Top seed and World No.1 Novak Djokovic will play Barcelona Open champion Dominic Thiem in the first semifinal of the Mutua Madrid Open on Saturday, May 11, at 4 pm local time (3 pm BST). You can find the Novak Djokovic v Dominic Thiem live streaming options, preview and predictions here.
Looking to watch (and bet) on the Djokovic v Thiem live streaming online? Go to bet365 > Tennis > Live Streaming here*
[maxbutton id=”4″ text=”Watch (& Bet on) Djokovic v Thiem Live” ]
*Geo-restrictions apply & pre-funded account needed
Novak Djokovic v Dominic Thiem Head to Head
Djokovic and Thiem have played each other seven times with the Serb leading the series 5-2. The Austrian has won their last two meetings, both on clay, which adds the necessary edge to this encounter.
Djokovic Benefits From A Day Off After Cilic’s Withdrawal
Novak Djokovic safely advanced to the semifinal of Madrid Open for the sixth time in his career without striking any ball after his opponent Marin Cilic admitted on Twitter he had food poisoning.
The Serb – who is a two-time former champion at the Caja Magica – will contest his 62nd ATP Masters 1000 semifinal of his career on Saturday. It will also mark his return into the last four of any tournament this year since winning the Australian Open in January.
Djokovic was on course to continue his remarkable dominance on the American hard-court swing following his success in Melbourne. But surprisingly, his form dropped off and failed to make the quarterfinals at both Indian Wells and Miami Masters, losing to Kohlschreiber and Bautista Agut respectively.
The World No.1 kicked off his clay-court season in Monte Carlo where he reached the last eight before losing to Daniil Medvedev in three sets.
Djokovic has been critical of his form, admitting it has not been at the level it should be, but is hopeful of getting back to his best in time for the French Open. Judging by his recent record in the Majors, you would not put it past him to complete another sweep of all four Grand Slams at Roland Garros next month.
Thiem Takes Out Federer In a Classic
Just 24 hours earlier, Roger Federer saved two match-points to best Gael Monfils in three sets. A day later, Dominic Thiem gave Federer a taste of his own medicine. It was the Swiss’ turn to squander two match-points in the second set of an absorbing quarterfinal.
This was the first clay court event that Federer had competed in for three years and yet it seemed like he was never gone for all that time as he came within a point of beating the Barcelona Open champion in a dramatic tiebreak. The Austrian served and stole the set and the match to extend his winning streak to eight matches.
The 25-year-old had struggled to get off the blocks at the start of the year having played dismally during the South American clay in February. However, he sprang to life in the hard courts of Indian Wells where he won his maiden Masters 1000 crown beating Roger Federer in the final.
It was a surprise triumph given his troubles on the surface in the past. Thiem went on to capture his biggest clay-court title of his career in Barcelona where he beat reigning champion Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev in succession.
His recent record against Djokovic will fill the Austrian with a lot of confidence. Thiem beat the Serb at the French Open in 2017, and then in Monte Carlo in 2018.
Djokovic v Thiem Predictions & Tips
This will be a close physical battle. Thiem showed in his win over Federer he has become tough mentally and that is crucial in the latter stages of a big tournament when you consider the circumstances of falling 3-0 down in the tiebreak before saving two match-points. Thiem has a lot momentum at the moment, but Djokovic’s level has improved massively from Monte Carlo.
Tip: Over 22.5 games: 4/5 (888Sport)
The Djokovic v Thiem match can be watched live with Unibet here on May 11, 2019. Also get the latest tennis tips and predictions here.
Be the first to comment