The 2012 Australian Open gets underway at Melbourne Park on 16th January and bookmakers have already marked Novak Djokovic up as firm favourite to retain his title. The world number one eclipsed his rivals during a stellar 2011 season and he is the 11/8 favourite in Australia according to Stan James.
Djokovic stunned Andy Murray in the final last year and he went on to enjoy an amazing year. The Serb won three of the four Grand Slams on offer, although a long season took its toll as he wilted towards the end of year and was forced to withdraw from a couple of matches and struggled at the ATP World Tour Finals.
At such a short price it is tough to back Djokovic and it could pay dividends to look for value elsewhere; with sixteen-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer looking very tempting at an industry best priced 7/2 with StanJames.com. Federer failed to win any of the four Grand Slams last year, the first time that has happened since 2003, and many were predicting it was the end for the Swiss star.
However, Federer bounced backed to win his final three events of 2011, including the ATP World Tour Finals, and as a four-time winner of the Australian Open (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010) he demands respect and could be worth an ante-post punt.
Federer defeated Andy Murray in the 2010 final and Murray has now lost in the past two finals of the Australian Open. The British number one is still searching for a first Grand Slam victory and he has moved to put that right by hiring Ivan Lendl, a two-time Australian Open champion, as his coach. Murray did win three of his final five tournaments of 2011 before struggling with a groin injury and his injury problems, including a recent back complaint, ensure that he is no shorter than 5/1 in the latest betting.
It is perhaps a surprise that Rafael Nadal is as long as 6/1, an industry best price with StanJames, and it is not often that you will find the Spaniard at such long odds. The 2009 champion found himself in the shadow of Djokovic for much of last year as he lost to the Serb in the Wimbledon and US Open finals. Nadal did win the French Open, although he didn't win a singles tournament after that and he will need to improve his record of having lost twelve of the last fourteen meetings with Djokovic.
Away from the 'big four', Juan Martin Del Potro (14/1) could be a dark horse for the title - if the 2009 US Open champion is fully fit and firing. The quick courts in Melbourne should suit the big hitting Argentine, but can he stay fit for the duration?
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (22/1) has had no such fitness worries as the Frenchman reached the final of three of his final four tournaments of 2011 and the 2009 Australian Open finalist is threatening to pick up a first Grand Slam win in the near future. He could be worth an each-way look at least, while Tomas Berdych (40/1) and David Ferrer (40/1) are the best of the rest, with Roger Federer looking a tempting bet to end his Grand Slam drought.
2012 Australian Open Ante-Post Tips
Tip #1: Roger Federer to win outright @ 7/2 with StanJames.com
Tip #2: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win (each-way) @ 22/1 with StanJames.com
11/8 Novak Djokovic
7/2 Roger Federer
5/1 Andy Murray
6/1 Rafael Nadal
14/1 Juan Martin Del Potro
22/1 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
40/1 Tomas Berdych
40/1 David Ferrer
50/1 Bernard Tomic
80/1 Alexandr Dolgopolov
80/1 Marin Cillic
100/1 BAR
Odds supplied byStanJames.com bookmakers, who provide a variety of betting markets for the 2012 Australian Open.
Posted: Wednesday, 4th January 2012
Author: Chris James
Tags: australian open, australian open, novak djokovic, roger federer, stan james,
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