Australian Open: Djokovic vs Rublev Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Australian Open as Novak Djokovic takes on Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinal on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

Novak Djokovic has admitted he did not feel any pain in his hamstring in his masterclass over Alex De Minaur. That could spell bad news for the rest of the draw including his next opponent Andrey Rublev who is looking to reach a first Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open. Who will prevail?

Novak Djokovic produced a tennis masterclass as he obliterated Australia’s last remaining hope in the singles draw. Djokovic’s 6-2 6-1 6-2 drubbing over De Minaur came as a huge shock to those watching inside Rod Laver Arena. It was an incredible level of tennis by the perfectionist Djokovic. I’m struggling to remember the last time he demolished an opponent in such a humiliating manner at the Australian Open, but probably his victory over David Ferrer about 10 years ago here is the closest. Even Andrey Rublev, his quarterfinal opponent, doesn’t fancy facing the Serb in such form.

Andrey Rublev, for his part, came through a rollercoaster win against the ninth seed Holger Rune. The Russian needed five-set and a 10-point tiebreak to win a lung buster of match 6-3 3-6 6-3 4-6 7-6, saving two match points in the process. Rublev has now made it to his second Australian Open quarterfinal, but he’s never been to a semifinal at Grand Slam level. Could he do it for the first time at the expense of nine-time champion Djokovic?

Novak Djokovic leads Andrey Rublev 2-1 in their head to head. The Russian’s only victory came in Djokovic’s home country at the Belgrade Open last year, when the Serb was still in the early stages of his comeback following his controversial deportation from Australia. Since then Djokovic has seized the mantle as the ATP’s most dominant player. I’m struggling to see how Rublev can win this match. His skill set just doesn’t stand up to Djokovic’s best tennis. Of course, he’s got a ferocious forehand than can break down over half of the ATP roster. He’s also got a pacey serve and an aggressive backhand that he controls so well. But the inherent limitation to Rublev’s game is that it will eventually be worn out as Djokovic puts him under constant, unwavering pressure. Expect the nine-time champion to cruise into the Australian Open semifinals.