Dominic Thiem vs Alexander Zverev
There are only two men left standing in the Madrid Open, and they will surely send many betting sites on a frenzy when they meet!
Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem have put on insane performances on the way to the final, and both men will want to win it all. They showed their dominance in their previous outings, making predictions a lot more difficult for casuals and veterans alike.
Do you think Thiem’s giant quarter-final victory will help him get to the top? Or will Zverev’s impeccable performance thus far help him keep the trophy for himself?
Talking Points
Thiem’s incredible run to the final is still the biggest launch pad when it comes to talking about the upcoming finals. Few actually expected the Austrian to triumph that easily against Rafael Nadal. After all, the Spaniard was playing at home grounds and was on an incredible run of games on clay.
When Thiem did beat the King of Clay, people were thinking that maybe Kevin Anderson can put a stop to him. However, the 24-year-old also made quick work of the South African, winning the semi-final in straight sets.
It was after beating Anderson, who he hasn’t beaten in their six prior meetings, that Thiem found some confidence in his game. With this level of confidence in his game, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine Thiem running away with the match and lifting his first Masters 1000 title by the tournament’s end.
“I really worked well the first two matches. I didn’t have a lot of confidence. I built it up yesterday [vs Nadal] and today [vs Anderson],” Thiem said.
“It’s my second Masters 1000 final and it’s an amazing thing for me. But of course I want to bring home the first title, but it’s going to be tough against a young gun.”
While Thiem is not old at 24, Zverev is pulling off outstanding victories against the world’s best tennis players at the ripe age of 21. At such a young age, he has already managed to challenge for tournaments like the Miami Masters and Monte-Carlo Masters.
Denis Shapovalov wasn’t able to do anything against the young German as he also dominated in straight sets during the semi-finals.
Zverev is hopeful that he will be able to maintain his impressive streak of seven games won in straight sets. While he may not be able to keep his streak against Thiem, he is more than prepared to take on the red-hot Austrian.
“He’s playing great tennis beating Rafa on clay in Spain which isn’t easy,” Zverev said. “Obviously it’s going to be an entertaining final.”
History
The two have met five times on the pro tour, with Thiem currently leading the series. Three of their prior engagements were on clay, and the Austrian overpowered the German in every single one of them.
However, the most noticeable trend in their matches is that the game always heads to extra sets. While Thiem stopped Zverev from making a comeback during the 2016 French Open, almost all of their games were taken to full sets.
Thiem managed to outplay Zverev on every single occasion they met on clay as his powerful service game and pinpoint targeting. He has also found success against Zverev on the hard courts, probably by using the same tactic.
While this nugget means that Zverev is the heavy underdog among bookmakers online, it also presents an opportunity for him. Their match history shows that Zverev can definitely play with Thiem and will only need to make several adjustments before he can win more consistently against him.
Thiem should definitely watch out for Zverev’s impressive win streak on clay. While he did manage to snap Rafael Nadal’s historic run, Zverev will be a different challenge for him. As long as he takes the same methodical approach he did against Nadal, he can definitely snag the title here.
What are the odds?
There are a lot of interesting odds appearing in several sportsbet services, but there are two worthwhile bets that could get punters some big cash.
Zverev’s Money Line odds of 2.06 is a great bet to make for several reasons. The German is playing some of his best clay-court tennis and it’s not hard to see him finally breaking Thiem’s spell. This bet is best made by steely punters who believe that the youngster has the tools and mental fidelity needed to thrive.
Meanwhile, Dominic Thiem’s -1.50 Asian Handicap rewards bettors with 2.78 odds. This may seem like a safe option after seeing Thiem succeed against Nadal and Anderson, two players he previously struggled again. It might take a while before we see this superb form of Thiem’s dip, so this is a secure bet to place.
The question now is whether Thiem will actually be able to impose his will on the court. We all know for sure that Zverev will not make things easy for him, and it is now up to him to prove the hype train right.
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
