Pick of the Day: Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs. Novak Djokovic, Australian Open
The Argentine has played some tremendous tennis in Melbourne, and Nole could have his hands full.
Tomas Martin Etcheverry versus Novak Djokovic might seem extremely lopsided on paper, but I think there could be a twist or two in this Day 6 third-rounder. Etcheverry has looked remarkable in Melbourne thus far, earning straight-set wins over both Andy Murray and Gael Monfils. Meanwhile, Djokovic has looked mortal through two rounds, dropping sets against both Dino Prizmic and Alexei Popyrin.
Djokovic has been dealing with an illness early in the tournament, so we haven’t seen the best version of the 24-time Grand Slam champion. Perhaps he’ll snap out of it and absolutely pummel Etcheverry, but I have my doubts. Etcheverry is holding serve regularly and really dictating play from the baseline. The latter is especially important, as I think he can put a scare into Djokovic if he remains solid from back there. Etcheverry gets good depth on his shots, and he packs more punch than you’d think. If Djokovic isn’t playing at a high level, that’s going to be hard for him to deal with.
It should be noted that Djokovic has beaten Etcheverry twice in his career, and neither one of the two matches was particularly close. Ultimately, I think competitiveness of this match is going to come down to how well Etcheverry serves. Through five matches in 2024, Etcheverry has a hold percentage of 84.1%, higher than his career-high mark of 81.3%. He’ll need to handle his business with very little turbulence when it’s his turn to serve in order to compete with Djokovic.
I don’t think Etcheverry can do it over the course of an entire match, but I love his chances of staying in a set or two. That’s why I’m jumping on the 24-year-old to win just one set at plus-money odds.
**Pick: Etcheverry +2.5 Sets (+145) **