops. The over lines are usually set a little higher at Tipwin.
My Cobolli Djokovic Tip
Duel number one between Cobolli and Djokovic and I am convinced that it will be a very interesting one in the sixth largest tennis stadium in the world. In view of the first match and the few games recently, the favorite’s odds for the high-flyer of the sport are too low for me.
Cobolli made a strong comeback against a reinvigorated Wawrinka, is gradually getting better and better, has an aggressive game and is one of the most mentally strong players on the tour. A good package to set an example against Djokovic.
I expect him to be able to impress his tennis idol, to give him a game at eye level for stretches, maybe even for the entire match.
Therefore, my Cobolli Djokovic betting tip is: Over 19.5 games.
