ATP Cup Semifinals Odds & Betting Preview: Serbia vs Russia
- Some of the biggest names in the sport of tennis will take the court as team Russia and team Serbia will battle it out
- Novak Djokovic is the best player in the tournament, but team Russia seems to be more well-rounded
- Check out who we believe has the edge
Sit down, grab your popcorn and enjoy this one.
Team Russia and team Serbia are scheduled to lock horns in what could be viewed as a heavyweight matchup.
The unconventional style of the ATP Cup, leads to each team having a great chance of advancing, even if they happen to fall short in one of the contests. Team Serbia will have the best player on the court at all times in Novak Djokovic, but team Russia has the more well-rounded team.
Let’s go ahead and breakdown each matchup.
Karen Khachanov vs Dusan Lajovic Odds
| Player | Spread | Moneyline Odds | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Khachanov | -4 (-107) | -348 | O 22 (-113) |
| Dusan Lajovic | +4 (-127) | +278 | U 22 (-107) |
All odds taken Jan. 10.
Starting things off will be a battle of the number two seeds as Dusan Lajovic from team Russia who will take on Karen Khachanov.
In terms of rankings, there isn’t a huge gap with Khachanov ranking at number 12 and Lajovic coming in at number 34.
Dusan gets it done ?
Your turn, @DjokerNole ?#ATPCup | #TeamSerbia pic.twitter.com/iYMuroNG73
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 10, 2020
Lajovic has had himself a very good run during the ATP Cup losing just one contest to Benoit Paire. Other than that one blip on his radar, he’s been incredible. In his most recent outing, he beat the odds when he took out the talented but young Felix Auger-Aliassime. Lajovic is certainly holding up his end of the bargain but he will face a completely different animal in Karen Khachanov.
Khachanov Has Been on a Roll
The 12th ranked player in the world clearly came to this tournament on a mission. He hasn’t lost a single game yet and has managed to drop just one set so far.
His big-hitting coupled with his mobility has made him a nightmare for everyone who has played him so far. Ironically enough, the last time Khachanov tasted defeat was at the hands of his own teammate, Novak Djokovic.
Who Wins: Karen Khachanov
Never mind the fact that Khachanov has yet to lose, if we simply look at their work on hard courts during their careers, then the clear edge goes to Khachanov as Lajovic is more known for his work on clay.
Khachanov will certainly feel the pressure that will be associated with this contest as he doesn’t want to fall behind 0-1 with Novak Djokovic waiting next in line.
Novak Djokovic vs Daniil Medvedev Odds
| Player | Spread | Moneyline Odds | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic | -2.5 (-108) | -172 | O 22.5 (-120) |
| Daniil Medvedev | +2.5 (-112) | +152 | U 22.5 (+100) |
It’s looking like another outstanding year is coming in the direction of Novak Djokovic. With 16 grand slam titles to his name, he is showing no signs of slowing down. Is it really surprising to see that he hasn’t lost a game yet and has only lost a single set? Of course not.
That was one seriously high quality match ?@DjokerNole | @denis_shapo | #ATPCup pic.twitter.com/l3KbJutnNn
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 10, 2020
Djokovic is right back to his dominant ways and is clearly the best player in this tournament. Still, even with that being said, team Russia has a player that can give Djokovic fits.
Don’t Sleep on Daniil Medvedev
We’ve been gushing about the dominance of Novak Djokovic, and rightfully so. Yet, Daniil Medvedev quickly proved last year that he isn’t just one of the best young players in all of tennis, but that he is one of the best players in the entire world.
Just like Djokovic, Medvedev has yet to lose a contest throughout this tournament.
Not many can hang with Djokovic when he is hitting on all cylinders but Medvedev certainly can. In fact, Medvedev has beaten Djokovic the last two times that they have faced one another. It isn’t exactly an indicator for what’s to come but it should give credence to the claim that Medvedev has the tools to beat Djokovic on any given day.
Final Pick: Novak Djokovic
Daniil Medvedev is a beast. There’s a reason why he’s ranked as the fifth-best player in the world. But, this is Novak Djokovic that we’re talking about here. Djokovic is clearly facing the most pressure of anyone else. His team isn’t the most talented so if he slips up and suffers a defeat, the chances of team Serbia coming back to win are slim to none.
What If it Goes the Distance
In the event that these two teams split their two meetings than a tiebreaker on the doubles courts will decide who will advance. Karen Khachanov and Daniil Medvedev should be on one side of the court while Novak Djokovic and Viktor Troicki should be on the other.
Djokovic/Troicki vs Khachanov/Medvedev Doubles Odds
| Player | Spread | Moneyline Odds | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Djokovic/Troicki | N/A | -140 | N/A |
| Khachanov/Medvedev | N/A | EVEN | N/A |
Look, neither of these players are what you would call outstanding doubles players, but they are very good. In terms of who would have the edge, you have to give the slight nod to team Serbia.
#TeamSerbia ARE GOING TO SYDNEY!#ATPCup | @DjokerNole | @troicki_viktor pic.twitter.com/gnbUYJBtAd
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 6, 2020
The reasoning behind this logic is simple. If you have the best player in the world on your side of the court than you have to assume that they will bring home the victory.
So far, Troicki has participated in all three of Serbia’s doubles matches (once with Djokovic – a win, and twice with Nikola Cacic – 1-1). Khachanov and Medvedev are 1-1 together at the tournament.
Final Pick: Team Serbia
Hans Themistode has worked in sports journalism since attending Queens College, and has worked for several newspapers including the BX Times and Canarsie Courier, as well as writing for publications such as Fansided and The Clever. His work has also been featured on Bleacher Report.
