Novak Djokovic moved to within two victories of another Wimbledon title after recording a straight-sets win over Marin Cilic on Wednesday. The defending champion will look to grab that coveted spot in the final when he takes on the ever-dangerous Richard Gasquet in a mouth-watering clash this coming Friday.
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this semis matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the much-anticipated semifinal showdown between former Wimbledon champions Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
[sc:TennisArticles ]Novak Djokovic vs. Richard Gasquet Betting Preview
Where: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon
When: Friday, July 10, 8:05 AM ET
Line: Novak Djokovic (-1,500) vs. Richard Gasquet (+800)– view all Wimbledon Men’s Singles lines
Betting on Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic stormed to his fourth consecutive Wimbledon semifinal with a comprehensive 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over Marin Cilic on Centre Court on Wednesday. It was an excellent performance from the eight-time Grand Slam champion who needed just one hour and 49 minutes to oust the Croatian.
[sc:Other240banner ]Djokovic, who improved to 13-0 against Cilic, blasted 27 winners and won 79% of his first serve points. What proved to be the difference in the match, though, was his highly-efficient play. Djokovic committed just 12 unforced errors in the contest, as opposed to Cilic’s 20. The world No. 1 is averaging just 15.4 unforced errors in his five matches in this tournament thus far.
Next up for Djokovic is a semifinal clash with French star Richard Gasquet. The 28-year-old has fared extremely well in his past meetings with Gasquet, winning 12 of their 13 previous matches. The Serbian is unbeaten in his last nine matches with the Frenchman. Djokovic eased past Gasquet in their last meeting at the French Open last month, trouncing him in the round of 16 in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3. This will be the first meeting between the two tennis stars on grass.
For Djokovic to extend his dominance against Gasquet, he needs to improve on his play on the receiving end. He won just 35% (58/168) of his receiving points in his quarterfinal victory against Cilic. But Djokovic will take comfort in the fact that he made the most of his break opportunities in that contest. He converted five of his eight break point chances in that dominant win against Cilic.
Djokovic is 9-1 in his last 10 matches.
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Betting on Richard Gasquet
Richard Gasquet barged into his second career Wimbledon semifinal with a stunning 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9 upset victory over fourth seed Stanislas Wawrinka on Wednesday. It was a remarkable performance from the 29-year-old who needed three hours and 28 minutes to hack out the marathon victory.
Key to Gasquet’s shocking win was his excellent serve. He put into play 67% of his first serves against Wawrinka with the Frenchman winning 74% (79/107) of those points. His occasional forays to the net also paid dividends as he won 35 of his 56 net points (63%) against the heavily-favored Wawrinka.
The road to the championship will only get harder for Gasquet, though, as standing in his way in the semifinals is defending champion Novak Djokovic. The Frenchman is just 1-12 in his career against Djokovic. In those 13 matches, Gasquet has only taken three sets against the Serbian star.
For Gasquet to buck the odds and upset Djokovic in the next round, he will need to continue his highly-efficient play. He committed just 24 unforced errors in his quarterfinal victory against Wawrinka. That’s half Wawrinka’s output of 48 miscues. Gasquet is averaging just 17.2 unforced errors per contest in this tournament thus far.
Gasquet is 8-2 in his last 10 matches.
Writer’s Prediction
Djokovic (-1,500) books a return trip to the final with a straight-sets win.
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