With the first round of the opening tennis Grand Slam of the year already underway at the Australian Open in Melbourne, it is interesting to see that the Bookmakers do not see the mens tournament as anything other than the latest chapter in the Rafael Nadal v Roger Federer ongoing battle for tennis supremacy.
Federer who won the title last year for the fourth time when defeating Britain’s Andy Murray in the final is bidding to win his 17th career Grand Slam, while Nadal is looking for his tenth and his fourth on the trot. Should Nadal win then he will become the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.
It is clear to see why therefore that Bookmakers are looking at the tournament as a two horse race and why they are not taking any worthwhile money on any other players other than the two principles. It seems to matter not that Murray knocked out Nadal last year and reached the final or that Novak Djokovic won the title here three years ago, after dumping Federer out in the semi finals. The bookmakers fully expect to see a Nadal v Federer final and will hope that it will be played to the same epic standards as it was when the two men played out the 2009 final – a match won in five sets by Nadal.
Both men are odds on to make the final in an individual sense, but there is some value in the Australian Open betting on the two reaching the final which carries best odds of 6/4. A repeat of last year’s final Federer v Murray is next best at 9/2, while Nadal Djokovic is a 5/1 chance. Murray of course cannot meet Nadal in the final as he is in the same side of the draw as the Spaniard and might meet him in the quarter final as he did in 2010.
As far as the Ladies singles is concerned the betting has not been so brisk, largely due to the absence from the tournament of defending champion, Serena Williams who is still out injured. Favouritism has therefore gone to Kim Clijsters who is around the 12/5 mark to win her first Australian Open, while compatriot, Justine Henin, only just back from injury herself is next best in the betting with odds of 11/2. The number one seed and current world number one, Caroline Wozniacki looks a good value bet to win a first Grand Slam with odds of 17/2. Her best performance to date in Melbourne however was reaching the fourth round which she achieved in both 2008 and 2010.
Clijsters in fact has been given a very tough opening round match against former world number one, Dinara Safina whose fall from the top spot in the world 18 months ago to a current ranking of 75 has been nothing short of spectacular. She was a finalist here in Melbourne two years ago as was Clijsters in 2004, but such has been her form that she is not expected to trouble the favourite in this match.
Although Serena will not be playing, big sister, Venus will and she might just represent good value with odds of around 20/1 to win the tournament for the first time. She reached the quarter finals here in 2010 and 2008 and was a finalist in 2003. She loves playing in Australia usually and although she is only just back to playing tennis after an injury, she could be very difficult to beat.
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