STARNBERG, February 7, 2021

Normally, a Grand Slam draw isn’t a good enough reason to celebrate, even for tennis punters at Betway88. However, nothing can be taken for granted at the 2021 Australian Open. Nonetheless, most tennis fans were excited to see the players’ list this year. Here’s a brief view of what happened in the men’s draw and how that influences what will happen in Melbourne for the next two weeks. 

First Quarter

While Novak Djokovic is yet to reach a level where he’s considered the pre-tournament favorite for the Australian Open, like Rafael Nadal is considered at the Roland Garros, the Serbian national has won eight titles in Melbourne. Unfortunately, Djokovic fell short during the second round in 2017 and in the fourth round the following year. 

Despite a tough draw like this year’s, Djokovic is still the bookie’s favorite. There are several great and potentially dangerous players in the first quarter, and Djokovic might be facing big-server Taylor Fritz or Reilly Opelka during the third round. The World No. 1 might also face Milos Raonic, a strong player known for coming fast from Australia’s games.

The best matches to watch out for during the first round features Corentin Moutet vs. John Millman, a middleweight bout with lots of punches and counters. Members of betway88 might also want to bet on the match featuring Monfils against the hard-hitting Finn Emil Ruusuvuori. 

Second Quarter

Dominic Thiem is among the top players in this round, although currently flying under the media radar. There would be huge pressure on the third-seeded Austrian at normal times, considering that he finished runner-up last year and went ahead to secure the U.S Open title. Thiem will start the season by confirming that his 2020 performance was not a fluke. The Austrian is a major contender in the competition, and his draw allows him to do that. 

Competitors in this quarter include Diego Schwartzman, Grigor Dimitrov, Denis Shapovalov, Pablo Carreno Busta, Benoit Paire, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ugo Humbert. However, while there’s plenty of talent here, no one can match Thiem’s expertise on the hard court. 

Third Quarter

Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev have played as teammates in the ATP Cup last week, helping Russia to win their first title. The two also won their first singles matches, but they might end up as quarterfinal opponents in the Australian Open. Both Rublev and Medvedev are looking for a huge breakthrough title and ranking as the top two in the section. Punters can watch out for matches featuring Medvedev vs. Vasek Pospisil, Tommy Paul vs. Nikoloz Basilashvili, and Lorenzo Sonego vs. Sam Querrey.

Fourth Quarter

At first glance, Rafael Nadal’s chances of winning the all-time major title don’t look great. Nadal hasn’t won in Australia since 2009, and he hasn’t even played any match this season. Fortunately, Rafa’s draw should get him excited, and he has no obvious landmines beside him. Nadal might be facing Alex De Minaur or Fabio Fognini in the fourth round, although none of them are expected to go far. Fans will also be on the lookout for top players like Stefanos Tsitsipas, Karen Khachanov, and Matteo Berrettini.