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Daniil Medvedev Now +185 Favorite to Win US Open After Novak Djokovic Disqualified

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in Tennis

Updated Sep 7, 2020 · 6:49 PM PDT

Danill Medvedev hitting return shot
Following Sunday's disquaification of world #1 Novak Djokovic, third-seeded Daniil Medvedev is the +185 favorite to win the men's singles title at the US Open. Photo by: Robbie [Wikimedia].
  • Third-seeded Daniil Medvedev is the +185 favorite to win the men’s singles title at the US Open
  • Defending champion Novak Djokovic was defaulted from the tournament on Sunday
  • Find out below who we think you should bet on now that Djokovic is out

Has the ouster of Novak Djokovic created the path that will finally lead Daniil Medvedev to his first Grand Slam title?

The oddsmakers believe that to be the case. Russian Medvedev is now the +185 favorite to win the men’s singles title in the US Open odds.

Previously-favored Djokovic was bounced from the event on Sunday via disqualification after striking a line judge with a ball.

Medvedev faces American Frances Tiafoe Monday in fourth-round action (7pm ET).

US Open Men’s Singles Odds

Player Odds at Bet365
Daniil Medvedev +185
Alexander Zverev +333
Dominic Thiem +400
Denis Shapovalov +900
Matteo Berretini +1200
Felix Auger-Aliassime +1300
Borna Coric +1600
Andrey Rublev +2000
Pablo Carreno Busta +3000
Alex De Minaur +3300
Vasek Pospisil +5000
Frances Tiafoe +8000

Odds as of Sept. 7th

Last year, Medvedev lost the US Open final 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, 4-6 to Rafael Nadal. It was the Russian’s first appearance in a Grand Slam final.

Djokovic Did A Bad Thing

Angered by his inability to close out the first set of his match with Spanish opponent Pablo Carreno Busta, Djokovic took his frustrations out on a tennis ball. He smacked a ball backwards from the baseline after Carreno Busta broke his service to leave the set at 5-6.

The ball struck a female line judge in the throat. The horror in the reaction on Djokovic’s face was immediate.

So was his dismissal from the tournament. The top seed and pre-tournament odds-on -125 chalk to win the US Open, Djokovic’s fate was sealed. He was defaulted from the event.

YouTube video

Social media warriors pounded their keyboards, claiming Djokovic’s ouster was too harsh a punishment. Conspiracy theorists claimed it was revenge for Djokovic’s announcement this week of plans to form a new men’s-only players association.

In reality, it was all there in black and white. The rules of tennis clearly state that “actions of intentionally hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly within the court or hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the consequences” result in the immediate defaulting of a player from the event.

Medvedev Making Short Work

Through three rounds of play, Medvedev hasn’t dropped a set. In third-round action he dispatched American JJ Wolf 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 48 minutes.

Last year, in making his initial Grand Slam final appearance, Medvedev was required to work four sets for victory in the second, third and fourth rounds.

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Against Wolf, Medvedev served 13 aces while making only 10 unforced errors in the match. He also held the edge in winners by a 33-29 count.

The two-time Masters 1000 champion reached the semifinals of last week’s Western & Southern Open. As for his fourth-round opponent, earlier this year, Medvedev defeated Tiafoe in the opening round of the Australian Open 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Canadian Content

At last year’s US Open, Canada’s Bianca Andreescu shocked the tennis world by winning the women’s singles title. If you like betting trends, the men’s draw still goes three-deep in Canadians.

Vasek Pospisil and #15 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime play today in fourth-round action. Denis Shapovalov, the 12-seed, is through to the quarterfinals. At +900, Shapovalov wouldn’t be a bad value play.

It’s Medvedev’s Time

With Djokovic out and Nadal and Roger Federer not competing, the US Open will have an inaugural winner for the first time since 2014.

It’s hard to look past Medvedev as the guy who’ll do it. He and Dominic Thiem are the only players left who’ve played in a Grand Slam singles final.

Thiem owns a 2-1 edge over Medvedev. They’re 1-1 on hard-court surfaces.

Pick: Daniil Medvedev (+185).

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