Australian tennis fans have been treated to a few weeks of quality matches, but finally it is time for the first Grand Slam of the year to begin in Melbourne. Read on check out our 2015 Australian Open Preview and Betting Tips.
Here is a look at the men’s side of things.
2015 Australian Open Preview - Mens
It’s arguable that 2014 was the most surprising year for Tennis in a decade as for only the second and third time since 2006 players not having the surnames Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Murray won a Grand Slam – Marin Cilic won the US Open, while Stan Warinka is the reigning Aussie Open champ.
So, the question is, will the 2015 season start with players like Cilic and Warinka winning a major title or will one of the ‘big four’ prove too strong?
Of those big names, it’s probably Federer who looks the most fired up. He’s coming off a victory, and his monumental 1000th career win, in Brisbane. He’s back up to number two in the world right now and is looking fit and more importantly, seems to be in a very good mindset.
Djokovic is also once again looking primed. He’s number one in the world for a reason. He claimed the Wimbledon title in 2014 and will be looking to start the year strong.
Nadal and Murray, on the other hand, aren’t looking as primed as Fed and Djok. Nadal is only just starting to comeback after injuries for most of the second half of 2014, while Murray hasn’t seemed to full recover from his back surgery from 2013.
The draw was recently released and luckily for Nadal he is on the easier side of things, not really having to face a challenge until the fourth round. In saying that, Nadal lost to world 127 Michael Barrer earlier this year, so he is no guarantee to even get that far.
All things considered, if the draw favours anyone it is definitely Djokovic as it looks like a relatively easy pathway to the semi-finals where he will likely have to face Kei Nishikori or Stan Warinka. Federer, on the other hand, has it a bit tougher with some solid rough chances before Murray in the quarter finals – though that’s probably even worse for Murray.
It’s going to be interesting to see if that second tier of player such as Warinka, Nishikori, Milos Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov can step up and start 2015 with a bang, but with Djokovic and Federer firing, that’s going to be tough.
Predicted winner: Novak Djokovic
Outright betting verdict: Hard to go past Djokovic considering his draw, though at $2 there isn’t much value to be found. Federer is fired up, and despite the tougher draw, could be the value pick at around $6.
Bet On: Novak Djokovic - $2 at Sportsbet
The sportsbooks are yet to release all their betting markets and there aren’t even any great betting promotions out there yet. Stay tuned to us on Twitter @Before_You_Bet for any updates as we jump on some more bets. Otherwise, here are a few other tips we like the look of.
Other Betting Tips
Kei Nishikori Quarter 2 Winner - $2.75 at Luxbet
Rafael Nadal stage of elimination (Quarter-Finals) - $4 at Sportingbet
Roughie Pick
Name the finalists - Djokovic / Berdych - $17 at Sportingbet
