Carlos Alcaraz v Li Tu: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Carlos Alcaraz starts his US Open title tilt against Australian ace Li Tu and the Spanish world number three should make serene progress into round two.

Having won the last two Grand Slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon, Alcaraz is chasing a hat-trick of victories at the top table and he has every chance of regaining the trophy he lifted in 2022.

Although still only 21 years of age, Alcaraz has won four of his last seven Grand Slam appearances and he rarely fails to deliver on the big stage, which should spell trouble for Tu.

The Australian is the world number 189 and this is his first ever appearance in a Grand Slam competition, so this looks a tough starting point against one of the game’s elite and he is likely to come on for the initial experience.

Carlos Alcaraz v Li Tu betting tips and predictions

Carlos Alcaraz -10.5 games on the handicap - 5/6

This is a tough betting heat given the extremely short odds of Alcaraz but it should be one-way traffic and the Spanish sensation will be looking to wrap things up as quickly as possible.

Alcaraz supporters had a brief scare on Saturday evening as he pulled out of one of his final practice sessions with what appeared to be a rolled ankle.

However, the Spaniard insists it was mainly precaution and it seems all systems go towards the US Open title, so he is unlikely to have an early wobble against a player that only made his debut on the ATP Tour this year.

Alcaraz has lost his last two matches, going down to Novak Djokovic in the final of the Olympic Games in Paris before crashing out at the first hurdle in Cincinnati against Gael Monfils.

However, he had won 12 matches in a row prior to those setbacks and Alcaraz is always motivated to respond to poor results.

His Cincinnati defeat shouldn’t be looked into that much as it came hot on the heels of losing the Gold medal match against Djokovic and peaking for the US Open would have always been the aim.

Even so, there is little to suggest that Tu is capable of producing the performance required to upset a member of the elite and that is why a straight-set victory for Alcaraz is as short as 1/6.

With Tu bound to have some nerves on his Grand Slam debut, it could be worth backing Alcaraz to successfully cover a handicap of -10.5 games at 5/6.

That may seem steep but if the Australian doesn’t get an early foothold into the match then the contest could quickly get away from him.

The first set is likely to be the most competitive but even then the nerves may get the better of Tu, while his efforts to keep up could be his downfall late on as Alcaraz stamps his authority.

A 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory for Alcaraz would see the handicap oblige and, based on what we know about the inexperienced Tu, that looks a very likely scenario. The best-of-five contest is uncharted territory for the Australian.

Carlos Alcaraz 2+ double faults - 5/6

Odds of 5/6 for Alcaraz to serve two or more double faults in a best-of-five set contest make plenty of appeal, even if it is set to be a one-way contest.

The Spaniard may go big on some second serves based on who his opponent is, with him unlikely to be under much pressure throughout and particularly on serve.

Alcaraz served eight double faults in his three-set defeat to Monfils in Cincinnati last time out and he has served two or more double faults in three of his last four matches.

In Tu’s final qualifier against dangerous Dutchman Jesper De Jong, his opponent made six double faults and, although Alcaraz is evidently a cut above that level, there is still the potential to frustrate him.

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Carlos Alcaraz v Li Tu odds

Carlos Alcaraz - 1/500
Li Tu - 50/1

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.