Monte-Carlo Masters 2024: Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs (11) Alex de Minaur
Date: April 12, 2024
Tournament: Monte-Carlo Masters 2024
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Monte Carlo Country Club
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: €5,950,575
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel - USA | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur preview
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will take on Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters on Friday.
Djokovic scored a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win over Roman Safiullin to set up a third-round contest against Lorenzo Musetti. He had lost to the Italian at this very stage in the previous edition of the tournament.
Musetti came out firing on all cylinders once again as he broke Djokovic's serve in the very first game of the match. The 22-year-old eventually built up a 4-2 lead but the Serb turned things around from that point on.
Djokovic nabbed five of the next six games as he staged a quick turnaround to snatch the first set from his opponent. He led by a break twice in the second set but Musetti found a way to get back on serve on both occasions.
Djokovic nabbed yet another break to go 5-3 up in the second set. He served out the match without a fuss in the following game for a 7-5, 6-3 victory and reached the quarterfinals here for the first time since 2019.
De Minaur ousted Stan Wawrinka in his opener and rallied from a set down to defeat Tallon Griekspoor 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the second round. He then faced his fellow Australian Alexei Popyrin in the third round.
The first set went de Minaur's way after he reeled off four straight games from 3-2 onwards. He secured a break of serve to lead 5-3 in the second set but Popyrin stopped him from closing out the match to keep himself in contention.
However, Popyrin couldn't make the most of his reprieve as de Minaur broke his serve yet again to beat him 6-3, 6-4. The Australian has made it to the last eight here for the first time in his career.
Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur head-to-head
The two have split their prior couple of matches evenly to tie the head-to-head at 1-1. De Minaur won their most recent encounter at this year's United Cup in straight sets.
Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur prediction
Musetti proved to be a tricky customer for Djokovic but he raised his level when it mattered to get the job done. He'll now be eager to avenge his loss to de Minaur from earlier this year, who became the first player to defeat him in Australia since 2018.
De Minaur's flat hitting isn't the most ideal for a surface like clay. His footwork on the red dirt is not as great compared to other surfaces and he's also 1-10 against top 20 players on clay.
Djokovic is a two-time champion here and is starting to find his footing after a relatively slow start to the season. He's still one of the most accomplished players on clay, while de Minaur has a losing record on the surface. The Serb will be expected to come out on top this time given their capabilities on clay.
Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.