Australian Open 2023: Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (4) Novak Djokovic vs (22) Alex de Minaur
Date: 23 January, 2023
Tournament: Australian Open 2023
Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: A$76,500,000
Live Telecasts: USA - ESPN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Ten & Sony Liv
Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur preview
Fourth seed Novak Djokovic will square off against 22nd seed Alex de Minaur in the fourth round of the 2023 Australian Open on Monday, January 22.
The Serb's confidence is at an all-time high as he finished the 2022 season by winning the ATP Finals for the sixth time in his career before winning the Adelaide International 1 earlier this month. He continues to dominate his favorite tournament, having now won 24 consecutive matches in Melbourne. The last time he lost at the Australian Open was in 2018 when Chung Hyeon beat him in the fourth round.
Despite a hamstring issue, the World No. 5 kicked off his campaign for a 22nd Major against Roberto Carballes Baena, defeating him in straight sets. The second match saw him beat Enzo Couacaud in four sets. His third-round opponent was Grigor Dimitrov, whom he downed in straight sets, extending his head-to-head lead to 10-1.
When Alex de Minaur steps foot in the Rod Laver Arena on Monday, he will aim to achieve his best result in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year and upset the nine-time champion to reach the quarter-finals. The 23-year-old Australian's results have been similar to his next opponent, winning two straight-set matches and a four-setter.
De Minaur began by eliminating Taiwan's Yu Hsiou Hsu 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in the opening round. In his second match, the 24th-ranked youngster beat Adrian Mannarino of France 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 before seeing off another Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-1. He made his way into the last 16 of the Australian Open for a second straight year.
Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur head-to-head
This will be the first tour-level meeting between the two players. As of now, the head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur odds
All odds are sourced by BetMGM.
Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur prediction
Although Novak Djokovic has not recovered from his hamstring injury completely, he is the favorite in his fourth-round clash against Alex de Minaur. During his match against Dimitrov, the Serb won 74 percent on his first serve and kept his unforced errors to just 22, compared to 50 by the Bulgarian. The 35-year-old will rely on his powerful serve and avoid long rallies, keeping in mind the condition of his leg.
Alex de Minaur started his 2023 season with his career's biggest win when he defeated Rafael Nadal from a set down at the United Cup. He won 79 percent of his first serve points against Bonzi on Saturday. The home favorite will rely on the support of the spectators and will be confident of upsetting another player from the Big 3.
Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.