Wimbledon 2021: Novak Djokovic vs Matteo Berrettini preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs (7) Matteo Berrettini

Date: 11 July 2021

Tournament: The Championships, Wimbledon

Round: Semifinals

Venue: London, Great Britain

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Grass

Prize money: £17,066,000

Match timing: 2 pm local time, 1 pm GMT, 9 am EST, 6.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Novak Djokovic vs Matteo Berrettini preview

Vying for his sixth Wimbledon title, Novak Djokovic will take on Italy's Matteo Berrettini in the final at SW19 on Sunday.

Djokovic is a two-time defending Wimbledon champion, and has won 20 consecutive matches at the tournament. He has also won both the Majors to have taken place in 2021 so far, which means he is on course to complete the Calendar Grand Slam.

Djokovic has had a fairly easy time in London this fortnight; he hasn't lost a set since dropping the first against local favorite Jack Draper in the opening round. The World No. 1 dispatched Kevin Anderson, Denis Kudla, Cristian Garin and Marton Fucsovics to reach the semifinals, where he registered a hard-fought straight-sets win over Denis Shapovalov on Friday.

Djokovic trailed in both of the first two sets against the young Canadian, but eventually prevailed 7-6(3), 7-5, 7-5.

Matteo Berrettini

Matteo Berrettini, meanwhile, has been considered one of the top contenders since the start of the tournament. The 25-year-old has an exemplary record on grass, and he came into Wimbledon having won 17 of his last 19 matches on the surface - including a title run at Queen's last month.

After an early four-set win over Guido Pella, Berrettini stormed into the quarterfinals by dispatching Botic Van De Zandschulp, Ilya Ivashka and Aljaz Bedene in straight sets.

He then defeated seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and seed Hubert Hurkacz in four sets each to set up the final against the World No. 1.

Novak Djokovic vs Matteo Berrettini head-to-head

The Wimbledon 2021 final is the third match between the two players, and Novak Djokovic currently leads the head-to-head 2-0 over Matteo Berrettini.

The pair last met in the Roland Garros quarterfinals last month, where Djokovic prevailed in four sets. The Serb also defeated Berrettini in the round-robin phase of the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals.

Novak Djokovic vs Matteo Berrettini prediction

On paper, Novak Djokovic is the clear favorite for his match against Matteo Berrettini.

The Serb may not have been at his best this tournament, but his unique strengths have allowed him to register a series of comfortable wins. Djokovic has been the best returner at the Championships so far, and his serve has also been very efficient.

Novak Djokovic

Matteo Berrettini, on his part, has been solid throughout the tournament. The Italian's offensive style of play is well-suited to grass in general, but he has used his weapons very cleverly at Wimbledon this year.

Berrettini has an incredibly powerful serve, which frequently digs him out of tough spots. His forehand is another massive asset, which not only fires winners at will but also allows him to open up the court and take control of the rallies.

However, nerves could play a big role in Berrettini's performance on Sunday. The Italian has the game to challenge the World No. 1, as he proved at Roland Garros last month, but whether he has the mindset is a different question altogether.

Matteo Berrettini

Djokovic's backhand and return of serve can help him neutralize the Italian's biggest weapons on clay, but a quick surface like grass makes that considerably tougher. Moreover, the Serb is on the verge of making history, and that will add an additional layer of pressure.

That said, Djokovic is used to playing on the big stage, and his ability to raise his level when required is second to none. Barring some extraordinary heroics from Berrettini, the World No. 1 should be able to march to his 20th Grand Slam title on Sunday.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in four sets.