2020 Erste Bank Open Odds & Betting Preview: Djokovic Participating for First Time in 13 years

• The Erste Bank Open is an ATP World Tour 500 series tournament taking place from October 26th to November 1st
• The tournament is featuring six Top 10 ATP ranked players
• The talent competing at the tournament is deep. We break down our best bets below.

With tournaments limited this fall, many players have gathered to participate at the 2020 Erste Bank Open in Vienna, including World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, and defending champion Dominic Thiem.

Arguably one of the strongest 500 category draws in recent times, it will be an exciting tournament to watch from start to finish.

The 32-player draw consists not only of six Top 10 players but also eight unseeded players who have previously made a Grand Slam final or ATP Masters 1000 final.

2020 Erste Bank Open Odds

All odds take Oct. 25 from Bet365

Defending Champion – Dominic Thiem

A big difference between this year and last year is the presence of Djokovic at the tournament, and Thiem is well aware of that. The Austrian and No. 2 seed knows that defending his title will be difficult this year, but not impossible by any means. The home favorite leads the way for the bottom half of the draw.

Thiem has had quite the year, refining his all-around game, and extreme baseline power, including a huge comeback win at this year’s US Open, where he earned his first Grand Slam title.

He will open his tournament against former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori on Tuesday, where the Japanese player actually leads their career head-to-head record 3-2. The two players haven’t seen each other since 2018 at the Nitto ATP Finals, where Thiem won in straight sets. But it is worth noting that they have played each other at this tournament in 2018, during the quarterfinals where Nishikori won in straight sets.

Past 5 Winners

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic

Due to the lack of fall tournaments, Djokovic decided to compete in Vienna this year having prioritized it over the Rolex Paris Masters. The top seed looks to claim his second Vienna Open title, having won in his last appearance in 2007, and his fifth tour-level title of 2020. He currently holds a 6-1 record at the tournament, and in his quest for the title in 2007, he only lost one set.

The competition will start early, as Djokovic will see fellow Serbian Filip Krajinovic in the first round. They have faced each other as recent as last month in Italy, with Djokovic winning in straight sets. But their ATP head-to-head record is actually tied at 1-1.

Others to Watch & Best Bet

This tournament really feels like a Grand Slam, with the amount of talent competing. The early matchups could potentially lead to a few unexpected upsets, that open the door for other players. Felix Auger-Aliassime drew a qualifier in his first round, and he looks to have one of the easier paths, with the potential to face Thiem in the semis.

Third seed, Stefanos Tsitsipas is another one to watch. In the same half as Djokovic, Tsitsipas has an amazing record on indoor hardcourt, his favorite surface. It’s possible we see a rematch of the French Open semifinal here, where Tsitsipas will look to claim victory, after a tough loss in Paris.

With 500 ranking points on the line, Djokovic has made this tournament a priority. He’s also found himself some tough matches right from the start. If he gets past countryman Krajinovic, he’ll most likely face Borna Coric, who’s baseline game can be troubling.

With the recent Grand Slam win, and the consistent play over the past year. I think it might be Thiem who repeats as champion in his home country.

Best Bet: Thiem (+500)