Australian Open Betting – Murray Finally Wins His First Grand Slam
Tennis betting newsThe online betting season for tennis betting players really starts at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the season, and the usual suspects are at the top of the list when it comes to favorites. However, we’re banking on a British player who has come in second in each of the last two years.
What: Tennis Betting
When: January 15th-29th, check listings for matches
Where: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Pick: Andy Murray +500
The Favorites
It should be no surprise that Novak Djokovic (+210) entered the event as the favorite after winning three Grand Slams last year, including this tournament for the second time in his career. The Serbian has been the world’s best player for the last year or two, and he definitely took the crown in 2011 from Roger Federer (+500) and Rafael Nadal (+650), who made some interesting comments about Federer ahead of the tournament and it’ll be interesting to see these great rivals face off at some point in the tournament. However, as always Nadal is dealing with an injury and this time, he hurt his knee in a first-round win. Whether or not his body can hold up on the hard courts of Melbourne Park remains to be seen. Federer has won this event four times to just one for Nadal and the Swiss great has rached the semifinals every year since 2003.
The tennis betting x-factor in this tournament is Andy Murray (+500), who has reached the finals in each of the last two Australian Opens, only to fall to Federer in 2010 and then Djokovic in 2011. The Englishman is still looking for his first Grand Slam, but he is getting closer after a final and three semifinal appearances last year. Nadal is hurt, Federer is probably past his best and if history is any indicator, Djokovic could slow down after a busy 2011. Murray definitely has the tools to break through and it may just be in Melbourne.
The Second Tier
There isn’t much to discuss in the second tier as Juan Martin del Potro (+1300) and Jo- Wilfried Tsonga (+1600) lead the way, and del Porto has never made it past the quarterfinals down under. Last year, del Potro failed to progress past the fourth round in any of the Grand Slams and he’ll be eager to rectify that this season. Tsonga has been successful at Melbourne Park, losing in the 2008 finals to Djokovic and he ended 2011 with a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon and a quarterfinal showing at the U.S. Open.
If you have to take one of these players, Tsonga may be the wiser tennis betting option because of his athleticism that allows him to get to a lot of different shots. Tsonga has a little more experience at 26 years old and you have to remember that del Potro is still only 23; he has struggled mightily since winning the U.S. Open in 2009, partly due to a wrist injury that essentially wiped out 2010 and last year he looked tentative. Look for del Potro to get back to his best this year, but at Melbourne Park, Tsonga should be your second-tier play.
The Longshots
Gael Monfils (+6100) heads the list of tennis betting longshots at the Australian Open, even though he has been eliminated in the third round in each of the last two years. Monfils is one of the most exciting players on the tour and is moving up the ranks, but his best performance in a Grand Slam was a semifinal showing at the 2008 French Open; he has to translate his potential to success.
American Andy Roddick (+12600) will always move the needle for fans, and with his hard-hitting style, hard courts will always be his best chance for success. He has reached the semifinals of the Aussie Open four times, with the last time coming in 2009, and he hasn’t won a tournament since February 2011.
How It Will Play Out
It would be a major surprise to everyone involved if a player outside of the top four favorites won, and since 2004, only one player outside of the Djokovic-Federer-Nadal axis has won the Australian Open. But it’s time to make room for Andy Murray, who should have his best chance to come away with his first Grand Slam. He has to deal with the pressure of his fans as no British player has won a Grand Slam since 1936, but if Murray can keep his composure, this may be his best chance to in the last few years to break through, so put your money down on Andy Murray in your sports betting picks.
Australian Open Betting Pick: Andy Murray
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012 at 9:07 am and is filed under Tennis betting news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
