Wimbledon 2022 Preview: How to Bet the Sunday Matches (Archive)
Wimbledon is a tournament staunch with tradition. One tradition that has changed though is that of play on middle Sunday. Originally, middle Sunday was off, with the idea that it would give the groundskeepers a day to rehabilitate the grass.
Now with the demands of television and the fact that Sunday is a day for most working people to be able to relax and enjoy sports, the tradition has changed and now the courts are alive on Sunday with more tennis action. Let’s take a look at today’s featured match to find another winning tennis pick.
Novak Djokovic vs. Tim van Rijthoven
Sunday, July 03, 2022 – 02:25 AM EDT at Centre Court
Top players have been falling, making the opportunity for Novak Djokovic even greater in this tournament. Djokovic is the defending champion and the favorite by ATP odds to win the title this year.
Today he faces a player who has found his form and made a name for himself to start the grasscourt season. Let's take a look at these two players and how they match up.
Novak Djokovic Player Profile
- Novak Djokovic is a 35-year-old Serbian player ranked number three in the world.
- Djokovic seemed like he was destined to become the winningest player in terms of Grand Slam titles before the covid vaccination controversy cost him the ability to play in tournaments in Australia and the United States.
- Djokovic only played an exhibition in the lead-up to the tournament but is 4-0 on grass so far this season.
- Djokovic is coming off an impressive win over fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic which he won 6-0, 6-3, 6-4.
- Djokovic is one of the best returners of serve in the history of the game.
Tim van Rijthoven Player Profile
- Tim van Rijthoven is a 25-year-old player from the Netherlands ranked 104th in the world.
- Before June 6 of this year, van Rijthoven had never won an ATP-level match.
- Van Rijthoven burst onto the grasscourt scene by winning the tournament at Hertogenbosch.
- On his way to the title, van Rijthoven scored impressive wins over Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Daniil Medvedev.
- Van Rijthoven plays right-handed with a one-handed backhand.
- Van Rijthoven’s first title of his career was Hertogenbosch.
Van Rijthoven’s career development was stunted by an elbow problem. In a further setback, he developed thrombosis in the arteries of his arm. This caused the tips of his fingers to become cold and numb.
Van Rijthoven had to have surgery to remove the blood clots. Now that he is healthy, he is finally able to fulfill his potential.
Djokovic vs. van Rijthoven Player Matchup
- Tim van Rijthoven has an excellent serve. It is one of the biggest strengths of his game. However, it is still slightly below the level of Novak Djokovic
- Novak Djokovic is the much better returner of serve, although that can be said when he faces any opponent.
- Djokovic will have an advantage in baseline rallies. Djokovic can be incredibly solid when he needs to be, as well as incredibly aggressive.
- Djokovic has a huge experience advantage. Van Rijthoven is still learning the ropes on the ATP tour, while Djokovic is as accomplished as any player in history.
Djokovic vs. van Rijthoven Betting Analysis
After reading this breakdown, you would assume that I'm going to bet on Novak Djokovic to blow Tim van Rijthoven off the court. And while it seems so, I believe the oddsmakers have seen this and made the ATP odds too high.
Tim van Rijthoven has an excellent serve, and even though Djokovic's return of serve is elite, he still should be able to hold quite often on the Center Court surface which favors big servers. If van Rijthoven can force just one tiebreak he will most likely cover the spread of 7.5 games.
Djokovic vs. van Rijthoven Best Bet
With van Rijthoven being new to the scene, the oddsmakers are having problems gauging how to line his matches. How much do they rate his recent run?
They need to balance that with the necessity to avoid recency bias. The oddsmakers do not want to overrate a solid 9-match stretch against the all-time resume of the world's most accomplished player, but they must take it into account. However, in this case, I believe that van Rijthoven will be able to keep it close.
I expect to see a game effort from Tim van Rijthoven. He should be able to hold serve. Our bet for today's Wimbledon matchup is Tim van Rijthoven +7.5 games.
ATP Pick: Tim van Rijthoven +7.5 Games (-105) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.