australian open

All of the major buzz around the sports world at the moment, is of course, the Grand Slam tennis action from the Australian Open. Britain’s Andy Murray is going for glory, but a tough road ahead awaits as him, as he will probably have to go through Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to claim the crown. Murray gets back into action on Day Three, as he takes on Ukrainian Illya Marchenko in the second round. If you are looking for somewhere to do your tennis betting, then the promotions which are going on at 888Sport may be worth a look. If you have been covering the action from Melbourne, then you would have seen a classic match between Argentina’s David Nalbandian and Aussie hero Leyton Hewitt. This match was full of twists and turns and went to a decider. If you had had money on Hewitt to win, you would have been devastated to have gone through all that to have lost your bet. This is where your Australian Open tennis betting gains an advantage at online bookmaker 888Sport.

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World Number One Caroline Wozniacki can be seen in action on the first day of the Australian Open, as she begins her quest to pick up her first ever Grand Slam title. It is something of an odd position to be in, sitting as world number one without having a Grand Slam title to her name. She has achieved that position from having such a fine season on the WTA Tour last season, and she will win a Grand Slam at some point. She really has to, because the young Danish starlet is such an incredible talent, but as always, critics will say that she had an easy year because the Williams sisters weren’t in action much because of injury, and that she is only world number one because of that. Well, she still has to win things and really, while she says herself that there is no pressure on her, there really is. She needs to prove that she is the best in the world by winning a Grand Slam title. So will it be at the 2011 Australian Open? Possibly not, and here is why. At the US Open last year, she was outright favourite, and cruised through the opening rounds with little fuss or bother, but when it came to the latter stages of the tournament, she choked. This is a player who has won titles on the WTA Tour, but when it came to the big occasion, she didn’t have that mental edge to go all of the way. So one wonders if she is ready to win a Grand Slam title or not, or whether she needs another good season of development to get there. There is nothing wrong with her game at all, she is powerful, quick and agile, and really does dominate her opponents.

She will go as one of the favourites, and we will assess her chances in a little more details. There is no Serena Williams at the Australian Open, but Venus Williams is there, along with Vera Zvonareva, who beat Wozniacki at the US Open, and the ever dangerous threat from Kim Clijsters. For the Brits, there was some bad news that youngster Laura Robson had to miss the tournament because of an injury picked up at the Hopman Cup, while the world’s youngest highest ranked teenager Heather Watson failed to make it through qualifying. With Anne Keothavong battling her way through the qualifying rounds to make the main draw, she will join Britain’s number one Elena Baltacha in the first round of the draw. Baltacha enjoyed a wonderful season last year, and sits just outside of the world’s top 50 players. Baltacha will play a qualifier in the first round of the Australian Open, but a mouth watering match awaits her in the second round. There is huge incentive for Baltacha to win her first round match, as she will face Justine Henin in the second round of the draw. Baltacha is much more experienced after her heroics on the WTA last year, and has enjoyed success against top ten players, as well as visits to the third round of the Australian Open, arguably her favourite Grand Slam. The women’s draw is much more open than the men’s and that makes for some exciting tennis betting opportunities. Here we will look over the front runners as the action kicks off in Melbourne.

Kim Clijsters 9/4 at BetFred

Possibly the main reason why Caroline Wozniacki will be hard pushed to win the Grand Slam here. Clijsters is just such a powerhouse and an immaculate player, it is no surprise she goes as favourite. Failed to win the title here last year, but looked fantastic in winning the US Open at the backend of last year. She has the all round game to win the Grand Slams, plus has all that experience behind her. Has looked wonderful on her return to the game, and you really have to look at her to go all of the way here. The lowdown is, she is better than Wozniacki at the moment, and that will put her in good standing. Doesn’t look to be intimidated ever by the Williams sisters, and really is the strong front runner here. The draw has been kind to her, with nothing much to stand in her way, and even at the quarter finals stage, the top seed she could meet is Jelena Jankovic, who is a bit hit and miss. Strong bet, worth taking.

Justine Henin 5/1 at Bet365

Could run into Elena Baltacha in round two, which will make for a great spectacle for you fans of British Tennis. However, what can Justine Henin pull off here in Melbourne. She did reach the finals last year, losing to Serena Williams, but played some inspired tennis along the way, having to come through a really tough half of the draw. Never quite lived up to that performance throughout the rest of the season, and while she starts as second favourite, you stand her up against fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters and you would have to see Clijsters as a much stronger threat in the tournament than Henin. Henin has largely been playing down her own chances lately, and starts as eleventh seed. Is good enough to get to the quarter final though, where she will probably run into Wozniacki in what should be a good battle. Not sure if Henin is quite at the peak of her game, needed to win the tournament. One of those players who does rise to the big occasion, and grows in stature the longer she stays in contention.

Caroline Wozniacki 17/2 at SkyBet

She is the darling of the WTA, and everyone is waiting for her to deliver at the Grand Slams. She started as favourite in a Grand Slam for the first time at the US Open last year, and the world number one needs to better. She really blew a big opportunity at Flushing Meadows last year, but on her return to the Australian Open here, she will have a little more experience under her belt. One of the main threats in the draw, and should be good for a quarter final place at the very least. Does she have the mental toughness to go all of the way though? Grand Slams are much more arduous and grueling affairs than regular WTA Tour tournaments, and there is a huge difference between them. Makes for a good outside bet, but not as strong as Clijsters to be honest. Has been handed an easy quarter of the draw, which should propel her through to the quarter finals. Likely opponent there will be Justine Henin. The fact that Wozniacki is number one in the world, but not favourite to win the Australian Open at the Bookies says a lot. First big challenge will possibly be Dominka Cibulkova in the third round.

Vera Zvonareva 10/1 at Bet365

Enjoyed her moments in the sun last season when she reached the final of Wimbledon and the US Open. Couldn’t get over the finish line in either tournament though, and while she has climbed up the world rankings to a position of number two, thanks to her great runs last season, there are questions, and serious ones over her ability to win a Grand Slam. Yes, she got to those two finals last year, but if you are seriously weighing up your tennis betting options and thinking that the blue-eyed Russian must be worth a shout, you should take a look at the draws. In both of those runs she was helped along by relatively easy draws, helped out further by seeds crashing out before she could meet them. Taking nothing away from her, as she still had to win matches, she couldn’t do it when it mattered most. She is an improved player to what she was twelve months ago, but as for getting her name on a Grand Slam title, that seems like a bit of a long stretch. Should be confident though, but if she runs into tough opposition, she may just fall. Decent draw for her because of her seeding, Lucie Safarova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova could be threats as possible upsets along the way.

Samantha Stosur 16/1 at Bet365

Will draw the most support at the Australian Open, as the Aussie will get raise the hopes of the home fans. Stosur is a battler on the court, and really digs deep when needed to. In last year’s US Open she was down and out against Elena Dementieva, but somehow battled back to win the match from an unlikely position. That is what her game is about, putting the squeeze on, and counter punching. She is a strong player, good all around the court, but perhaps that edge of quality is just missing, and that will stop her winning at the Australian Open. Her draw has been fairly kind to her, and while Flavia Pennetta (22) and the ever improving Shahar Peer (10) is in her quarter, you would expect Stosur to make it to the quarters to possibly face Zvonareva. Good opportunity for both players to progress from the bottom half of the draw.

Victoria Azarenka 16/1 at Boylesports

One of our favourites players on the WTA Tour and has more realistic potential to win the tournament than the likes of Zvonareva and Stosur. Azarenka oozes power and talent, and she is one of the best movers around the court. Superbly athletic, tall and with a great reach, she can pull out the power shots and really crush opponents. However, she has a temperament which often means that she beats herself, as she lets her frustration and anger throw her off her game. That incredible energy she has though, is what gives her an edge in the game, and what really makes her a threat. If she can focus all of that energy (and she is the one who makes all the weird noises when hitting the ball) into the right areas of her game, can easily win the Grand Slam. As always, makes for a great outside bet, unpredictable, but dangerous. In the same quarter as Venus Williams, but wouldn’t meet until the quarter final stage. If she’s on song, then Azarenka should win that. There are some tricky opponents in her draw, with the likes of Na Li, Maria Sharapova and Kaia Kanepi around, but she really is better than that.

Maria Sharapova 20/1 at BetFred

Had a much improved season last year by her standards, winning titles on the Tour and looked great at the US Open as well. She’s not going to win the Australian Open though. Her odds reflect that, but she won’t be around long enough in the tournament to raise a serious effort.

Venus Williams 24/1 at Bwin

Why such long odds you may be asking? Well, it is because her 2010 season was badly disrupted by injury. She saw her sister win the Australian Open last year, and while Venus is still one of the most dangerous players on the WTA Tour, jumping back into a Grand Slam may just be a bridge too far at the first attempt. An incredible athlete, and completely dedicated to her profession, she could be a dangerous floater in the tournament, and if she grows in strength and make steady progress through the early rounds, then she could be well in the hunt if she makes it to the quarter final stages.

Jelena Jankovic 74/1 at Bwin

For such a fantastic player to be so far out in the betting is a little bit surprising, but her 2010 fell away because of injury. Up until then she looked in the form of her life, and ready to take the WTA by storm. Was one of the most consistent and dangerous players on the circuit. Jankovic is sprightly around the court, and runs down points that would otherwise pass other players by, or so it seems. Has a fantastic all round game, but as shown at the US Open, when she wasn’t fully fit, her game suffered because of it. Goes into this therefore as a bit of an unknown quantity. May be worth keeping an eye on though, as she has a decent draw.

Projected Quarter Finals
Caroline Wozniacki (1) v Justine Henin (11)
Venus Williams (4) v Victoria Azarenka (8)
Jelena Jankovic (7) v Kim Clijsters (3)
Sam Stosur (5) v Vera Zvonareva (2)

Projected Semi Finals
Caroline Wozniacki v Venus Williams
Kim Clijsters v Sam Stosur

There is little doubt that Britain’s Andy Murray will start as one of the favourites for the Australian Open Grand Slam which starts on Monday. However, the Brit will face some stiff competition in the form of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Just as in last year’s draw, Murray will run into Rafael Nadal in his half of the draw, which likely means that if he is going to win his first career Grand Slam, then he will have to go through both Nadal and Federer in order to do it. While that sounds like a daunting task, Murray has done pretty well against both of them, especially last season where he beat them both in the same competition once. Murray lost in last year’s final of the Australian Open to Roger Federer, but Rafael Nadal will be the one to beat. The Spaniard is looking to hold all four Grand Slam titles in his position at one time, and he surely will take some stopping. The thing about your tennis betting on this one, is looking towards the top players to perform on the big occasions. The Grand Slams have been dominated by Nadal and Federer and there doesn’t appear to be much chance of things changing at the moment. But, still, a lot of patriotic tennis betting will head towards Murray in the hopes that he can pull off something special. Murray has slipped down to fifth in the world rankings, with Robin Soderling taking fourth spot, and therefore fourth spot in the seedings at the Australian Open.

Murray hasn’t played any fiercely competitive warm up tournament like other players have, he participated in the Hopman Cup with young British star Laura Robson, and then had an exhibition match penciled in. However, this is what worked for him so well last year, and Murray himself admits that he is mentally tougher and more ready than ever to get the job done. Murray opens his campaign against Karol Beck, and there shouldn’t be any issues with that, as Beck is ranked 104 in the world. Along the way to a possible final, Murray could meet Robin Soderling in the quarter finals, and then Nadal in the semi’s, perhaps paving a way for a rematch against Federer in the final. Murray went through some rough times last season, especially after such a strong start to the season, he just never quite backed it all up, and the end of season showcase at the US Open was a particular disappointment. But he has been training hard all December, has a new coach to work with, and is looking relaxed and confident. The thing is, you just never know with Murray, as sometimes he looks as if he can beat the world, and other times he looks a mere shadow of himself. That mental toughness which  he has apparently adopted, could make all the difference this year, and the 23 year old, could win his first Grand Slam soon.

Will it be at the Australian Open? Well, his is third favorite in the running, and best priced at 8/1 as Outright winner at BetFred. Is he worth a punt? Of course, because he is one of the best ranked players in the world, and his run to the final last year was his best effort in Melbourne. His previous best finishes had come in reaching the fourth round. Murray holds a 12-5 match record at the Australian Open in the five attempts he has had at the Grand Slam. Murray’s strength lies in his incredible defensive work, and as well as being one of the best returners of the ball in the business, he is probably the better counter attacking player on the circuit, but sometimes you just want him to up the intensity, and sometimes that just doesn’t come. However, at the Australian Open, he realistically is an outside shot with the title expecting to go to either Nadal or Federer, so that puts him at a good price, and therefore he is worth a punt as a side bet on the tournament. Nadal has already slipped up this season, so who knows? This is the big time though, and Murray must show that new mental toughness.

The Australian Open men’s draw is worth taking a look at ahead of your tennis betting ahead of the action in Melbourne, as it really should influence where your money is going to go. The draw really is a big part of getting prepared with your tennis betting on the Grand Slam, because if you are looking at an in form outsider who you think will do well, but has to run into the likes of Rafael Nadal before the quarter finals stage, then you may want to re-assess your betting strategy. The outright favourites are world number one Rafael Nadal and world number two Roger Federer. Those two have simply been so dominant at the Grand Slams that it is hard to look past either of them to find a winner. Nadal is the outright favourite (19/10 at Unibet) and he has been handed a relatively smooth ride, as he looks to capture the Australian Open, which will leave him holding all four Grand Slam titles at the same time. A remarkable feat, and that has a huge potential of happening. Will the Rafa Slam happen? No-one has achieved this feat in the men’s game since 1969 when Rod Laver held all of the titles. The Top seed has some seeds in the running there, but nothing he shouldn’t be able to cope with in his quarter of the draw. David Ferrer is the number seventh seed, and is therefore the highest seed Nadal could meet in his quarter, but then in the semi’s fourth seed Robin Soderling could await him. It will possibly be either him, or fifth seed Andy Murray, as the expect quarter final match will be between Soderling and Murray, with the winner playing Nadal in the semi final. So, there is a seriously good chance of Nadal making the final.

In the second quarter, it is Sweden’s Robin Soderling (18/1 at SportingBet) who starts as the highest seed. This is the first time that he has started a Grand Slam as fourth seed (edging out Andy Murray), and has a pretty favorable draw in the quarter. Really this quarter should be all about Soderling and Andy Murray, who are head and shoulders the best players in the second quarter, and it looks as if it will be a race between them to see who gets to play Nadal in the semi finals. Soderling was a much improved player last season, but he has still got some way to go to prove that he can mix it with the very top players. He has all too often fallen down against the biggest of the big guns on the ATP, and while he is seeded fourth because of his good year on the Tour, really Andy Murray (8/1 at BetFred) represents a much better bet for going all the way in the Grand Slam. Soderling can scrap well, but you expect him to be outclassed when it comes to the latter stages of the tournament. Should make his presence felt in his quarter of the draw though, just unlikely to go all of the way.

The third quarter is dominated by Novak Djokovic (10/1 at BetFair), the finalist at the US Open and the only player to stop either Nadal or Federer winning the Australian Open in recent times. Djokovic is the only other past Australian Open winner in the draw aside from Nadal and Federer. Djokovic, ranked third in the world, is a true talent of the game, and has a brilliant, exciting game to watch. However, he hasn’t turned in the top performances against Nadal and Federer either, but he is incredibly consistent and really does make the best outside bet beyond the two favourites. There really is not anything to stand in his way in the third quarter of the men’s Australian Open draw, and 14th seed Nicolas Almagro is the highest seed which Djokovic could meet on his way to the quarter finals. Even when it comes to the quarter finals, the top players Nadal could meet are 6th seed Tomas Berdych (who Djokovic leads 4-1 head to head) or Fernando Verdasco. At the Grand Slam, you really would expect Djokovic to beat anything of them on the big stage, as he always makes steady and understated progress. Expect to see him in the semi finals, where he will probably meet Roger Federer, the man who beat him in the final of the US Open.

The Fourth Quarter is Roger Federer’s. Roger Federer (2/1 at SportingBet) is a four time Champion of the Australian Open, and he makes his 45th consecutive Grand Slam start. Arguably, Federer has a bit of an easier draw than Rafael Nadal through the first rounds, and the highest seed he can run into is Albert Montanes who is ranked 25th in the world. There are some tricky looking opponents like Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey, but seriously nothing which should stop the Fed-Express if he is on top of his game. Roger Federer could run into Andy Roddick at the quarter final stage, who is seeded 8th. Roddick is a scrappy player who did ever so well at the start of last season, but is another one who couldn’t translate his game to the big stage this time last year. Roger Federer makes a seriously strong bet to go all of the way and pick up his fifth Australian Open title. He showed at the US Open that he still has that old magic in him

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Project Quarter Final Matches
Rafael Nadal (1) v David Ferrer (7)
Andy Murray (5) v Robin Soderling (4)
Novak Djokovic (3) v Tomas Berdych (6)
Andy Roddick (8) v Roger Federer (2)

Projected Semi Finals
Nadal v Murray
Djokovic v Federer

Murray mania is gripping Britain, as Andy Murray heads into the Australian Open final against Roger Federer in a matter of hours. There is a gulf of experience between the two players, with Federer having 15 Grand Slam titles under his belt, and Murray seeking his first. A lot is being made of the mental battle which Murray has to deal with, and not beat himself up with the pressure of the big final, and all the expectations around him. He would become only the third player to beat Federer in a Grand Slam final. Murray needs to keep his cool head, if things do not go his way at the start, for if he doesn’t then that is the weakness which Federer could jump all over.

The Swiss World Number One will start as favourite, as he has proven time and time again that he has the big game mentally and skill to prevail. He is the champion of champions in tennis, and the one that everybody else is looking to take on and beat. But Murray is showing that he has the game to reach these big matches, the coveted finals of the Grand Slams, which are notoriously difficult. He has titles under his belt, just not one of the big ones. This is his best showing at the Australian Open, and he gets the chance to redress the balance against Federer, who beat Murray in the US Open final in 2008. That seems a long time ago now, when Murray was a much rawer talent than what he is now. He is commanding the court more, and showing those flashes of brilliance and creativity which can make good players, great.

He has time on his side, and a loss to Federer won’t be the end of the world for him. It won’t be the end of his season, as it should steel him ahead of the remaining three Grand Slams throughout the year. But let’s not talk of defeat. Murray is in the final because he deserves to be. Because he has the talent to be there. Britain awaits, and Britain expects. Yes he will need to be at his very best and take all the chances that come his way, and there is no reason to believe why he cannot do it. It may need the game of his life, as he puts it, but he has beaten Federer six times before, so therein lies the proof that he can achieve.

Australian Open Men’s Final
Roger Federer to win: 8/13 at BetFred
Andy Murray to win: 27/17 at Bwin

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Can Britain believe and dream that they will have a Grand Slam Tennis Champion on Sunday? Technically they could have two, because junior Laura Robson is in the final of her Australian Open draw. But the spotlight will be on Scot Andy Murray, who Britain can watch in the early hours of Sunday morning, as he goes in search of his first Grand Slam title. Murray is confident in his usual understated and quiet demeanour, whilst his opponent, World Number One Roger Federer has been putting the mental stress on Murray, but telling the press that all the pressure of the final will be on the Scot.

Federer is aware that his young opponent is seeking his first title, whereas the Swiss star has been everywhere and done it all. Federer has an incredible fifteen Grand Slam titles under his belt, having made 22 Grand Slam final appearances. For Murray, this is just his second appearance in a Grand Slam final, and who beat him in his first? Yes, Roger Federer at the US Open in 2008. But the immense difference in experience of title winning, should not overwhelm Murray, because Murray actually has the best of their Head to Head Record, having beaten Federer 6 times, and losing only 4.

Federer is brimming with confidence, which, could be misinterpreted quite easily as arrogance, putting the Head to Head record down to not being at his best in a few of their encounters. He has also been speaking of the wealth of experience he does have, and how that will give him an advantage over Murray in the final. Of course everything will come down to the match, the atmosphere and the players on the day. Both players are deservedly in the final, with both looking in majestic form. The only time Federer has looked really bothered, was in his Quarter Final match against Nikolay Davydenko, when he was crushed in the first set. His class won through though, finding new gears of skills that Davydenko couldn’t cope with.

For Murray, his biggest triumph came against World Number Two Rafael Nadal. Murray had the better of the Spaniard, being up two sets to nil, and then leading 3-0 in the third, at which point Nadal had to retire with an injury, which has been discovered should keep him out of action for a few weeks. It has been 74 years since Britain had a Grand Slam winner in the Men’s Tournament, which according to comedian Federer, was actually 150,000 years. Murray does have a lot of his young shoulders, but he is there to play in these types of matches. As said in an interview, he is on the Tour to play in the biggest matches against the best players, and to do all he can to win.

Murray is looking in great form, possibly the best of his career, and he has only dropped one set, which came in a slow start in his Semi Final match against Marin Cilic. Arguably Federer is the better player, he is World Number One for a reason, and that is because of his immense talent and proven track record. Watching him, he really is that good, and Murray will likely need to be at his best and beyond to take him down in the high pressure arena of the Australian Open Final. Only two other players, Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro have gotten the better of Federer in a Grand Slam final. Murray is the next man to get his chance at the big time.

The Men’s Final Starts at 8.30 am GMT Sunday

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It’s Grand Slam final weekend at the Australian Open, and the women’s final will be up first in the early morning on Saturday. The defending Champion Serena Williams plays Justine Henin, who is enjoying her first Grand Slam back after coming out of retirement. Henin has provided some sublime entertainment throughout the tournament, and now the Women’s Draw will culminate in a renewed rivalry between Henin (7 times Grand Slam winner) and Serena Williams. Justine Henin has won the Australian Open once, back in 2004 and has only recently returned to flight action after her presence was missed for a couple of years. Most of Henin’s recent work has been for charitable causes with Unicef.

Serena Williams has won the Australian Open four times, and is looking to secure the title back to back for the first time in her career. The World Number, who won the Women’s Doubles Title with her sister on Friday, was expected to have plain sailing through the tournament. She had to fight back from the brink of defeat in her Quarter Final match against Victoria Azaranka, being almost down and out. She proved her champions status by battling her way to back to victory. Both Williams and Henin had unexpected Chinese opponents in the semi final, and Williams again made hard work of her challenge. She could not get into any flow against Li Na, and was pushed very hard for a scrappy victory. Henin didn’t have anything like those problems as simply blitzed through her semi final match against a plucky Jie Zheng.

This is probably the big Final clash which the fans Down Under have been waiting for. They have encountered each other many times before with Henin leading the head to head battle by one game. This is not a rivalry borne out of bitterness, it is one out of respect for the level of opposition. They have produced some classic encounters over the years although never in the final, and the big question will be, can Justine Henin replicated what below country woman Kim Clijsters did last year at the US Open? Clijsters won the US Open in her first tournament back after retirement. Can Henin repeat the feat?

Looking at Henin’s game throughout the tournament, she has had her back against the wall, but, because she was a wild card entry, has had to play more higher level opposition to get to the final than her opponent has. The two players could not differ more in stature. Henin is small, petite and it is amazing where she finds the power from, unlike the eldest Williams sister, who personifies the physical and robust warrior like presence on the court. She has the factor of intimidation, but if there is one player who can get past the physical differences and rely on unbridled skill and determination, then it is Justine Henin. There will more than just power needed to win the title, there will be a great mental battle ensuing as well.

Williams won’t lie down though, as she chases Billie Jean King’s record of 12 Grand Slam Titles. Her form over the last couple of matches though will give Henin great heart that she can complete the unexpected. If there was one final match-up that could have been picked ahead of the tournament, then it more likely than not, have been this one. Henin, at times, has understandably looked to be struggling physically, and that is a weakness which she can’t afford to show to her final opponent. With her easy semi final victory though, Henin, age 27, should be primed and ready to go.

Williams, the title holder, will start as slight favourite, although the bookies seem a bit torn.
Serena William to win: 10/11 at SkyBet
Justine Henin to win: Evens at Bet365

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Dare Britain believe that they will have two Grand Slam winners at the Australian Open? Sixteen year old Laura Robson has played her way into the semi finals of the Girl’s Tournament, as she goes in search of her second Grand Slam title. The performances of Robson have been commendable, as she is a genuine rising talent of British sport. She took under three quarters of an hour to beat her quarter final opponent, and now plays Kristyna Pliskova in the semi. Pliskova beat top seed Timea Babos in the Quarter Final, which should mean that the seventeen year old is not going to be a pushover. Still, Robson seems to be growing in stature, confidence and ability all the time. Her Quarter Final victory came literally hours after a defeat in the Doubles competition. A busy schedule for young Robson, but hopefully all of the hard work will pay off.

Laura Robson to win: 2/9 at Stan James
Kristyna Pliskova to win: 10/3 at Bet365

With Andy Murray beating Marin Cilic to reach the second Grand Slam final of his career, he can unwind today and study his potential opponents. The second semi final of the Men’s Australian Open takes place today, with world number one Roger Federer playing surprise semi finalist, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Frenchman Tsonga, the quiet man of tennis, overcame the World Number 3 Novak Djokovic in the Quarter Final, when many had expected easy passage for the higher seed. Djokovic had to leave the court at one point because he felt ill, and had been complaining of illness before, during and after the match. That’s not to take anything away from Tsonga, who battled back well to steal a victory.

It will now be time for the “Fed Express” to deliver again, with a place in the final at stake. The Swiss star had to overcome a blistering start by Nikolay Davydenko in their Quarter Final match, but turned on the style from being a set down to ease his way to a 3-1 win. This is Federer’s 23rh consecutive semi final appearance in Grand Slam competition. The early struggles in his Quarter Final match, where there was an inordinate amount of unforced errors from Federer, will have probably steeled the World Number One from any thoughts of cruising to the final. But with some fine basic groundwork, Federer slipped into gear, finding his rhythm and showing why is the World Number One. Being able to step it up when it matters most is the mark of a Champion. He goes into the semi final as strong favourite ahead of Tsonga, who is ranked 10th in the world.

Roger Federer to win: 1/5 at Blue Square
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win: 5/1 at Boylesports

Catch the semi final action on Bet365’s live streaming service. For funded account holders, all of the action from Melbourne has been free to watch on their excellent website.

With all of the Murray Mania going on in support of Britain’s Andy Murray who is seeking his first Tennis Grand Slam title in Melbourne, there is another Brit on the radar of making it to a final. In last year’s tournament, Laura Robson, age 16, was the losing finalist in the Girls Australian Open. Now she gets to square off against the USA’s Ester Goldfield in her Quarter Final match. Robson is a former Junior World Number One and will be looking to go one better this year, and push her very promising career forward.

She has had a busy time of things at the Australian Open, partaking in the Girls Doubles tournament as well. She and partner Sally Peers lost in the Quarter Finals though to Maria Kirilenko and Agniezska Radwanska. Robson had a great warm up for the tournament, partnering Andy Murray in the Hopman Cup event, in which they reached the final together. That was a great experience for her, playing against higher level opposition, and she performed wonderfully in beating World 26th seed Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in her singles match in the final.

Laura Robson to win: 1/5 at Bet365
Ester Goldfield to win: 10/3 at SkyBet