STARNBERG, January 27, 2021
February 8 is the next big date for all tennis fans, as that date marks the start of the Australian Open. The first Grand Slam of the year will be in a bit different circumstances than usual, as the COVID-19 virus still harasses the entire planet.
Though, everything else will be pretty much the same as before, with all the known faces in both gents’ and the ladies’ competition. Before we get down to odds and breakdown of the same, we just wanted to tell you that Online Betting Guide suggests these sign up offers for new customers, and since many of you might choose to make some wagers, please do explore them, as they might be useful.
Men’s competition won’t feature Roger Federer, who had to skip this tournament to properly heal his knees. Federer, the six-time champion, announced that news recently, hoping that he will be ready for action in April.
The record holder with 8 trophies in Melbourne, Novak Djokovic, is the top candidate to snatch another victory and reaches just one step away from winning his Decima. The Djoker is alone at the top with 6/5 odds, far ahead Dominic Thiem, who is 5/1. Behind the Austrian rising star, two names are leveled, Daniil Medvedev and the former champion Rafael Nadal, 11/2. These three guys close the second echelon of favorites, with the third one consisting of two NextGen stars, Stefanos Tsitsipas 12/1 and Alexander Zverev, 16/1.
It is really a pity not to have a chance to see FedEx here, because the Swiss’ appearance here would make the entire situation much different.
As you see from all the above-mentioned, the doors are open for Djokovic to clinch another title and keep his No.1 place in the ATP rankings safe for at least six more months.
Novak is 8/11 to finish the year at the top of the rankings. Rafa follows him closely with 9/4 and Thiem awaits his chance from the dark, 7/2. All other guys have far slimmer prospects – Daniil Medvedev 7/1, Zverev, 33/1, same as Federer, and Tsitsipas. Andrey Rublev is 50/1, while any other player is 66/1.
Unlike the gents’ competition, we have numerous new faces in the ladies’ part of the tournament. It seems that the change of generations came much sooner here than in the men’s competition. While Djokovic and Nadal still present dominant forces, that is not the case among the ladies.
Over the past 16 Grand Slam tournaments, we saw 12 different winners, with Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep as the only two who managed to win multiple trophies.
Osaka is the top candidate to win here, and repeat the success from 2019. The odds on her win are 11/2. Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus is 9/1, with the Australian Ashleigh Barty behind, 10/1. Simona Halep’s chances are oscillating depending on the bookmakers. The two-time Grand Slam champion is between 9/1 and 11/1, the same as one of the most dominant players in the history of this sport, Serena Williams. Iga Swiatek, the sensational champion at Roland Garros last season, is 12/1 for lifting another major. Sofia Kenin, the 2020 winner, is 15/1.
Since 2013 we haven’t seen that one lady champion defends its title, once Victoria Azarenka defeated Li Na in the finals to secure back-to-back trophies. That is completely the opposite when looking at the men’s tournament. Novak Djokovic won the previous two, before him, Federer did the same, and prior to it, the Joker did the same. Between 2011 and 2013, the Serb won three titles. It is safe to say that Melbourne is his second home.
Because of that, many believe that the women’s tournament will be more exciting than the men’s. We completely disagree with that claim. Seeing a bunch of players going against Djokovic and trying to dethrone him will be spectacular.
