Top seed Novak Djokovic barged into the quarterfinals of the 2015 Miami Open with a nervy three-set victory over Alexandr Dolgopolov. He will look to extend his winning streak to 11 matches when he squares off with David Ferrer in a mouth-watering last eight clash this coming Thursday.
Read on for a complete preview of this blockbuster tennis showdown. If you’re looking for other sports action, though, you can check out our preview of the Shell Houston Open which starts this coming Thursday.
[sc:TennisArticles ]Novak Djokovic vs. David Ferrer Betting Preview
Where: Crandon Park Tennis Center, Key Biscayne
When: Thursday, April 2, 10:00 AM ET
Line: Novak Djokovic (-800) vs. David Ferrer (+500) – view all Miami Open lines
Betting on Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic’s quest for a fifth ATP World Tour Masters triumph in Miami is still very much alive after a tough three-set victory over Alexandr Dolgopolov in their fourth-round clash on Tuesday. The World No. 1 came back from a set down to win 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-0 in a match that lasted one hour and 58 minutes.
[sc:Other240banner ]For a while, it seemed like Djokovic was headed for an early exit after trailing 4-2 in the second set. Djokovic dug deep, though, winning 10 of the last 11 games to seal a quarterfinal showdown with David Ferrer. Such was Djokovic’s dominance in the third and deciding set that he won 24 of the 27 points on offer.
Key to Djokovic’s victory in the round of 16 was his excellent return. He won a total of 40 return points and converted seven of 10 break point opportunies for an incredible 70 percent clip. He will need that same kind of accuracy with his return if he is to beat the ever-dangerous Ferrer.
With that being said, Djokovic will fancy his chances against Ferrer as he holds a 13-5 advantage against the Spanish star. In fact, the eight-time Grand Slam champion has won his last seven matches with Ferrer. Their last meeting came in the quarterfinals of the 2014 Shanghai Open with Djokovic prevailing in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.
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Betting on David Ferrer
David Ferrer stormed into the quarterfinals of the 2015 Miami Open with a 7-6 (5), 6-0 win over No. 12 Gilles Simon. The sixth-seeded Spaniard capitalized on six of his 11 break point opportunities to grab the victory and forge a mouth-watering matchup with Djokovic.
Ferrer had a difficult time shaking off Simon’s challenge as the pair traded service errors in the opening set. The two players combined for four successive breaks midway through the opener before Ferrer pulled off the opening-set win via a tiebreak. The second set, however, was a totally different story as Ferrer blanked Simon thanks in large part to his non-stop aggression that produced three service breaks.
Ferrer has had a spectacular season thus far, already winning three titles this year. He won the Qatar Open last January before claiming tournament victories at Rio De Janeiro and Acapulco. He has carried that winning momentum in Miami as he has yet to lose a single set in his stint here so far.
That record will be put to the test, though, this coming Thursday as he’ll face the red-hot Djokovic. For Ferrer to snap his seven-match losing skid against the Serbian star, he needs his first service to be right on target. He only got 62% of his first serves in against Simon with Ferrer winning 70% of those points.
He had difficulty, though, with his second serve with the Spaniard winning just 40% of those points. That will mean trouble against Djokovic who has been superb with his return the entire tournament, particularly on second serves. In his round of 16 match against Dolgopolov, Djokovic won an astounding 71% (27 of 38) of his second return points.
Writer’s Prediction
Djokovic (-800) stretches his unbeaten run against Ferrer to eight matches with a tough three-set victory.
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