British interest in the men’s singles at this month’s Australian Open may be short-lived after both Andy Murray and Kyle Edmund were handed tough first-round draws in the first round of the first Grand Slam of 2019 in Melbourne.
Murray (a general 40/1), still being troubled by his hip, faces Spain’s 22nd seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who recently beat world No 1 Novak Djokovic on his way to winning the Qatar Open in Doha. Last year’s surprise semi-finalist Edmund has been named as the 13th seed but he will start off against Tomas Berdych, a regular in the world’s top 10 before injury interrupted his career. Cameron Norrie has also qualified and takes on American Taylor Fritz. The pair recently clashed in the quarter-finals of the ASB Classic in Auckland, which the current British number two won, so maybe he will out-perform his two compatriots though none of the trio are likely to be involved in the closing stages of a tournament in which Djokovic starts a hot favourite.
Australian Open Men’s Singles Winners Since 2000
| 2000 | Andre Agassi | Pete Sampras | 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 |
| 2001 | Andre Agassi | Arnaud Clément | 6-4 6-2 6-2 |
| 2002 | Thomas Johansson | Marat Safin | 3-6 6-4 6-4 7-6(4) |
| 2003 | Andre Agassi | Rainer Schüttler | 6-2 6-2 6-1 |
| 2004 | Roger Federer | Marat Safin | 7-6(3) 6-4 6-2 |
| 2005 | Marat Safin | Lleyton Hewitt | 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 |
| 2006 | Roger Federer | Marcos Baghdatis | 5-7 7-5 6-0 6-2 |
| 2007 | Roger Federer | Fernando González | 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4 |
| 2008 | Novak Djokovic | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6(2) |
| 2009 | Rafael Nadal (ESP) | Roger Federer (SUI) | 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(7-3), 3-6, 6-2 |
| 2010 | Roger Federer (SUI) | Andy Murray (GBR) | 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(13-11) |
| 2011 | Novak Djokovic (SRB) | Andy Murray (GBR) | 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 |
| 2012 | Novak Djokovic (SRB) | Rafael Nadal (ESP) | 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5 |
| 2013 | Novak Djokovic (SRB) | Andy Murray (GBR) | 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2014 | Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) | Rafael Nadal (ESP) | 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 2015 | Novak Djokovic (SRB) | Andy Murray (GBR) | 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (4-7) 6-3, 6-0 |
| 2016 | Novak Djokovic (SRB) | Andy Murray (GBR) | 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) |
| 2017 | Roger Federer (SUI) | Rafael Nadal (ESP) | 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 2018 | Roger Federer (SUI) | Marin Cilic (CRO) | 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 |
NOVAK DJOKOVIC – Last won the Australian Open in 2016 but won Wimbledon and the US Open last year after returning successfully from injury. The Serb had appeared at 51 straight Grand Slam events before missing 2017 US Open following season-ending injury suffered at Wimbledon. Underwent surgery on his elbow following his exit from the 2018 Australian Open and that has obviously been a success. He is bidding for his seventh title in Melbourne and his 15th Grand Slam and is a best 6/5 with bookmakers.
RAFAEL NADAL – The Spanish left-hander has only won the Australian Open once and that was 10 years ago but he has been a beaten finalist three times since. He has also won Wimbledon and the US Open but he is most at home on clay in Paris, where he has won the French Open in 11 of the last 14 years. He only had ankle surgery in November and is unlikely to be at his peak and can be backed at 9/1.
ROGER FEDERER – Now 37, the Swiss has always looked after himself but is careful to manage his workload nowadays. However, his schedule usually takes in the Grand Slams and he is bidding for a hat-trick of Australian Open titles in Melbourne and his seventh win in the year’s first Slam in total. His last 14 tournament victories have come on hardcourt or grass and he’s regarded as the biggest danger to Djokovic recapturing the title at a general 5/1.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV – Very much the rising star on the men’s ATP Tour, 21-year-old German Zverev has yet to get beyond the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam but has already won 10 ATP titles and seems effective on all surfaces. Sascha beat Djokovic to win the ATP Tour Finals in London in November, confirming his elevation to the big time. Strong on both sides from behind the base-line, he is a general 10/1 to win this year’s Australian Open.
KEVIN ANDERSON – The tall South African has been a finalist at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows but has never got beyond the fourth round at Melbourne Park in 10 previous visits. He has, however, already won the Maharashtra Open in India this year so arrives in good form, though punters won’t be rushing to back him at a best 33/1 as he usually gets found out against the big guns.
MARIN CILIC – Once a rising star, the Croatian turned 30 last year. He won the US Open back in 2014 but it was another three years before he reached another Grand Slam final, losing to Roger Federer at Wimbledon. He also lost to the Swiss in the final of last year’s Australian Open, the first time since he’d got beyond the fourth round in Melbourne since 2010. Cilic is available at 25/1 with several bookmakers this year.
DOMINIC THIEM – The Austrian is currently eighth in the world rankings having risen as high as fourth in 2017. His record in Melbourne is not great as he has yet to get beyond the fourth round. He also has a poor record at Wimbledon and the US Open but has reached the semi-finals of the French Open in the last three years and was losing finalist in 2018. No surprise that the layers don’t rate his chances with Unibet offering 50/1 that he goes all the way.
KEI NISHIKORI – Japan’s best-ever men’s player warmed up nicely for Melbourne by winning the Brisbane International but that was his first win on the ATP Tour since 2016. His most notable performance in Grand Slams came in 2014 when he reached the US Open final but he has been a quarter-finalist three times in Melbourne and didn’t play last year. Nishikori is 33/1 with Sportingbet in the Outright Winner betting.
Best of the rest may be KAREN KHACHANOV, who is only 22. The Russian won three ATP Tour titles last year on hardcourt, though all were indoor. However, he also won outdoors in Chengdu in 2016 and didn’t play in his first Slam until 2017. He will be hoping to get past the second round for the first time in Melbourne this year and can be backed at 28/1 with Sportingbet.
Australian Open Men’s Singles Current Best Odds
Novak Djokovic 6/5
Roger Federer 5/1
Rafael Nadal 9/1
Alexander Zverev 10/1
Marin Cilic 25/1
Karen Khachanov 28/1
Kei Nishikori 33/1
Kevin Anderson, Andy Murray, Nick Kyrgios and Stan Wawrinka 40/1
Borna Coric, Milos Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov and Dominic Thiem 50/1
David Goffin and Daniil Medvedev 66/1
Denis Shapovalov 100/1
125/1 and Upwards Others
(Odds correct at 10.30am January 10)
