Jordan Thompson has made a terrific start to the summer of tennis and he goes into this clash with Joao Sousa with a terrific chance of qualifying for the second round. Sousa finished 2016 with a hold/break percentage of less than 100 percent on hard courts, while Thompson showed on the Challenger circuit that he can perform at a higher level than this.
Mikhail Youzhny and Marcos Baghdatis have both seen better days and this is a very interesting first round clash. They are both tough to trust from a betting perspective, but it is tough to ignore the value on offer for a Youzhny victory. There is nothing between the pair in terms of hold/break percentage and Youzhny has won three of the past four games played between the pair.
The current market suggests that there is not a great deal between these two players, but pure statistics suggest that Feliciano Lopez has a clear edge over Fabio Fognini on hard courts. Lopez has won the only two meetings played between the pair – both of which were at Grand Slams – and he should be a much shorter favourite.
The Big Bash is far too even a competition for any side to go around at as short a price as $1.55. The Melbourne Stars have shown in the past that they can be fairly vulnerable as clear favourites, while the Brisbane Heat bowled very well against the Perth Scorchers. A similar effort with the ball and an improved effort with the bat would see them go close in this clash.