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The latest Andy Murray betting odds with UK bookmakers have him as the narrow underdog to beat Grigor Dimitrov in the US Open second round on Thursday.
Murray is scheduled to face 19th seed Dimitrov at 5pm BST with plenty of attention focused on this clash.
While Murray is a past US Open champion, Dimitrov has arguably failed to reach his early-career potential in grand slams. One semi-final appearance at Flushing Meadows is the best he’s offered since 2017.
It’s therefore not out of the question that Murray, his body still somehow going at the age of 36, can win this one and win it comfortably.
Murray holds an 8-3 record over Dimitrov and has won six of their eight meetings on the hard surface. Their last match, though, feels like a lifetime ago in China back in 2016.
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Tennis betting: Bet Builder Picks for Murray vs Dimitrov
Bet 1: Murray odds to win
The odds suggest Dimitrov will win this match but the stats are backing Murray. The Scot beat Corentin Moutet in straight sets on Tuesday and looked in good spirits. Dimitrov, by contrast, laboured over five sets to get past Alex Molcan.
Murray’s first serve was poor on Tuesday but he has the defensive game to hang in rallies and punish lesser opponents. He’ll hope to grind out points again on Thursday versus an opponent who has lost his sting in recent years.
Dimitrov is not the player he once was and endured a miserable 6-2 6-2 defeat to Alexander Zverev in Cincinnati earlier this month. Molcan toyed with him at times, so just think what Murray could do to him.
Bet 2: 10+ Aces in the match
While Murray is good to win this match, it won’t be because of his first serve. The former world No 1 had a tough time of it against Moutet and landed just 59 per cent of his first serves. He nailed only four aces all match.
Dimitrov, meanwhile, fired 20 past Molcan and he's averaging almost double the amount of aces per game as Murray in 2023. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Dimitrov finishes the match with more aces than his opponent, even if he loses.
However, Murray still does have a strong arm and will find his mark a few times. Between them this match should yield more than 10 aces, especially if Dimitrov finds his range and catches Murray with a few lightning bolts down the line.
Bet 3: Exactly four sets
Murray won’t just aim to win the match, he’ll want to do it as swiftly as possible. Dimitrov may be 32 but he is still much fitter and more agile than the creaky Brit.
It’s hard to see Murray claiming a three-set victory over Dimitrov – it’s seven years since he did just that in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows.
Murray knows he’ll have to play smart tennis here and hope Dimitrov’s poor form pegs the Bulgarian back. There’s always the danger of an injury ruining his tournament but he looked comfortable against Moutet and has the fitness to go longer.
The two-time Wimbledon champion could get the job done in four sets – his last match which went at least that distance was his five-set defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon.
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
