Jannik Sinner vs Jenson Brooksby Odds & Prediction – Citi Open Semifinals
- American wild card Jenson Brooksby has mowed down the field in reaching the Citi Open semifinals on Saturday (August 7th, 4 pm ET)
- He faces No. 5 seed Jannik Sinner, who is 10 months younger but 106 spots higher in the rankings
- Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction
The rise of 20-year-old Jenson Brooksby this summer has been nothing short of impressive.
And arguably the biggest match of his career will take place Saturday at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
Jannik Sinner vs Jenson Brooksby Odds
| Player | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| [5] Jannik Sinner (ITA) | -2.5 (+100) | -145 | O 22.5 (+100) |
| [WC] Jenson Brooksby (USA) | +2.5 (-125) | +120 | U 22.5 (-120) |
Odds as of Aug. 6 at DraftKings.
Home Soil Fruitful For Brooksby
The California native has played all but one of his nine tournaments since March at home in the U.S.
His debut in qualifying at the French Open in Paris was the exception. He made it through; Russia’s Aslan Karatsev defeated him in the first round of the main draw.
Brooksby was ranked No. 254 when he arrived at the Cleveland Challenger in March. After he blew away the extremely capable Aussie John Millman (the No. 11 seed) 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals in D.C. Friday, he booked a spot in the top 100.
Getting the Star Treatment
The 20-year-old is getting a ton of hype in D.C. this week.
Even future Hall of Famer Andy Murray weighed in on Brooksby Friday.
Jenson Brooksby is the sort of player I love to watch…lots of variety..high tennis IQ….great in defence..🔥
His slice and backhand volley are almost identical to Florián Mayer.#tennis @atptour— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) August 6, 2021
Grass Debut Ends in Newport Final
If he beats the 10-months-younger Jannik Sinner Saturday, the American would leap into the top 80.
En route to posting a 34-6 record on home soil in 2021, Brooksby earned two Challenger titles. He also reached the final at the ATP Tour grass-court tournament in Newport, Rhode Island two weeks ago. It was the first time in his entire life that Brooksby, who played sparingly in the juniors, had ever set foot on a grass court in competition.
After a Dry Patch, Sinner Rising Again
He won’t leave his teens for another two weeks. But Sinner has had a bit of a swoon, a little tennis ennui, this summer.
The Italian lost in the first round of Queen’s Club (to Brit Jack Draper, a fellow 19-year-old ranked outside the top 300). He lost in the first round of Wimbledon, too, and skipped the Olympics.
At the hard-court tournament in Atlanta last week, he lost his opener in straight sets to Aussie Christopher O’Connell, ranked No. 132.
But in D.C., the Italian has posted three consecutive straight-set victories.
While that will give him some confidence, his opponent is on a legitimate hot streak.
Jannik Sinner vs Jenson Brooksby Head-to-Head
| 19 (Aug. 16, 2001) | Age | 20 (Oct. 26, 2000) |
| San Candido, Italy | Birthplace | Sacramento, CA |
| 6-2 | Height | 6-4 |
| 2 | Career ATP Singles Titles | 0 |
| No. 17 (May 17, 2021) | Career High Ranking | No. 126 (July 19, 2021) |
| No. 24 | Current Ranking | No. 130 |
| $2,215,166 | Career Prize Money | $323,490 |
| 27-14 | 2021 Won/Loss record | 9-4 |
| 0 | Career Head to Head | 0 |
Brooksby Showed Signs in 2018
Currently listed at 6-foot-4 (that appears perhaps two inches too generous), Brooksby’s big moments so far have come in new York.
After earning a main draw wild card in New York in 2018 by winning the national under-18s, he lost in straight sets to Millman.
The next year, he upset former Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych in the first round.
After a brief stint in college during which he didn’t play, then the shutdown, he is making up for lost time.
Backhands Their Mutual Strength
Perhaps it’s the new trend in men’s tennis, dominated the last few years by serves and forehands.
You could argue world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev’s backhand side is his bedrock. That’s also true of world No. 5 Alexander Zverev.
Jenson Brooksby is a mood 💪
That feeling when you’re projected to reach the top 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ for the first time on Monday….#CitiOpen pic.twitter.com/QAUj58bNe1
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) August 6, 2021
Sinner’s backhand is arguably one of the most effective on Tour. And Brooksby’s backhand wing is incredibly versatile. So look for them to test each other on that side.
The big difference is that Sinner serves a lot bigger. And he is No. 10 on Tour this year in winning points on the opponent’s first serve.
But no amount of video analysis can duplicate the experience of playing someone. And Sinner doesn’t have that.
The young American has the knack of goading his opponent into errors with his overall lack of pace. He also is turning defence into offence extremely well.
He easily could bait Sinner into overhitting.
But while it’s tough to bet against a guy on a roll, this one is awfully difficult to call.
Best Bet: Over 2.5 Sets (+115)
Stephanie gets the straight dope from the tennis insiders. On court, she has represented her country internationally. A BA in journalism led to years on the MLB beat and a decade covering tennis globally. She's written for Postmedia, the Guardian, the New York Times and also publishes OpenCourt.ca.
