Novak Djokovic has a surprising third-round matchup on his hands in the form of Ernests Gulbis, who upset Juan Martin Del Potro on Thursday at Wimbledon. Dominic Thiem are Jared Donaldson are also on the Saturday schedule.
Ernests Gulbis vs. (2) Novak Djokovic
Djokovic and Gulbis will be squaring off for the eighth time in their careers and for the first time in almost two full years when they battle for a spot in the second week of Wimbledon on Saturday. The head-to-head series stands at 6-1 in favor of Djokovic, who has won four in a row at Gulbis’ expense since falling at the 2009 Brisbane event. They have not faced each other since the Serb scored a come-from-behind 5-7, 7-6(7), 6-1 victory at the 2015 Canada Masters.
From that point until now, Gulbis completely fell off the tennis map due to both physical problems and poor play. The 28-year-old currently registers at No. 589 in the rankings and had not won a tour-level match since the 2016 French Open prior to his arrival at the All-England Club. Out of nowhere, Gulbis clobbered Victor Estrella Burgos 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 and then upset Juan Martin Del Potro 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(3) on Thursday. Djokovic booked his spot in the third round by getting a second-set retirement from Martin Klizan and crushing Adam Pavlasek 6-2, 6-2, 6-1. The fourth-ranked Serb has struggled this season, but he reached the French Open quarterfinals and has looked strong through four sets at the All-England Club. Asking a generally inconsistent Gulbis to turn in a third straight solid performance and accomplish the same feat that Sam Querrey achieved in this round last summer is likely too much.
Pick: Djokovic in 3
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(8) Dominic Thiem vs. Jared Donaldson
Thiem and Donaldson will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the second time this season when they meet again on Saturday. Their only previous encounter came this spring on the clay courts of Madrid, where Thiem got the job done 6-3, 6-4. Grass gives Donaldson a much better chance–albeit still not a great one. After all, Thiem has emerged as one of the most fearsome forces in the game on clay and is already a two-time French Open semifinalist at 23 years old. The green stuff has been a different story, and Thiem’s woes on this surface include recent losses to Robin Haase (Halle second round) and Ramkumar Ramanathan (Antalya second round). Perhaps more motivated at Wimbledon, the eighth-ranked Austrian has picked up the pace this week to beat Vasek Pospisil in straight sets and Gilles Simon in four.
Donaldson owns almost half of his career ATP-level match wins in 2017 (nine of 20) and he will break into the top 60 for the first time in his career after Wimbledon following defeats of Janko Tipsarevic (via a first-set retirement) and Paolo Lorenzi (6-4, 7-6(0), 6-7(0), 6-2). The 20-year-old American has now reached the third round in two of the last four Grand Slams, having also accomplished the feat at last summer’s U.S. Open. Donaldson is unafraid of the big stage, but he is simply not yet anywhere near Thiem’s overall level and the favorite is only growing in confidence on grass.
Pick: Thiem in 3
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who ya got?
If Gulbis brings the same quality he delivered against Del Potro that will be incredible but Djokovic is too experienced to let that happen when prepared and with 2 new coaches devising strategies to dismantle the Gulbis game. Djokovic will turn this into a grind, get in Gulbis’s face, be extra strong defensively and force Gulbis to think and play out of his comfort zone. I sense a major let down but will give him the benefit of the doubt that he can win a set based on a 3:0 result against Del Potro.
Djokovic in 4.
Thiem is an improver, he dropped the first set against Simon and will be disappointed with that given the control he had for the rest of the match. He will aim to improve on that result heading into the 2nd week of the tournament.
Thiem in 3.
Gulbis in five and Thiem in four
Benny, Gulbis, really? lol! nah, Novak will never let that happen!
Last year: no way Novak loses to Querrey
This year: …
Benny, I have a hunch that the Djoker is in better mental and physical shape than at last year’s Wimby, lol! Last year he had marital turbulences on top of having just won the French and the Djoker Slam. That he lost to Querrey wasn’t a surprise in hindsight. This year he’s hungry again and has something to prove. I don’t think he will lose to Multiple Ernests.
littlefoot,
Sorry for the late reply — i was on the road the past day.
What you mentioned about Gulbis I do agree. He’s a complicated personality — a bit like Paire, but Gulbis has more charisma.
And I’m in heaven right now because Gubis is playing well and Novak will need to dig deep — these are two of my favorite personalities in tennis. Big fan of Novak’s tennis, too. He’s far from perfect but I’m excited to see both Andre Agassi and Mario Ancic in Novak’s player box.
And I’m laughing because I have both Johnny Mac and Boris Becker as commentators. J-Mac likes to mumble sly digs at Boris 😀
Gulbis in 4
I don’t think Novak is going to lose to Gulbis. He may make it interesting, though.
Making things interesting is Gulbis’ specialty, no? I’ll say the Djoker in 4 and Thiem also in 4, altho giving Donaldson a set may be too generous.
I agree with NNY and Ramara. I don’t believe we will see an upset tomorrow.
If Djokovic loses it will be great…..but i don’t think it will happen…….Djoko in 3.
That forehand by Gulbis to get the break was off the scale.
What a bullet of a forehand from Gulbis to break Djoko!!
It looks like Gulbis has come to play in this match. He’s up a break in the first set. Can he play well enough and keep it up to take out Novak?
As expected. And yes he will
Nny,
Gosh it’s great to see Ernests out there hitting his blistering backhand and gawd awful forehand 🙂
Gulbis must hold serve…Golly! the blistering backhand again, EG!
Then there’s Novak…in the end I hope Novak wins. Although I’m not nervous as they both could use this win and I’d be super happy to see EG win.
rc,
The key is whether Gulbis can keep it up.
Yeah, he couldn’t. Already he loses his break. He has nervous attacks sometimes when it’s a big point — I swear, I can feel it.
And how quickly things turn!! Gulbis and Fognini…smh!! One thing they know how to do well is lose!!
LOL….
Gulbis is in the zone. Novak looks a bit subdued.
It’s too early to say if Gulbis can beat Novak. A lot more tennis to be played. But so far Gulbis has come out playing well.
Novak got the break back. How will Gulbis respond now?
Gulbis, like Foggy, is such a talent. It’s a pity, that both of them don’t put in the efforts that the big four do; if not they can be….
I think talent wise they may be as good as the big four, or at least not far off.
Like expected Djokovic is getting in Gulbis’s face which will force him to think and overplay.
And he does!! Sigh!!!
Had to switch the channel to have a look at Ofner.
Gulbis might win the 3rd set when the mental battle cool downs.
Lol!! Match is over!!
Was afraid Sascha might get too casual (seen it before when he plays someone he doesn’t know and starts making rookie mistakes). But Sascha got the first set.
Gulbis will soon be down 2 sets to Nole if he can’t focus.
The story is: Gulbis was in Tenerife on a trainer’s table watching FO when Ostapenko won the Title. And he got inspired.
Kontaveit vs Wozniacki is even a great match! Kontaveit is tough.
That’s why I said there was a lot of tennis to be played. Gulbis has lost the plot. He just doesn’t seem invested in making the effort. Like it’s too much bother.
Every time I see Gulbis I think that it’s such s waste of talent. I think he is much more gifted than Fog. He could hdve been a top player and won slams. But he doesn’t have the discipline and work ethic and desire. It’s a shame.
That’s why I sensed there would not be an upset.
Meanwhile Kontaveit is beating Woz. I am not that familiar with her. I think it’s anyone’s to win with the women. Maybe Woz can fight back.
Estonian, Kontaveit hits the ball HARD and is aggressive (with more control, tho) than Ostapenko — Kontaveit was injured last year and dropped in ranking but she’s just barely a year older than Ostapenko and she probably thinks she should be ranked higher! 🙂
Gulbis getting medical attention to his back, poor fella.
Woz did well to win the second set.
Kontaveit is impressive. If she stays healthy, then she should move back up in the rankings.
She is impressive — I liked Anett Kontaveit more than Konjuh or Ostapenko a few years ago. Konjuh is still only 19 though and a tremendous talent on grass — but she’s had injury issues.
Caroline is in better shape down the stretch. Kontaveit sort of holding her side and has lost some of the pop on her huge ground strokes. Kontaveit needs more endurance/fitness. Bit like Madison Keyes.
This will be a good win for Caro and ToMMo ? and ToMMo takes over the lead in the Bracket games!
Nativenewyorker (AT 4:23 PM),
This week, Kontaveit reached her career-high ranking. 🙂
Gussie,
Yes, to add, Kontaveit just reached her career best at #32 in the live rankings but in 2016 she had fallen out of the top 100. Nice to see her back even tho she lost steam during the 2nd set TB and lost to Caro. Anett will be disappointed in that result – she loves grass. BOL next year !
Novak is running away with the match now.
Not surprising.
lol, not at all!
The top four, say what u like, one thing they know how to do is WIN!!!!
Yep. Indeed.
But good on Gulbis winning a couple matches, especially vs Delpo – that wasn’t easy, I don’t think. And I hope Gulbis continues to train hard and at commit to tennis again.
Gulbis’ df’s on par with aces. And isn’t there anything anyone can do about helping EG his a proper forehand? I bet Agassi and Ancic have some ideas, as they look at the situation. Give Gulbis a call!
rc,
Espn is now interviewing Sascha!
Handsome! Thanks NNY
I caught a bit of it.
Nny
Hope you have a cool ocean breeze where you live. It’s far too hot to go outside here. Over 100 for days in a row now. The only time I can stand it is at 5 am. So…I’m forced to stay watch tennis 🙂 Tomorrow no tennis. Trying to get a group together to float the icy cold Payette River. Our Boise River is still too full of debris they still have it closed.
rc,
I am not on the ocean. I am on a lake. A lot of them in Florida. It’s the humidity that kills you here in the summer. It’s been one of the hottest and most humid ones ever here. I am about 15 – 20 minutes from the beach and the ocean. The great thing when you go down to the beach and that ocean breeze, is that you don’t feel the humidity as much.
We already had a few rain storms and that cools things off for a short time. But It never really cools off here! So different from living in L. A.
rc,
I was hoping you would catch it! He’s quite charming when being interviewed!
Hahahahah NEVER MIND THE TANK HAS ARRIVED
Kontaveit/Woz is the best match atm. Kontaveit won the first set but ToMMo should be watching this because his Caro is fighting in the 2nd set TB. Go Caro!
Liking how Novak is competing. He’s not going to let Gulbis get another break. Novak is the one doing the breaking of EG. Nole moving so well and getting to everything.
Nice win against a Del Potro way below his best but in hindsight it was all in vain. Mental strength has always been your Achilles heal Gulbis.