Australian Open 2013

[Dylan]

Re: Australian Open 2013 I've got a couple of mens picks as well; Mikhail Kukushkin +7.5 games vs Jurgen Melzer 1.95 at Unibet (2 units) I know that Kukushkin hasn’t played an awful amount of tennis in the last few months so fitness may be a question, but even so odds here seem a little high. The Kazakah had an excellent run here last season, where he showed what he is capable of, putting in some determined performances to reach the last 16, and because of this I assume he’ll have points to defend as additional motivation when he comes up against Melzer. The Austrian has not really impressed on this surface for a couple of years now and to me he doesn’t look capable of being able to dominate opponents, so I expect this one to be pretty tight. I was hoping for the total player games market to be open on this one, as I am slighty worried that if this goes into a 4^th set that Kukushkin won’t have the fitness to sustain a challenge but I’m still happy with the handicap none the less. Giles Muller to beat Lukas Lacko 2.50 at Bet365 ( 1 unit) I can’t find a handicap that I like here so I’ll just take a shot the outright on Muller. Sure he isn’t in great form recently, but he still has his massive serve that can cause problems to almost any opponent. Lacko in particularly is not someone who likes coming up against big servers, he’s record is pretty poor when you look at the stats. I remember this time last year he had to come from two sets down to beat big Ivan Ljubicic in the first round here, and I think there is a good possibly that he may struggle again. :hope

[devman]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Heather Watson Vs Cadantu I really cannot understand how the bookies priced this up. But I imagine it was strictly done by the british bookies who must believe their dear Heather is somewhat impregnable. H2h reads 1-0 in favor of Cadantu, a victory accomplished rather easily as the scoreline suggested. I also think that it is a bad matchup for Heather as her opponent is a resolute grinder with a style very similar to hers. I clearly suggest to play safe with Cadantu to win a set at paddy power at a whopping 2/1. I have also gone for the win too at 9/2. PERVAK VS BARTHEL I will make this real quick. Pervak is in sublime form as could be seen from her recent matches where she beat U Radwanska in a classic and Wozniacki prior to that. What ~I like about this chick is that she is a gritty dogged fighter who never knows when she is beaten. Leads Barthel 2-0 h2h which were easy straight-forward matches. She really is as ballsy as Kerber fighting. An even spent Barthel makes matters worse. Was 2/1 at paddy, now 7/4

[Alovenac]

Re: Australian Open 2013 3/10 Verdasco to beat Goffin @ 1.75 Pinnacle Goffin is a raising youngster, but we must not forget that Verdasco will stands his man on this tournaments. I expect no easy match for Fernando, but this odd is to good. Also i will place a low bet on Kukushkin +7.5 games @ 2.10 Pinnacle (1.5/10). I think it will close sets, and maybe we see Melzer struggling sometimes and Kukushkin can take one set.

[Torque]

Re: Australian Open 2013 I've found one more. I had crossed it off, but I kept coming back to it, so I've decided to bite. WTA Australian Open - Johanna Larsson to beat Jelena Jankovic @ 3.75 Betfair Quite why Jankovic is so short is beyond me, as she's suffered plenty of poor losses during the last year or so. She started this season in Sydney, beating Paszek before losing to Vinci, and those are the only matches she's had heading into this tournament. She certainly hasn't had the chance to play herself into any real form, whilst Larsson has had plenty of matches so far this year. She had a good run in Auckland with included a win over Gorges, and she played a couple of matches in the qualifying rounds for Sydney, losing only to Keys who went on to make a real impression in that tournament. Jankovic really seems to be struggling to play at a consistently high level, and so I think Larsson has a chance of catching her cold here.

[owenclass]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Albert Ramos Vinolas vs Marcos Baghdatis over 32.5 games 4/5 skybet i feel this may be a bit short as a tight set could win the bet his opponent is a good player and might make tough for him

[fishy25]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Meh decent first day albeit dampened a touch by Millman missing an easy volley at the net to give him the break in the final set. +4.79 from the first day though in what looks a tricky card judging by the results.

[devman]

Re: Australian Open 2013

Heather Watson Vs Cadantu I really cannot understand how the bookies priced this up. But I imagine it was strictly done by the british bookies who must believe their dear Heather is somewhat impregnable. H2h reads 1-0 in favor of Cadantu, a victory accomplished rather easily as the scoreline suggested. I also think that it is a bad matchup for Heather as her opponent is a resolute grinder with a style very similar to hers. I clearly suggest to play safe with Cadantu to win a set at paddy power at a whopping 2/1. I have also gone for the win too at 9/2. PERVAK VS BARTHEL I will make this real quick. Pervak is in sublime form as could be seen from her recent matches where she beat U Radwanska in a classic and Wozniacki prior to that. What ~I like about this chick is that she is a gritty dogged fighter who never knows when she is beaten. Leads Barthel 2-0 h2h which were easy straight-forward matches. She really is as ballsy as Kerber fighting. An even spent Barthel makes matters worse. Was 2/1 at paddy, now 7/4

Good Start! More of the same coming.

[Alovenac]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Little loss last night, but it will be still the first day. Coming back next night!

[fishy25]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Taken one early one as the price isn't right. Igor Sijsling vs Denis Istomin- Tie Break in Match- 4/5 Bet365- (4/10) This price won't last for long and when you consider than Coral has this price at 2/5 it shows just how high the odds are. What we have here are two players who possess decent serves and on the hard courts, that always opens up the possibility of a tie break happening, especially in the slams where we have 4 sets of opportunity. Istomin should come through this one but he can be sloppy on return for periods and Sijsling is a big guy with a big serve and almighty forehand. He possesses a lot of power and should get some cheap games especially given Istomin isn't the greatest returner on the tour. Sijsling took Ferrer to a tie break at the US Open last year which shows how hard he is to break at times and I expect at least one breaker in this game.

[Merc]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Murray under 28.5 @ 1.84 12BET stands out for me at this moment. Murray could start slowly but Haase is not great on return, plus Murray has the abilities to crush Haase on his own serve. I do not see a tie break in this math so Haase can win 10 games which is a lot. Especially against Murray and when you are already two sets down.

[JdsGooner90]

Re: Australian Open 2013

Hewitt vs. Tipsarevic Over 3.5 sets @ $1.38 is easy money. Hewitt just claimed the Kooyong Classic with wins over Del Potro,

Berdych and Raonic - but is renowned for his 5-set epic battles early in the Australian Open. This will certainly end as one of those!

There is no such thing as easy money :loon Hewitt couldnt even win a set after be a double break up!

[Decic]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Martin Klizan v Daniel Brands Klizan to beat Brands @ 2.18 ​Betfair Martin Klizan is actually in the 30th position in ATP ranking while Daniel Brands stands in the 120th position. These two players have never played against each other despite that we can easy notice the difference between these two players since both of them have played in many important tournaments. In fact these two players have played twice against each other in non important events and in clay surface but it does not count as much in this encounter that they would have today. In my opinion Martin Klizan does have everything what it takes to beat Daniel Brands that despite that is a very good player still won't be able to manage the fast movements for Martin Klizan so ill take Martin Klizan to win this one.

[edtkh]

Re: Australian Open 2013 10pts Tommy Robredo to beat Jesse Levine (2.10 @ Paddy Power) I am surprised no one has spotted this match-up which I think the bookies have gotten horribly wrong. This has got to be the mismatch of the round price-wise. For some of the older folks who have been long around to witness epics like the Robredo-Safin showdown at Roland Garros in 2005, there's very little doubt form and fitness permitting, Robredo is a top 15 (and possibly top 10 player) player even by today's stratospheric standards in the men's game. While Robredo has shown glimpses of his best over the latter half of 2012, he has clearly proven himself to be a player who should be challenging at a far higher level than the Challenger and his ranking currently suggests. Jesse Levine, quite frankly, is a no hoper who doesn't have much of a future in tennis - the perennial 2nd, 3rd round frequent visitor at tournaments who really does not have the potential nor mental fortitude to get anywhere in the world of top class professional tennis. Let's be honest - he'd be lucky if he fleetingly breaks the Top 50. As they say, form is temporary but class is permanent - Robredo to win this in 4 at most. 10pts Aljaz Bedene -1.5 Sets to beat Benjamin Becker (1.91 @ Stan James) This is another of those bets where the sportsbooks clearly do not seem to know what they are doing. Aljaz Bedene is a solid up-and-coming player who has done wonders on the Challenger Tour and is clearly making his presence felt at the ATP Level. Benjamin Becker, on the other hand, is a journeyman whose greatest claim to fame must have been his 3rd Round victory at the US Open in what was an ageing - and limping - Andre Agassi's final match as a pro. Since then, he has often flattered to deceive and clearly hasn't shown any threat to any player with a reasonable pedigree. Bedene has all the makings of a Top 30 player and if he continues to progress at the current rate, it's only a matter of time before he cracks that elite group - Becker certainly will not be good enough to stand in his way. Bedene should take this in 4 at worst.

[Dylan]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Some decent picks in here last night, congrats to all winners so far.

Casey Dellacqua +5.5 games vs Madison Keys – 1.80 at >Paddy Power (2 units) :ok Olivia Rogowska +4.5 games vs Vesna Deloc - 1.90 at >Bet365 (2 units) :ok Stephanie Foretz- Gacon +3.5 games vs Camille Giorgi – 1.90 at >Bet365 (2 units) :ok Mikhail Kukushkin +7.5 games vs Jurgen Melzer 1.95 at Unibet (2 units) :\ Giles Muller to beat Lukas Lacko 2.50 at Bet365 ( 1 unit) :\

A couple of dud mens picks spoilt my card but happy to take some profit. +2.2 units

[Atko]

Re: Australian Open 2013 1/3 last night. Reverting to a points system and going for TEN bets. Hold me back boys (and girls) ... - STEVE DARCIS +2.5 SETS v Philipp Kohlschreiber @ 1.91 with betsson (6pts) Kohlschreiber has been in good form, but he rarely strings two decent weeks together and is one of those players whose inconsistency can cost him a set. Darcis is solid Slam player. He doesn't come here in great form, but he can serve big and stay with the German. I can see him pinching a set, or even two, against an opponent well-known for his fragility in Slam events. - MARTIN KLIZAN to beat Daniel Brands @ 2.08 with betsson (5pts) Even though his form this season has been dreadful, I'm siding with Klizan here. Once rallies develop in this match, I fancy him to be the stronger player. Brands has developed his game, but he's still very reliant on his serve, and I don't think he can keep his A-game up over five sets. Might go the distance, but I like the Slovak here. - AMIR WEINTRAUB to beat Guido Pella @ 2.10 with betsson (5pts) I've plumped for Weintraub because he comes into this match with more momentum. He sailed through the qualies and has game-time under his belt, something that Pella doesn't. His last match was in the Challenger Tour finals last year. Weintraub's made big strides in the past 12 months and I suspect he'll be able to steal a march on the Argentine and get the win. - DUDI SELA +2.5 SETS v Nikolay Davydenko @ 2.02 with betsson (5pts) My fear for Davydenko is his stamina. There's no doubt he has the game to go quite deep in Slams, but he often wilts in the heat, and playing in the middle of the afternoon won't suit him. Sela has come through the qualifiers and often saves his best tennis for Slams. He's crafty and will stick with the Russian. I think he's worth at least a set in a potentially tricky tie for Davydenko. - LEONARDO MAYER +2.5 SETS v Bernard Tomic @ 2.21 with betsson (5pts) Mayer hasn't played since November, so I'm perhaps being a bit contradictory tipping this up, but he's the sort of guy who might catch Tomic a bit cold. The Aussie is bound to be a bit fatigued after his run in Sydney and still isn't mature enough to be seen as a solid Slam player. Mayer serves big, has a massive forehand and has balls - he won't be fazed by an outing on Laver. Could be more difficult than the layers think for Tomic. - OVER 3.5 SETS between Andreas Seppi and Horacio Zeballos @ 1.82 with betsson (6pts) Quite like the look of this. Seppi's in the best shape of his career right now, but he's still a bit mentally unstable, especially over five sets. Zeballos comes into this event in good form, having won a Challenger event in Sao Paulo, and is an awkward lefty with a big game when he fires. Don't feel either man can do this in straights. - MILOS RAONIC -8.5 GAMES v Jan Hajek @ 1.91 with betsson (6pts) Hajek is one of my favourite players to fade in a Slam, with the exception of the French Open. He almost always loses in R1. Raonic will be tough for him. Huge serve and a far bigger game than his. Hajek is also very weak on serve - he will cough up breaks. A nine-game difference is well within Raonic's capabilities here. - OVER 3.5 SETS between Marinko Matosevic and Marin Cilic @ 1.82 with betsson (6pts) History suggests this could go the distance. Cilic defeated Matosevic in five sets in last year's US Open and he's another player who often drops a set or two in the early rounds of Slams. Matosevic is on home soil and will battle all day long with Cilic. It's another match that seems to have at least four sets written all over it. - IVAN DODIG -7 GAMES AH v Di Wu @ 1.81 with betsson (6pts) Tough ask for the young Chinese Wu here. He's got some nice shots and moves well, but his serve is wafer-thin and will be pounced upon by bigger hitters. Dodig comes into that category. He has a heavy serve and relies on power. I fear he may just hit through Wu. Could be a 6-1 or 6-2 here and that would be the end of the man from China in his first ever Slam. - OVER 3.5 SETS between James Duckworth and Benjamin Mitchell x OVER 3.5 SETS between Ricardas Berankis and Sergiy Stakhovsky x OVER 3.5 SETS between Grega Zemlja and Marcel Granollers @ 3.03 with betsson (6pts) Really like this treble, as I can't see any of these matches being settled in three sets. The two young Aussies are very likely to cancel each other out and get tight when they near the finishing line, Berankis and Stakhovsky are very evenly matched, while Zemlja and Granollers are two men who will grind and spar all day long. Decent odds, I think. Phew. Good luck with whatever you play tonight :ok

[CzechPunter]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Back Adrian Menendez-Maceiras (+2.5 sets) to beat Jeremy Chardy for a 3/10 stake at 1.74 with Pinnacle Back Adrian Menendez-Maceiras to beat Jeremy Chardy for a 0.5/10 stake at 4.42 with Pinnacle Chardy has never done anything worth noticing in the Australian Open, so he might be set to struggle once again. The Spaniard has managed to win three matches in the qualifiers, so he knows how to deal with the conditions and he should like the inconsistencies that come with the Frenchman. I would be quite surprised to see Chardy win in three simple sets in all honesty, he is just one of those guys that tend to mess things up more often than not. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/menendez-maceiras-vs-chardy-betting-jeremy-chardy-s-struggles-might-easily-continue-in-the-australian-open Back Francesca Schiavone to beat Petra Kvitova for a 2/10 stake at 3.75 with Ladbrokes Back Francesca Schiavone (-1.5 sets) to beat Petra Kvitova for a 0.5/10 stake at 7.04 with Pinnacle Two struggling players, so siding with the higher price. Kvitova has been awful so far this season - and so has Schiavone. The difference is that Schiavone will at least find the court with her shots, while that is not always a given when it comes to the Czech. Worth a small punt I think, Kvitova is struggling with both form and health right now. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/schiavone-vs-kvitova-betting-francesca-schiavone-looks-value-in-the-clash-of-two-struggling-players Back Sabine Lisicki to beat Caroline Wozniacki for a 2/10 stake at 2.69 with Pinnacle Back Sabine Lisicki (-1.5 sets) to beat Caroline Wozniacki for a 0.5/10 stake at 5.00 with Ladbrokes Not a great match-up for Wozniacki, that is for sure. The bounce is decent, so Lisicki will have time to find the big shots and Wozniacki is not going to do much with that if that happens. Not going with higher stakes due to the fact that Lisicki had some minor health issues, but she should be too strong for Wozniacki if she is alright. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/lisicki-vs-wozniacki-betting-sabine-lisicki-to-get-through-to-the-second-round-in-melbourne Back Andrea Hlavackova do beat Donna Vekic for a 3/10 stake at 1.92 with Pinnacle Back Andrea Hlavackova (-1.5 sets) do beat Donna Vekic for a 1/10 stake at 3.20 with Bet-at-home Vekic might be a big talent, but Grand Slams are a bit different than ITF tournaments and I can see her not having enough this time around. Hlavackova is experienced and is apparently looking to improve her singles ranking this year - and this looks like a great opportunity for kicking things off with a nice win. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/hlavackova-vs-vekic-betting-andrea-hlavackova-should-be-able-to-beat-donna-vekic-today

[IAmGooner]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Was thinking of backing Klizan too, mate. I've been out of the loop with tennis in recent months but that one stood out straight away. I checked form then and see Brands is on fire!...:rollin...which I guess is why he's favourite. His confidence must be high, but I'd definitely say Klizan is the better player here. Brands is all serve, had a quick look at the Monfils match in Doha and he was on fire at times. Dancevic had him in the qualifiers here though and as usual choked as only he does. Wouldnt rate wins over Marti or Guez really.

[benerop]

Re: Australian Open 2013

1/3 last night. Reverting to a points system and going for TEN bets. Hold me back boys (and girls) ... - STEVE DARCIS +2.5 SETS v Philipp Kohlschreiber @ 1.91 with betsson (6pts) Kohlschreiber has been in good form, but he rarely strings two decent weeks together and is one of those players whose inconsistency can cost him a set. Darcis is solid Slam player. He doesn't come here in great form, but he can serve big and stay with the German. I can see him pinching a set, or even two, against an opponent well-known for his fragility in Slam events. in belgian sunday newspaper, darcis told he has problems with his abs.So he can't really serve 100%.:\

[Dylan]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Hope to carry on my good fortunes in the WTA event with these tomorrow; Bojana Jovanovski -3.5 games vs Maria Torro-Flor 1.70 at Unibet (3 units) These two played each other in Hobart last week, and Bo-Jo won comfortably 6-0 7-5 and I’m expecting something similar for this one. Whilst it may be dangerous to bet purely based on these reasons as we saw with Millman today, the Serb is by far the stronger player on hard courts. Indeed Torro-Flor has in her career rarely graced hard courts and whilst she had a few more attempts last year there nothing in the results to indicate that she’ll be able to push Jovanovski that close. Yanina Wickmayer vs Jarmila Gajdosova over 20.5 games 1.91 at Stan James (3 units) I backed a couple of Aussies to show good spirit and keep their matches tight on the first day and I fancy that Gajdosova can do the same here. Matches between the pair on hard courts are usually pretty tight affairs, with the three previous meetings all going into 3 sets. Both ladies have played plenty already this season and both have good results behind them, with Wickmayer reaching the final in Auckland, whilst Gajdosova has started to push her ranking and confidence back up with a win over Vinci in Brisbane and a qtr final appearance in Hobart. Gajdosova will know from past matches that she can push her opponent close, and spurred on by the home crowd ( I assume from the match time she’ll be on a show court) I see no reason why that can’t happen again. :hope

[IAmGooner]

Re: Australian Open 2013 WTA RD 2: Pervak to bt Watson @ 1.735 (Pinnacle:5pts) Watson isnt fully fit here, and I think this is the end of the road for her. Similar punchy players but Pervak is simply in better nick right now, she started the year in good form in Brisbane beating King, Wozniacki and the weaker Radwanska sister who is a good player before getting demolished against Azarenka, she just has nothing to hurt Azarenka when she's on so no biggie. Beat Barthel in rd 1 in 3 which is a good result too. Watson made alot of improvements last year but started the year with a loss to Bertens and then she pulled out of Hobart with an injury. She was an incredibly short price vs Cadantu and went to 3 today, I think the loss is coming for her next round. Neither girl has much of a serve to speak of but Pervak looks in better shape and form right now. WTA RD 1: Gavrilova +1.5 sets vs Lauren Davis @ 1.725 (Pinnacle:3pts) Two younger players here, Davis higher ranked and had a good week in Hobart reaching the 1/4's but I'd say she's a tad too short here given the way she plays. Gavrilova has qualified , nice draw aswell to be fair but good practice in and I think she's good to take a set in this one. WTA RD 1: Hlavackova to bt Vekic @ 2.040 (Pinnacle:4pts) This one is rising for some reason. Vekic is a talented youngster but couldnt be backing her as a fave in a slam encounter yet. Hlavackova plays alot of doubles but she's got a decent game anyway, can hit the ball hard, decent net play. And she's hot which has to factor, like her as the underdog in this clash! WTA RD 1: Shvedova to bt Beck @ 1.667 (Pinnacle:4pts) Think Shvedova's a class above here. Beck is an improving player, did some good things on the ITF last year but I'd expect Shvedova to be able to overpower her in this one. She's lost twice to Vesnina in the early season events down under but Vesnina is playing really well atm so no shame. Think she's a worthy fave here, better player, more experience. WTA RD 1: Pavlyuchenkova vs Tsurenko OVER 19.5 games @ 1.83 (Stan James:3pts) Pav tends to be unable to win clean easy matches at the best of times. Likes to make life tough for herself. She beat Tsurenko in 3 sets in the semis at Brisbane before losing to Serena. She had a good week beating Kvitova and Kerber in a tight match which I'd usually expect her to lose. Tsurenko also had a good week there as a lucky loser, didnt play as tough opponents but good results and followed it up by qualifying here which is a help. Pav favourite but not sure she will win cleanly, she's usually good to mess things up at some point, can see one tight set at least, maybe a 3 setter.

[fishy25]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Onto the second day then and again I'm taking a few. Such a nervous experience waking up to scroll through the results, not having a clue what happened in them. :lol Will start with the men's matches... Horacio Zeballos (+6.5 games) to beat Andreas Seppi- 17/20 BetVictor- (4/10) Seppi had a really good season last year and has been consistent for some time now which used to always be his problem but when it comes to the slams he can still be found out a little short mentally and Zeballos is good enough to take advantage of that. The Argentine has had decent preparation for Australia as he won a challenger tournament over in Brazil and he'll be confident knowing that he's won the only previous meeting between the two which was on a hard court. Think Seppi will pull through but don't think he'll have this all his own way. Marinko Matosevic vs Marin Cilic- Over 35.5 games- 5/6 Ladbrokes- (4/10) Already spoke about Cilic in my outright but there's enough to suggest this one should have some legs on it. Matosevic has a powerful game backed up with a decent serve, along with home support so he should trouble Cilic in parts. The Croat can often take a little time getting going in the slams and Matosevic has already taken him the distance in the US Open last year and as long as we see 4 sets here which I think we will, the overs should be fine here. Alejandro Falla (-5.5 games) to beat Josselin Ouanna- 10/11 StanJames- (4/10) Falla seems to enjoy the big occasion these days and his slam record recently is pretty decent considering his tough draws. He has already troubled Simon and Kohlschreiber this season and a repeat performance of those games should see him through here. His French opponent barely ventures into the main events and chooses to play the challengers more often than not so a first round appearance is a real bonus for him. Suspect he'll be outclassed here though by the better player and even if Falla drops a set which he is prone to doing, there should be a comfortable set somewhere along the line which should see the handicap through. Yen-Hsun Lu vs Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo- Under 31.5 games- StanJames- (4/10) This line is a fair bit higher than most places have it and it's hard to make a case for the Spaniard here. Very rarely does he ever play on the hard courts so might be a case of collect the prize money and move onto the clay for him here. Kamke has already hammered him this season, dropping just 3 games and you suspect Lu might do something similar today. He took a set off Ferrer last week in Auckland and is very comfortable on the hard courts. His all round game is just far more suited for the quicker conditions whilst it's the complete opposite for Hidalgo really. This line allows even one really tight set, but it's hard to see anything other than a quickish win for Lu here. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs Michael Llodra- Over 32.5 games- 11/10 Ladbrokes- (3/10) Quite like opposing Tsonga in early rounds of slams as he is another one who tends to give the crowd the most for their money in the big tournaments. He's been struggling with a groin a injury as well which should mean he won't be anywhere near his best today. Llodra's not played a game this season but with his game, you know what to expect. Big serve and volley which should cause Tsonga problems as he's not the greatest returner about. Expect Tsonga to come through comfortably in the end, but Llodra could well pinch a set or even if he keeps this really close, the line has a chance in 3 sets as well. Philipp Kohlschreiber (-7.5 games) to beat Steve Darcis- 10/11 Bet365- (3/10) The German is never usually the best player to back in slams unless you're taking the overs but I feel he's worth a punt here. His form has been good this year so far, beating some decent players in Falla, Malisse and Querrey and I'm not 100% over his Belgian counterpart here. Darcis is usually pretty solid in the slams and would have the potential to make this interesting, but from his results over in the challenger event a couple of weeks back, I suspect something isn't completely right. He was beaten extremely comfortably by a guy ranked outside the top 150 and I just wonder whether his decision to play just the one challenger event as preparation for Melbourne is telling us something. He rarely plays the challenger events as he showed last season and if he was fully fit, I just can't imagine he would have played that tournament. Philipp should be high on confidence here though and he is no doubt the more talented player so I think with all things considered, he might come through this more comfortably than some might imagine. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez vs Rajeev Ram- Over 37.5 games- 5/6 Bet365- (3/10) This just strikes me as an overs game with breaks left right and centre. Secretly both might fancy their chances here but both players are extremely streaky and this could well be a 5 setter. Both of their previous encounters have been extremely close and you sense neither of these guys are likely to close this out in 3 solid sets. Ram has already played a couple of lengthy games in qualification whilst the Spaniard is no stranger to lengthy games in the slams so think the overs is the call here. And 4 for the women... Victoria Azarenka (-7.5 games) to beat Monica Niculescu- 4/5 Bet365- (4/10) I know there may be questions over Azarenka's fitness given she had to withdraw before facing Serena in Brisbane but I'd be surprised if she doesn't follow in Sharapova's footsteps yesterday. Very rarely will you see Azarenka waste too much time in winning her first few matches in the slams and if she isn't completely 100%, she'll want this over in rapid time. She's covered this handicap in the past 3 meetings against the Romanian and Niculescu really doesn't have the game to push Azarenka a great deal. One set with ease for Azarenka should do the job and I fancy her to do at least that. Sabine Lisicki (+3.5 games) to beat Caroline Wozniacki- 4/5 Bet365- (4/10) Yeah I'm with the majority on Lisicki here. Am siding with a bit of caution and taking the handicap just in case Wozniacki does sneak through. The problem for her though is this is a really good match up for the German as she can simply hit through the Dane. She possesses the far better serve of the two which can get her out of trouble whilst Wozniacki will have to try and take the initiative at times which, given her poor form of late, is unlikely in truth. The German has won the past 2 encounters, both in straight sets and I expect a decent showing from her today, if not the win. Carla Suarez Navarro vs Sara Errani- Under 18.5 games- 5/6 Ladbrokes- (3/10) Horrid match up for the Spaniard here really as she doesn't have any weapons to her game to trouble Errani on a hard court in truth. To be honest, even on her favoured clay she would find it tough to cause the Italian too many problems but on a hard court, Errani will simply be tying her in knots. Navarro is hardly in good form either considering she's lost both of her games this year, failing to win a set in the process which won't have given her tons of confidence. Errani really showed what she can do in the slams in 2012 which meant she sawed up the rankings and into the top 10 which is a great result for her given she doesn't possess the power of the elite few women. She should be fine in the early few rounds again though and she's beaten Navarro in every match they've played and has yet to drop a set and I expect a similar result again today. Nadia Petrova vs Kimiko Date Krumm- Over 19.5 games- StanJames- (3/10) I quite like taking the overs in Krumm's matches in slams as she gives it her all as she knows she won't have too many more opportunities on the biggest stages. She's started this season really impressively as well, coming through qualification in Sydney, beating King and Tatishvili in the process so she's clearly playing well is the veteran. The H2H is another good sign for Krumm as she's 1-1 with Petrova in the past but both games have covered the overs here pretty comfortably. Petrova should pull through you feel, but the Japanese veteran should push her here to cover the overs for me.

[Pensioner65]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Ok.Absolute mare last night but things can only get better & want to be firmly be in profit(hopefully) when this Aussie Open finishes. Lets get stuck into tonights matches: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs Michael Llodra over 32.5 games @2.00 Ladbrokes(4/10) Going by the H2H which reads a 5-0 lead(But 3 were retirements :eyes)for Tsonga,maybe I shouldnt touch this game with a bargepole but I really thing there will be a close couple of sets,to get us over this line.Lloda finished last season in decent nick making a Final & semi-final in the Monc challenger & Paris Masters respectively.Good wins over Isner,Del Porto,Querry. Tsonga started the year off at the Hopman cup & again had some tidy victories over Isner & Anderson. JWS last 2 seasons in the 1st round at the Aussie Open has dropped a set & also gone over 32.5 games. This is not ML favoured ground but still think he has enough ability to give JWS a competitive game & take us past this line.4pts win Juan-Martin Del Potro vs Adrian Mannarino over 30.5games @1.73 Ladbrokes(7/10) Death wish alert.Taking another overs line vs a top ten ranked opponent.Played each other this time last year 1st Rd Aussie Open with JMDP running out 3-1 sets winner & 37 games played.Also met at Queens in 2011 with Mannarino running out 7-6 7-6 winner. Early 2012 I wouldnt have bet this line with AM in awful form but started the season off playing some great tennis & winning matches with ease.Beating players like Martin,Sergeyev, Polanksy all in straight sets.Line is very low,7pts win Good Luck all :ok

[Alovenac]

Re: Australian Open 2013 3/10 Klizan to beat Brands @ 2.19 Pinnacle I hope this odd is a little joke by the bookies and by people who are betting based on the form. Okay, Brands playing well at the start of the season. But Brands are very dependent of his service. When this not are good, he are very bad. Klizan is a very good player who is left handed. Okay, he had not a good start of this season. But he don't play poor both matches against Malisse and Istomin. The last one was a class above in that match. 2.5/10 Bedene to beat Becker @ 1.76 SBOBET I like Bedene here, who is raising the last year and playing better and better every tournament. We saw a bit of his talent in the winning matches against Haase and Wawrinka in Chennai and the loss in 3 sets against Tipsarevic was not a shame for him. Becker is overrated i guess. He had a good week in Auckland, won against two unknowns and Rosol and losing against Monfils in 3 sets. But it was not all good. All the way, he don't play good in the Major Tournaments on hardcourt. Last year 4-7, year before 3-6 and i think he is not better than Bedene overall. Maybe this will be a long match, but i don't see Bedene to lose here when he can play on his niveau. I will add later this evening two other picks.

[Yak]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Have been following Challengers and Futures very closely over the last couple of years. This has proved profitable for me. However, it has cost me when betting in Grand Slams as I have such a skewed view of the players I watch week in, week out on the Challengers/Futures tour. Therefore, I decided against betting on any of the Slams last year, until the US Open, and I was able to punch in a small profit over the fortnight, which I was pleased with. That said, I would've had a bad start yesterday had I not fallen asleep - I fancied Maxime Authom strongly against Berlocq, although it now turns out that Authom spent the day before his First Round match nursing a couple of injuries. Got lucky there. A side note to yesterday; Somdev Devvarman's result against Bjorn Phau suggests he is one to watch for future matches (not neccessarily in the AO, but more so on the Challenger tour). As some of you have already said, Devvarman spent a good eight or so months out with a shoulder injury - returning for the Olympics in August where he lost in straight sets. He then surprised a lot of people by deciding to take in a Futures event a week later in Cumberland, and lost 1-6, 3-6 to qualifier Tom Burn in the First Round, an English player ranked around 900th at the time. I think a lot of people started to think that Devvarman would not return to the form we witnessed from him in 2011 (reaching 62nd in the rankings in July 2011), and perhaps he would fall by the wayside so shortly after playing the best tennis of his career. He showed glimpses of his previous form in a Challenger at Charlottesville towards the end of the year, where he was strongly supported by the local crowd (as Devvarman resides in Charlottesville), and put in a decent showing in Chennai before heading to Australia. He made light work of Phau's serve and played some good stuff after a shaky start. By no means does the result mean he is a world beater, and I think he'll lose to Janowicz tomorrow, but he'll be one to watch for in 2013. Anyway, today's action. Guido Pella to beat Amir Weintraub @ 8/11 Small stakes, but I like Pella in this. Although he hasn't played any matches since his ATP Challenger Tour Finals win in late November/early December, he'll be entering his first Australian Open with plenty of confidence. He is a very temperamental player, which may put some people off. But he loves the limelight and the big tournaments. He put in a great showing against Davydenko at the US Open after qualifying against three decent players, and I think he has the armoury to beat qualifier Weintraub. Adrian Mannarino to win at least one set against Juan Martin Del Potro - YES @ 8/5 Mannarino really impressed me during the second half of last year. Although he was not always converting some of his play into wins/titles, I just enjoyed watching his tennis from August onwards. I always felt that if a big game, a big crowd came along, and he could find that form, and the exciting shots, then he could once again show people why he was a top 50 ranked player. He did that in a match against Phillip Kohlschreiber in his native France in a Challenger in September, but again his problem is struggling for consistency and he completely tanked in his next match. Despite the inconsistency, there are a number of reasons to like Mannarino here. He has started the year very well, winning a Challenger in New Caledonia before heading over to Australia and winning his qualifiers in dominant fashion. He played Del Potro here last year, and managed to take the first set before eventually losing 6-2, 1-6, 5-7, 4-6. I think he has it in him to take something from Del Potro. The over 30.5 games also appeals. Lukas Rosol to beat Jamie Baker @ 2/5 Tie-break in this match - YES @ 10/11 Odds will be too short for some, and I may pair Rosol with Chardy (against Menendez) or Dodig (against Wu) just to give the bet some weight. Baker did well to qualify, beating Donald Young in his last match. But I think he'll struggle to get anything off of Rosol's serve and that Rosol will have enough about him to occasionally break Baker, or to hang tough in any tie-breaks. Rosol can sometimes be very lazy against serve and this is why I have also taken the 10/11 about there being a tie-break in the match. May have a few more plays later, but I'm still umming and arring over whether to do them.

[Alovenac]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Berankis R. - Stakhovsky S. The number 110 of the world against the number 102 of the world ranking. But this will say nothing here. Close difference, but when we looks to the form of both we see some big difference. Berankis starting well this season. Playing two good matches in Sydney, but lost the second one against Kudla in 3 sets. But that is not a shame for him. In the qualies he had 3 very good wins, only one set was he struggling against Klahn but the winst over Gojowczyk and Capdeville are good. When we look to the other side, we see a player who are not playing good on bigger tournaments on hardcourt. Last year he was 5-11 in this tournaments, well he was 11-1 in qualification matches. And that will say all. Stakhovsky is not good enough for this niveau. Okay, in Chennai he won a close match against Bemelmans (2 tiebreaks) and was fighting hard against Cilic, but he is not good enough and mentally weak. When we look to the last matches of 2012 on hardcourt we see a lot of weak results and some hard wins against weak players. When Berankis play on his niveau, this must be a easy win for him. 2/10 Berankis -2 games @ 1.72 Pinnacle Kavcic B. - Bellucci T. Kavcic will face here Bellucci for the third time in his carreer. Kavcic had not a great time, playing a lot on clay at the end of last season and did it well against some weaker opponents. Kavcic had a bad start this year. A lose against Bautista in Chennai with 76 62. In Sydney he won two very hard and long matches against Hajek and Wu. This are not good players and this results will say all about the form of Kavcic at the moment. And we saw a straight set lose against Harrison. I like to play Bellucci in tournaments like this. A very good left handed player, with a lot of talent. But we don't see this at the most times of him. Last year he was playing against Kavcic in Gstaad and he was dominating him and won with 61 61. The start of the season for him was well. Good victory against raising player Goffin and a suck lose against Lacko who are playing good in that match. Normally i want to stake big on the side of Bellucci, but i can't trust him every match. Normally it will looks fine, his niveau is a lot better of Kavcic and his form. But we don't see his talent any match. 2/10 Bellucci -1.5 set @ 1.70 SBOBET Also i will put 2/10 on Pella to beat Weintraub @ 1.81 Pinnacle

[Atko]

Re: Australian Open 2013

Have been following Challengers and Futures very closely over the last couple of years. This has proved profitable for me. However, it has cost me when betting in Grand Slams as I have such a skewed view of the players I watch week in, week out on the Challengers/Futures tour. Therefore, I decided against betting on any of the Slams last year, until the US Open, and I was able to punch in a small profit over the fortnight, which I was pleased with. That said, I would've had a bad start yesterday had I not fallen asleep - I fancied Maxime Authom strongly against Berlocq, although it now turns out that Authom spent the day before his First Round match nursing a couple of injuries. Got lucky there. A side note to yesterday; Somdev Devvarman's result against Bjorn Phau suggests he is one to watch for future matches (not neccessarily in the AO, but more so on the Challenger tour). As some of you have already said, Devvarman spent a good eight or so months out with a shoulder injury - returning for the Olympics in August where he lost in straight sets. He then surprised a lot of people by deciding to take in a Futures event a week later in Cumberland, and lost 1-6, 3-6 to qualifier Tom Burn in the First Round, an English player ranked around 900th at the time. I think a lot of people started to think that Devvarman would not return to the form we witnessed from him in 2011 (reaching 62nd in the rankings in July 2011), and perhaps he would fall by the wayside so shortly after playing the best tennis of his career. He showed glimpses of his previous form in a Challenger at Charlottesville towards the end of the year, where he was strongly supported by the local crowd (as Devvarman resides in Charlottesville), and put in a decent showing in Chennai before heading to Australia. He made light work of Phau's serve and played some good stuff after a shaky start. By no means does the result mean he is a world beater, and I think he'll lose to Janowicz tomorrow, but he'll be one to watch for in 2013. Anyway, today's action. Guido Pella to beat Amir Weintraub @ 8/11 Small stakes, but I like Pella in this. Although he hasn't played any matches since his ATP Challenger Tour Finals win in late November/early December, he'll be entering his first Australian Open with plenty of confidence. He is a very temperamental player, which may put some people off. But he loves the limelight and the big tournaments. He put in a great showing against Davydenko at the US Open after qualifying against three decent players, and I think he has the armoury to beat qualifier Weintraub. Adrian Mannarino to win at least one set against Juan Martin Del Potro - YES @ 8/5 Mannarino really impressed me during the second half of last year. Although he was not always converting some of his play into wins/titles, I just enjoyed watching his tennis from August onwards. I always felt that if a big game, a big crowd came along, and he could find that form, and the exciting shots, then he could once again show people why he was a top 50 ranked player. He did that in a match against Phillip Kohlschreiber in his native France in a Challenger in September, but again his problem is struggling for consistency and he completely tanked in his next match. Despite the inconsistency, there are a number of reasons to like Mannarino here. He has started the year very well, winning a Challenger in New Caledonia before heading over to Australia and winning his qualifiers in dominant fashion. He played Del Potro here last year, and managed to take the first set before eventually losing 6-2, 1-6, 5-7, 4-6. I think he has it in him to take something from Del Potro. The over 30.5 games also appeals. Lukas Rosol to beat Jamie Baker @ 2/5 Tie-break in this match - YES @ 10/11 Odds will be too short for some, and I may pair Rosol with Chardy (against Menendez) or Dodig (against Wu) just to give the bet some weight. Baker did well to qualify, beating Donald Young in his last match. But I think he'll struggle to get anything off of Rosol's serve and that Rosol will have enough about him to occasionally break Baker, or to hang tough in any tie-breaks. Rosol can sometimes be very lazy against serve and this is why I have also taken the 10/11 about there being a tie-break in the match. May have a few more plays later, but I'm still umming and arring over whether to do them.

Really good, well-informed post :ok Hopefully you're wrong on Pella, but you've got me a bit worried now ...

[slider24]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Decided to go with this finally.... Jamie Baker to beat Lukas Rosol @ 5/2 BET 365 Strength (4/10) There's something about Baker at the moment that tells me just getting to the MD of a Grand Slam is not enough for him. He sounds like he's hungry for more. Whether working with Murray has had something to do with that I'm not sure, it could be due to finally getting over the blood condition that nearly killed him a few years ago as well. He admitted he spent a couple of years feeling sorry for himself after that it's only in the last year or so that he's started to put it behind him and look ahead. He's got a nifty game, takes the ball early with good timing, so while he's not the biggest hitter he can hit through the court when he's in good touch. He can mix it with the US college players like Johnson, Kudla, Sandgren on hard court, and I don't think Rosol holds any great fears for him, judging by interviews. He knows full well what a headcase the Czech is and that the level of performance which took care of Donald Young will probably be enough if Rosol's not tuned in. It was only last year Rosol was getting beaten 6-0 6-0 6-2 in the opening round, so this illustrates how Rosol can self-destruct on this stage. If Baker holds his nerve he can win this.

[Torque]

Re: Australian Open 2013 I've been through today's card a few times now, and this is what I've got so far. There are a still some matches that I'm undecided about so I might be back later, but like yesterday I'm trying to be selective. WTA Australian Open - Monica Niculescu to beat Victoria Azarenka @ 25.00 >Betfair In a similar way to the Hanescu and Puchkova picks from yesterday, I'm taking this on the off chance that Azarenka is still having problems with her toe. If she is, this match will be much more difficult than the prices suggest. Toe injuries can be particularly painful, and can have a big impact on a player's movement. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't go anywhere near this as Azarenka is defending champion and has a perfect record against Niculescu. However, Niculesu has had a pretty good start to the season, and if Azarenka isn't totally fit, Niculescu may be able to take advantage. As was the case last night, stakes will be very small and most likely the only possible chance of success will be if Azarenka has to retire. WTA Australian Open - Lara Arruabarrena Vecino to beat Hsieh Su-wei @ 3.90 >Betfair I didn't pay too much attention to this match the first time I saw it, but on closer inspection there are a few reasons why I think Arruabarrena Vecino could upset Hsieh Su-wei in this match. She looks to be a promising young player, and although she has lost both of the main draw matches that she's played this season, she has had some wins as she had to qualify in Hobart. She has also played a lot of hard court matches since Wimbledon last year, and has strung quite a few wins together across both qualifying and main draw matches. This happened at the US Open and also in Beijing, and included main draw wins against Pe'er and Zheng Jie. Looking at Hsieh Su-wei, I think she's vulnerable right now. She's made a slow start to this season, winning only one match so far and getting bagelled by Beck in Shenzhen. That result might have been due to an injury that she was reported to have picked up, and although she's since played against Peng Shuai in Hobart and lost in a tight match, if she isn't totally over that injury then she might struggle in this match.

[Atko]

Re: Australian Open 2013 Three more for me. It's going to be a long night ... - TOMMY ROBREDO to beat Jesse Levine @ 2.12 with unibet (5pts) In all honesty, I've probably over-thought this one. Yesterday I said I wouldn't be totally comfortable with my money on the Spaniard and in a lot of ways, I'm not comfortable. The price, however, has lured me in. There's very little between these players, but Robredo has more Slam experience and if he plays anywhere near his best, he'll win. He's wily and crafty and prefers the slower courts in Australia. Levine has started the season brightly enough, but he's vulnerable on serve and might just get out-witted. - GUILLERMO GARCIA-LOPEZ to beat Rajeev Ram x TOMMY HAAS to beat Jarkko Nieminen @ 2.02 with unibet (5pts) Gulp. This is a heart-attack on a bet-slip. Tell you what though, I fancy it to come in. GGL, as I affectionately know him, is a roaster, but he's got more talent than Ram. The American is a very average player, one who has actually regressed down the years. GGL has it in his locker to mix it with the best, it just depends whether he brings his form to the table. I reckon he will. Haas v Nieminen should be very easy on the eye, but I feel Haas has a better serve and a little more accuracy in the key moments. They'll both win, but it'll be bollock-wrenching. Take this at your peril. - SABINE LISICKI to beat Caroline Wozniacki @ 2.62 with unibet (4pts) Wow, a lady bet. I don't often dabble in these. Bets on WTA, that is, not women. Plenty of those frequent the chateau. I'd happily welcome both Caroline and Sabine and treat them to a lovely bottle of Sainte-Emillion, but I suppose that dream will never come true. Anyway, all I've heard this week is that Wozniacki is going to lose this match. Apparently Lisicki is her worst match-up. I really think the dear Dane has other balls on her mind than the yellow fluffy ones she needs to hit with more venom. McIlroy has done little for her. Lisicki to win, mainly because you guys are all saying so. Right, time to watch ... and hopefully not weep!

[Atko]

Re: Australian Open 2013

Decided to go with this finally.... Jamie Baker to beat Lukas Rosol @ 5/2 BET 365 Strength (4/10) There's something about Baker at the moment that tells me just getting to the MD of a Grand Slam is not enough for him. He sounds like he's hungry for more. Whether working with Murray has had something to do with that I'm not sure, it could be due to finally getting over the blood condition that nearly killed him a few years ago as well. He admitted he spent a couple of years feeling sorry for himself after that it's only in the last year or so that he's started to put it behind him and look ahead. He's got a nifty game, takes the ball early with good timing, so while he's not the biggest hitter he can hit through the court when he's in good touch. He can mix it with the US college players like Johnson, Kudla, Sandgren on hard court, and I don't think Rosol holds any great fears for him, judging by interviews. He knows full well what a headcase the Czech is and that the level of performance which took care of Donald Young will probably be enough if Rosol's not tuned in. It was only last year Rosol was getting beaten 6-0 6-0 6-2 in the opening round, so this illustrates how Rosol can self-destruct on this stage. If Baker holds his nerve he can win this.

I really hope this comes up. It's a massive match for Jamie. I've had a wee feeling he might do the job, but not the courage to financially back it. My fingers are crossed for you.