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Wimbledon tips: Straight shootout between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in men's draw

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Croatia during the Mutua Madrid Open 2022 - May 2022

Planet Sport's resident tennis guru Derek Bilton is adamant either Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraez will claim the illustrious Wimbledon men's title.

You know that summer has well and truly arrived when the Gods of tennis are pinging down aces on the plush Centre Court at SW19. Wimbledon is upon us and this year's men's singles event looks fascinating.
Novak Djokovic starts as an overwhelming favourite to land the most prestigious Grand Slam of the lot, and the Serb is chasing an eighth Wimbledon title. By the way, having won the Australian Open to start the season, and then the French, Djokovic is still on for the elusive Calendar Slam.
After winning in Paris to go clear of Rafael Nadal as the male with the most Slam wins (now 23 and counting), Djokovic must be quietly confident here. After all, he has won the past four titles at SW19 and you cannot argue with him being chalked up at odds on across the board for a fifth Wimbledon win on the spin (he is a top-price 8/11 for glory with the bookies).
Carlos Alcaraz is the clear second favourite and can be backed at 7/2 with Planet Sport Bet. His odds have shortened after that impressive victory at Queen's. The 20-year-old secured the title at the biggest SW19 warm-up event with a sublime 6-4 6-4 triumph over quality Aussie Alex de Minaur.
It was a fifth title of the year for Alcaraz - but much more significantly a first one ever on grass - and also helped him return to World No 1, replacing Djokovic. That Queen's triumph also means he will arrive at the All England Club on 3 July as the top seed.

There is so much to like about Alcaraz. His ferocious forehand clocks around 100mph and he served well all week at the Cinch Championships. However, he wasn't getting carried away after addressing the media when winning on Sunday when he said "I have played just 11 matches on grass, so I need to get more experience.

But after beating amazing guys and the level that I played, I consider myself one of the players able to win Wimbledon. Novak is the main favourite to win Wimbledon, but I will try to play at this level to have chances to beat him or make the final."

That lack of experience on grass, a unique surface, is the one thing putting me off but seeing 'Charly' and 'Nole' square off in the final here in a few weeks would be epic.
In terms of the betting market, seeing Jannik Sinner chalked up as a clear third favourite with some sites shows a distinct lack of alternatives outside of Djokovic and Alcaraz.
In terms of weapons and sheer natural ability, Nick Kyrgios could be the man to upset Djokovic. The Aussie man-child had the best Grand Slam of his career at Wimbledon last year, cruising to the final with a series of mature displays. He even won the first set in the final against Djokovic, before losing in four.
At 28 he should be at his physical peak and under normal circumstances 22/1 - his price with Planet Sport Bet - would scream value.
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However, he has been sidelined for most of the 2023 season following knee surgery. His recent return to action in Stuttgart didn't go well (beaten in straight sets in his opening match) but if he somehow arrives match fit - and it is a huge 'if' based on recent evidence - he could be set for another big run.
At his best, the man known simply as 'Box Office' can be unplayable on this terrain. However, he has also barely played for 10 months. So at those kinds of odds you pays your money and you takes your choice.

Britain's Andy Murray is a 40/1 shot, but I would honestly want at least double that before I pulled the trigger as a speculative each-way shout. In summary then, even though I won't be winning many prizes for originality, this one looks like Novak's to lose.

Indeed, unless someone can import a peak 2003 or 2004 version of Roger Federer across in a time machine at late notice, nobody is going to be able to live with the tenacious Serb at The Championships.

Wimbledon top tip

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