Prediction: August Holmgren VS Alex de Minaur 2025-07-05
Wimbledon Showdown: Alex de Minaur vs. August Holmgren â A Tale of Two Serves
July 5, 2025 â The Grass is Always Greener for the Underdog?
The Setup:
Alex de Minaur, the 11th seed and a man whoâs turned Wimbledon into his personal âserve-and-prayâ playground, faces August Holmgren, a 192nd-ranked underdog with a serve so loud it could wake the Queen. De Minaurâs grass-court rĂ©sumĂ© includes two titles, but his serve? Not so much. He averages 4.5 aces per matchâabout as exciting as a wet sock on a tennis court. Holmgren, meanwhile, is a one-man artillery unit: 23 aces, 83.2% first-serve points won, and a five-set thriller against Tomas Machac that left fans questioning their life choices.
The Odds (and the Math):
De Minaur is a -1000 favorite, which implies a 90.9% chance to win (1000/(1000+100)). Holmgrenâs +575 odds suggest a 15.2% chance (100/(575+100)). But hereâs the rub: tennis underdogs win 30% of the time. Splitting the difference between implied probability and historical trends:
- De Minaurâs EV: 90.9% implied vs. 70% actual â -20.9% edge (not great).
- Holmgrenâs EV: 15.2% implied vs. 30% actual â +14.8% edge (sweet spot for contrarians).
The X-Factors:
1. Serve Showdown: De Minaurâs serve is a liability (4.5 aces), while Holmgrenâs is a weapon (23 aces). On grass, first-serve dominance is often the difference between a nap and a napkin.
2. Energy Levels: Holmgren has been pushed to a decider in four of five matches. But fatigue? Please. Wimbledonâs third round is just warm-up for players whoâve survived the âI-just-need-to-win-my-next-matchâ gauntlet.
3. Grass-Court Jinxes: De Minaurâs âfound formâ includes two early-round wins. Holmgrenâs five-set thriller against Machac? Thatâs the kind of grit that makes underdogs dangerous.
The Verdict:
While De Minaurâs name recognition and seeding scream âsafe bet,â the numbers scream otherwise. Holmgrenâs explosive serve and the 14.8% positive EV make him the smart contrarian play. De Minaurâs shaky service game could crumble under pressure, and Holmgrenâs recent resilience (see: five-set heroics) suggests heâs not here to play nice.
Best Bet: August Holmgren +575
- Why: 14.8% EV edge, serve mismatch, and underdog magic.
- Risk: De Minaurâs grass-court form is improving, but his serve is a ticking time bomb.
Final Prediction: Holmgren pulls off the shocker in four sets. De Minaurâs serve gets broken more times than a Wimbledon pie cart on a rainy day.
âThe odds are against him, but in tennis, the underdogâs serve is always aces. Literally.â đŸ
Created: July 4, 2025, 6:04 p.m. GMT