Frank Lorenzo
Novak Djokovic (-2000) vs Jarkko Nieminen (+3300, 3.5 o/u)
The favorite to win the 2015 French Open, Novak Djokovic, will make his debut this Tuesday when he faces Jarkko Nieminen in the first round at the Court Philippe Chatrier (12:00 PM Eastern).
Djokovic is the ultimate favorite in the Roland Garros betting odds, even above the current champion and nine-time title holder, Rafael Nadal. Nole is -120 to win the tournament; the only Grand Slam missing from his resume.
Novak’s form speaks for itself as he has won 23 games in a row, including a victory at the 2015 Masters 1000 in Rome last week, beating Rodger Federer in straight sets.
“The fact that I’ve managed to win that many matches in a row subconsciously gives me a reason to believe that I can do it again,” Djokovic said to USA Today. “I will keep going as long as I can.”
Jarkko Nieminen has reached the quarterfinals in all Grand Slams, except Roland Garros, where he hasn’t advanced beyond the fourth round. The Finland native is +100,000 to win the tournament, which is more of a courtesy number by the oddsmakers.
These two players have met five times in their careers, with Djokovic leading the series four wins to one. They played three times on hard surface and twice on clay; Nieminen’s only win was in Sidney Australia in 2009, on a hard court. The last time they met was in 2013 at the Monte Carlo Masters 1000, with a Djokovic victory 6-4, 6-3.
Pick: Djokovic in three sets.
(Photo Credit: By Yann Caradec (Flickr: Novak Djokovic) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
