Novak Djokovic vs. Aslan Karatsev – Semifinals, 2021 Australian Open

It’s been a while since an unknown player had a strong run in a men’s singles Grand Slam. Aslan Karatsev has been remarkable so far in Melbourne and reaching the semifinals from the qualifiers deserves enormous respect.

The question is if the Russian can go all the way. His next match against the world number one Novak Djokovic will deliver the answer. The Serbian enters the clash as a huge favorite, but that was the case with every player that faced Karatsev so far.

I share my thoughts on this Australian Open 2021 semifinal in my Novak Djokovic vs. Aslan Karatsev betting preview. The post also includes the latest odds, my prediction, and a free pick for the match.

The Novak Djokovic vs. Aslan Karatsev odds of the top betting websites for tennis obviously favor the world number one and that’s to be expected. The Serbian has loads of experience at this stage, while his opponent has never played in the main draw of a Grand Slam before.

The world number one Novak Djokovic entered the 2021 Australian Open as a huge favorite, but his run so far has been far from perfect. The Serbian lost a set in the second round against Frances Tiafoe and almost got knocked out by Taylor Fritz in his next match.

Djokovic was obviously in pain and there were doubts if he could continue. He looked much stronger against Milos Raonic and Alexander Zverev, so it seems like Nole is healthy enough to play well.

His victory over the young German was very impressive and proves that Djokovic remains in contention for the title.

The Serbian scored more than 20 aces and his first serve was working well. He was aggressive throughout the match and I expect a similar performance against Karatsev.

It’s crazy to see a guy who started from the qualifiers in the last four of the Australian Open 2021. This hasn’t happened since the 1970s which goes to show how hard it is to upset the odds at such a level.

Aslan Karatsev’s impressive run includes victories over a bunch of players that were supposed to dismantle him with ease. Beating Gianluca Mager in the opening round wasn’t that big of a shock, but the manner in which Egor Gerasimov was demolished raised some eyebrows.

Karatsev gave his opponent only a single game in the second round and then shocked the world again and again with victories over Diego Schwartzman, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Grigor Dimitrov.

One could say that the last match against the Bulgarian was somewhat lucky, because Dimitrov was visibly injured after the first set. And yet, Karatsev took full advantage of the situation and you can’t blame him for his opponent’s issues.

The Russian has been extremely aggressive so far and I expect more of the same. He plays with the kind of freedom that only a man with no expectations can afford.

Karatsev has had more winners and unforced errors than his opponents in every clash on the road to the last four. I expect him to continue with the aggression, but the problem is that the man on the other side of the net is an expert in that style of play.

I admire Karatsev’s achievements so far, but I feel that Novak Djokovic should be able to beat him with ease. The Serbian has the defensive skills to handle the Russian’s aggression and all the tools to put his opponent under a lot of pressure as well.

Experience at this level matters, so Djokovic should be able to cover the -7.5 handicap rather comfortably and the price is solid enough.