Daily Tennis Tips

Our Tennis Tips are back for another year!

The Tennis World is set to return to a semblance of normality in 2023, after a number of seasons disrupted by COVID-19.

We’ll have you covered with tips ahead of all four Grand Slams below!

2023 Australian Open Day 12 Tips – Men’s Semi-Finals

KAREN KHACHANOV V STEFANOS TSITSIPAS

Karen Khachanov is through to his second grand slam semi after reaching this stage for the first time at last year’s US Open. His trail to a maiden major final now meets Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is into the last four at the Australian Open for the fourth time in five years.

Khachanov has dropped only two sets in Melbourne so far – in four-set wins over Jason Kubler and 16th seed Frances Tiafoe. The 18th seed has since blown Yishihito Nishioka away 6-0 6-0 7-6, before overcoming boom 29th seed Sebastian Korda.

The Russian was ahead 7-6 6-3 3-0 when Korda succumbed to a wrist injury. Khachanov has sent 62 aces past his five opponents.

Tstistipas, the 2021 French Open runner-up, is tantalisingly close to his second slam final. After powering through Quentin Halys, Rinky Hijikata and Tallor Griekspoor in straight sets, he survived a bewildering mid-match slump to beat 15th seed Jannik Sinner in five after letting a 2-0 set lead slip.

The third seed found his groove from the outset against giant-killing quarter-final bolter Jiri Lehecka, barrelling to a 6-3 7-6 6-4 victory on Tuesday night. He’s lost only six games on serve (four of which came against Sinner).

Tsitsipas is unbeaten in five matches against Khachanov, four of which were on hard courts. He was too good in Rotterdam and Montreal in 2021, and came from a set down to win a Rome Masters clash on clay last season.

While Tsitsipas has endeared himself to the Australian fans, though he went terrifyingly close to being disqualified in the quarters after almost hitting a ballkid. Khachanov won’t enjoy a great deal of crowd support but has proven a calm and collected performer during this tournament.

Both players are in peak form, but Tsitsipas’ ceiling is a notch higher than Khachanov’s and he should find a way through.

Tip: Back Tsitsipas to Cover the Games Handicap (-4.5) @ $1.95

NOVAK DJOKOVIC V TOMMY PAUL

The prospect of a 10th Australian Open title for Novak Djokovic has made the jump from highly likely to near certainty in recent days. The Serbian legend’s form has rendered first-time grand slam semi-finalist Tommy Paul an $11 outsider.

Djokovic has won 35 of his last 36 matches, has dropped just one set in this tournament and has taken his game to another level this week. He crushed 22nd seed Alex de Minaur 6-2 6-1 6-2 in the fourth round and routed fifth seed Andrey Rublev 6-1 6-2 6-4 in the quarters.

A much-talked-about hamstring injury does not appear to be impeding him at all, while only third-round opponent Grigor Dimitrov has broken his serve.

World No.35 Paul earns his first career match-up with Djokovic after progressing past the fourth round of a major for the first time. The 25-year-ol kicked off an unlikely charge to the top four with a straight-sets win over Jan-Lennard Struff before eliminating 30th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in five.

Jenson Brooksby took just eight games off Paul, who then subdued gritty stalwart and 24th seed Roberto Bautista Agut in four sets. He was too good for big-serving bolter Ben Shelton in the quarters, winning 7-6 6-3 5-7 6-4.

But even Paul’s absolute best won’t be enough to trouble Djokovic, even if he’s a couple of gears down on the ruthless brilliance he’s produced in his last two matches. Djokovic has won 22 of his last 24 grand slam semis and this shapes as one of his more straightforward assignments this deep in a major.

Tip: Back Djokovic to Cover the Games Handicap (-8.5) @ $2.00

2023 Australian Open Day 11 Tips  

ELENA RYBAKINA V VICTORIA AZARENKA 

Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina is through to the second grand slam semi-final of her relatively young career. Veteran Victoria Azarenka – the Australian Open winner in 2012-13 – has been here eight times in majors, but only once since 2013: when she reached the 2020 US Open final. 

Rybakina, the 22nd seed, has dropped just one set in the tournament so far – to 13th seed Danielle Collins in the third round. Since then, she has dismantled world No.1 Iga Swiatek 6-4 6-4 in a stunning upset and former French Open champ Jelena Ostapenko 6-2 6-4. 

The powerful ball-striker has only grown in confidence since her surprise triumph at the All England Club. She has a tournament-high 29 aces to her credit in five matches. 

The 33-year-old Azarenka has turned back the clock in Melbourne, beating 2020 champ Sofia Kenin first up, as well as coming from a set down to blow 10th seed Madison Keys away in the third round and upset third seed Jessica Pegula 6-4 6-1. 

It’s been an electrifying reminder of Azarenka’s class as she has taken the ball early, persevered through rough patches and piled the pressure on her five opponents. 

The pair’s only previous meeting was at the Indian Wells Masters last year, Rybakina carving out a 6-3 6-4 win. She’s a $1.45 favourite to down Azarenka again and has arguably been the most impressive women’s player at the Australian Open, while claiming some massive scalps. 

Azarenka has the tools to rattle Rybakina and will keep this interesting…but the 23-year-old is simply playing too well at present to back against. 

Tip: SGM – Back Rybakina to Win and Over 20.5 Games Total @ $2.55 

MAGDA LINETTE V ARYNA SABALENKA 

Thirty-year-old Magda Linette has progressed beyond the third round of a grand slam for the first time – but her path to the final is obstructed by rampaging fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka, who is also in pursuit of her maiden appearance in a major decider. 

World No.45 Linette’s run to the last four has come out of nowhere and at the expense of four seeded players. Anett Kontaveit (16th), Ekaterina Alexandrova (19th), in-form superstar Caroline Garcia (4th) and Karolina Pliskova (30th) were all sent packing by the Polish veteran. 

Linette’s ability to counter some ultra-song ball strikers and dig herself out of some tough spots has been remarkable for a player that won the last of her two WTA titles almost three years ago. 

Sabalenka, who is into her fourth slam semi but has underachieved frustratingly on this stage, has been ruthless this month. She powered to the Adelaide International 1 title and has extended her winning streak to nine matches without dropping a set. 

The 24-year-old powerhouse has only lost more than five games once in this tournament – in a comfortable 7-5 6-2 defeat of 12th seed Bencic in the fourth round – and has comprehensively outplayed Tereza Martincova, Shelby Rogers, 26th seed Elise Mertens and quarters opponent Donna Vekic. 

Sabalenka has won both of her previous encounters with Linette in straight sets for the loss of four games or less – at the 2018 Tianjin Open and the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. 

The weight of expectation may be a factor against Sabalenka, but she has been sensational since landing in Australia and it feels like her time to shine in the grand slam spotlight has belatedly arrived. 

Tip: Back Sabalenka to Win 2-0  

2023 Australian Open Day 10 Tips  

KAROLINA PLISKOVA V MAGDA LINETTE 

Karolina Pliskova is into a grand slam quarter-final for the 11th time; her opponent, Magda Linette, had never previously been past the third round at a major. 

But this duo have a lengthy nine-match history against one another. Pliskova leads 7-2, including a three-set victory in the first round of last year’s US Open to make it five straight in the rivalry – but Linette bounced back to win a Billie Jean Cup clash in November 6-4 6-1. 

World No.45 Linette has undoubtedly carved the higher-profile path to the last eight. In her last three matches the Polish veteran has bounced 16th seed Anett Kontaveit after losing the first set, 19th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets and hyped fourth seed Caroline Garcia 7-6 6-4. 

It’s a run that few saw coming from a long-serving player with just two WTA titles (2019 Bronx Open and 2020 Hua Hin Championships) to her name. 

Pliskova, though, could not have done much more to impress in her four matches, losing a maximum of six games on her way to the quarters. The 30th seed’s charge has gone through decent talent in Wang Xiu, Yulia Putintseva, Varvara Gracheva and 23rd seed Zhang Shuai. 

The Czech, who made the semis here in 2019 as well as slam finals at the US Open (2016) and Wimbledon (2021), has dropped just three games on serve so far. 

Former world No.1 Pliskova is a $1.62 favourite against a player very much in uncharted territory. Linette has been excellent over the past week, but the aggressive Pliskova looks in absolute vintage touch and knows what it takes to get the job done on this stage. 

Tip: Back Pliskova to Win 2-0 @ $2.38 

ARYNA SABALENKA V DONNA VEKIC 

Aryna Sabalenka is many experts’ tip to fulfil her long-prophesised destiny and go on to win her maiden grand slam title at the Australian Open. But surprise quarter-finalist, world No.64 and $3.90 underdog Donna Vekic will be no pushover. 

The ace up Vekic’s sleeve is a dominant 5-1 record against Sabalenka. Sabalenka’s sole win came in the 2019 Silicon Valley Classic, but since then Vekic has grabbed three-set victories at the Tokyo Olympics and last year’s San Diego Open. 

Vekic is into just her second quarter-final from 37 grand slam appearances (after the 2019 US Open). The Croatian has been superb this week, although perhaps aided by a handy draw. Second-round opponent Liudmila Samsonaova was her only seeded victim. 

The 26-year-old needed three sets to overcome 17-year-old bolter Linda Fruhvirtova in the Round of 16. 

Fifth seed Sabalenka, meanwhile, has been ruthless against quality opposition. She’s yet to drop a set – or lose more than seven games – in ousting Tereza Martincova, Shelby Rogers, 26th seed Elise Mertens and in-form 12th seed Belinda Bencic. 

Like Magda Linette, Vekic’s unexpected deep run deserves praise and respect. But powerhouse Sabalenka has barely put a foot wrong in Melbourne, ironing out her serving wrinkles and crushing all comers from the baseline. Expect the Belarusian to mitigate her ugly head-to-head with Veckic. 

Tip: SGM – Back Sabalenka to Win & Under 21.5 Games Total @ $1.91 

ANDREY RUBLEV V NOVAK DJOKOVIC 

Despite having three tough matches between him and a 10th Australian Open triumph, Novak Djovkovic is just $1.40 to take out the tournament. It’s possible this will be the toughest of his three remaining fixtures at Melbourne Park. 

Djokovic has won 34 of his last 35 matches, backing up his Adelaide International success with a virtual cruise to the Australian Open quarters. He dropped a set (in a tiebreak) to Enzo Couacaud but responded with straight-sets thrashings of 27th seed Grigor Dimitrov and 22nd seed Alex de Minaur. 

The fourth-seeded legend dropped just five games to de Minaur in an emphatic display that dispelled any concerns a hamstring injury would hamper him. 

Rublev is into his seventh slam quarter-final but still hunting his first semi. The 25-year-old Russian has racked up straight-sets wins over former Australian Open finalist Dominic Thiem and 25th seed Dan Evans either side of a well-crafted four-set defeat of Emil Ruusuvuori. 

Fifth seed Rublev then held his nerve in a five-set epic against ninth seed and highly-regarded tyro Holger Rune, prevailing 6-3 3-6 6-3 4-6 7-6. 

The pair’s three clashes to date were all in the past 15 months. Djokovic claimed straight-sets wins at the past two ATP Finals, while Rublev grabbed an impressive three-set victory in the 2022 Belgrade Open on clay. 

Though a boilover result seems highly unlikely, Rublev’s $5.75 underdog value is hard to ignore. But Djokovic is on a 38-match winning streak in Australia and should ride out any bumpy sections to record an ultimately comprehensive victory on his way to a 44th slam semi. 

Tip: Back Djokovic to Win 3-1 @ $3.70 

BEN SHELTON V TOMMY PAUL 

From a quarter boasting the likes of Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz, Matteo Berrettini and Alexander Zverev, only a Nostradumus-esque pundit could have predicted this all-American quarter-final showdown between world No.35 Tommy Paul and 89th-ranked Ben Shelton. 

Both, admittedly, have navigated less-the-superstar-studded routes to the last eight – but one will have the prestige of being the only United States player to reach the semis of the men’s or women’s tournament in 2023. 

Paul’s best previous grand slam performance was his 2022 Wimbledon run to the Round of 16. But he survived a five-setter against 30th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, blitzed Jenson Brooksby in straight sets and outlasted dogged 24th seed Roberto Bautista Agut in four. 

Twenty-year-old Shelton is in just his second major, following a first-round exit at the 2022 US Open. He’s yet to face a seeded player in Melbourne, but after beating Zhang Zhizhen in five sets, he eliminated Nicolas Jarry and Alexei Popyrin in straight sets and J.J. Wolf in a five-set thriller. 

Paul is the highest-ranked player Shelton has faced in this tournament, which could be telling; the youngster’s only win over a top-10 player was against Casper Ruud in Cincinnati last year. 

Shelton’s serve is causing all sorts of problems, but Paul has enough variety and subtlety in his game for his experience to prove a decisive factor here with a massive, unexpected opportunity on the line for both combatants. 

Tip: Back Paul to Cover the Games Handicap (-4.5) @ $1.91 

2023 Australian Open Day 9 Tips  

ELENA RYBAKINA V JELENA OSTAPENKO 

After wiping out the world No.1 and tournament favourite, Elena Rybakina has another French Open champion in her sights in the Australian Open quarter-finals. Jelena Ostapenko is coming off a sizeable Round of 16 upset herself. 

Rybakina, who carved out a stunning Wimbledon triumph last year, produced a monumental 6-4 6-4 upset of Iga Swiatek on Sunday. The 22nd seed’s power game that also accounted for 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins in the third round is proving unstoppable. 

This is the first time 23-year-old Rybakina has been past the third round of a hard-court major, while it’s her third slam quarter-final overall. Ostapenko – who lifted the trophy at Roland Garros in 2017 – is past the fourth round of a slam for the first time since her 2018 Wimbledon semi run. 

Still only 25, the experienced Latvian had a pair of early exits in Adelaide and was attracting little pre-Australian Open hype despite being the 17th seed. She cruised past Ukrainians Dayana Yastremska and Kateryna Kozlova in straight sets either side of a three-set test against Anna Bondar. 

But Ostapenko – one of the few players on tour to rival Rybakina in the power stakes – signalled her intentions with a 7-5 6-3 boilover against one of the tournament’s big guns, seventh seed Coco Gauff, in the fourth round. 

Ostapenko has the psychological edge of a 2-0 head-to-head record against Rybakina, winning at the 2019 Linz Open and 2021 Eastbourne International in straight sets. She’s arguably the more explosive and dynamic of the two, but also is more prone to unravelling. 

Ostapenko is a tantalising $2.45 underdog, but Rybakina’s poise and more recent big-stage success may just get her over the line and into the last four. 

Tip: SGM – Back Rybakina to Win and Over 20.5 Games @ $2.57 

JESSICA PEGULA V VICTORIA AZARENKA 

Despite being yet to feature in a grand slam semi-final, Jessica Pegula has rocketed to the second line of Australian Open title betting in the wake of Iga Swiatek’s surprise exit. But two-time champ Victoria Azarenka represents a formidable quarter-final obstacle. 

Third seed Pegula – a quarter-finalist at the last two Australian Opens as well as the 2022 French and US Opens – has been threatening a deep slam run for some time. She’s hasn’t dropped a set in eliminating Jaqueline Cristian, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Marta Kostyuk and 20th seed Barbora Krejcikova. 

World No.24 Azarenka, the 2012-13 Australian Open winner, has shown vintage competitive grit to reach the last eight. The 33-year-old took care of Sofia Kenin and Nadia Podoroska in straight sets, then came from a set down to beat both 10th seed Madison Keys and giant-killing Zhu Lin. 

The head-to-head is locked two-all, with Pegula’s wins in the opening round of the 2021 Australian Open and in the recent Guadalajara Open semis bookending Azarenka’s victories in the 2021 Betti Open and Indian Wells quarters. 

Pegula bases her game on consistency rather than brilliance and has undoubtedly been the cleaner of these two so far. Azarenka is a better chance of advancing than her $3.15 head-to-head price suggests but probably doesn’t have the arsenal to derail Pegula on her current form streak. 

Tip: Back Azarenka to Cover the Games Handicap (+4.5) @ $1.73 

KAREN KHACHANOV V SEBASTIAN KORDA 

Sebastian Korda marked his 21st birthday in 2021 with a heart-breaking Round of 16 loss to Karen Khachanov in his maiden Wimbledon tilt, going down in a five-set epic that was notable for the 13 breaks in the 10-8 deciding set. The stakes are arguably even higher on Tuesday night in Melbourne. 

Korda has been unable to take the next step at grand slam level…until now. After getting over the top of Cristian Garin and Yosuke Watanuki in the first two rounds, the American has rolled two top-10 seeds in spectacular style. 

Twenty-ninth seed Korda upended 2021-22 runner-up Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in the third round, then outlasted 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz via a nerve-jangling fifth-set tiebreak to keep his hopes alive of emulating father Petr’s 1998 Australian Open triumph. 

On the back of his career-best US Open semi-final run last year, 26-year-old Khachanov – seeded 18th – has progressed past the third round of the Australian Open for the first time. 

The Russian beat Bernabe Zapata Miralles and in-form Aussie Jason Kubler in the early rounds, carved out a superb four-set win over 16th seed Frances Tiafoe and was dominant in a 6-0 6-0 7-6 Round of 16 defeat of Yoshihito Nishioka. 

Incredibly, Khachanov lost just 13 points total in the opening two sets against Nishioka. 

This pair have already met three times, with Korda winning last season’s hard-court clashes in Cincinnati and Antwerp in straight sets after their Wimbledon classic. 

Korda will need to shed the inconsistency that marked his win over Hurkacz, but he has a little bit extra in his game that gives him an edge in a showdown between two big servers in superlative form. However it shakes out, this looms as a lengthy, seesawing affair. 

Tip: Back Korda to Win @ $1.78 

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS V JIRI LEHECKA 

Bolter Jiri Lehecka is attempting to block third seed Stefanos Tsitstipas’ path to a fourth Australian Open semi-final appearance in five years. He’s a rank $5.60 outsider but has already shown big names on the other side of the net don’t faze him. 

Before this week Lehecka had not won a main draw match at grand slam level, but the world No.71 has left three seeds in his wake over the past week. He blitzed 21st seed Borna Coric in straight sets then accounted for Chris Eubanks in four. 

The Czech 21-year-old then twice came from a set down to beat 11th seed Cameron Norrie in a five-setter and stunned sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6 6-3 7-6 7-6. He was broken just once by Auger-Aliassime. 

Tsitsipas has continued his love affair with Melbourne Park. The gifted Greek blazed into the last 16 with straight-sets wins over Quentin Halys, Rinky Hijikata and Tallon Griekspoor, but he was taken to five sets by 15th seed Jannik Sinner after winning the first two. 

As the biggest name and highest-ranked player left on his side of the draw, the 2021 French Open runner-up will be desperate to get through to his second grand slam decider, but his mid-match slump against Sinner was a concern. 

This duo squared off for the first time last February in Rotterdam, with Tsitsipas fighting back from a set down to claim a semi-final victory. 

Tsitsipas needs to shut down Lehecka’s penchant for settling into long rallies, which was critical to his success against Auger-Aliassime. It seems likely this remarkable giant-killing run ends here – but given how brilliant he has been it would surprise if Lehecka doesn’t win a set and push Tsitsipas all the way. 

Tip: Back Lehecka to Cover the Games Handicap (+6.5) @ $1.91 

2023 Australian Open Day 8 Tips

ARYNA SABALENKA V BELINDA BENCIC

Fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka and 12th seed Belinda Bencic blazed have blazed through their first three matches without dropping a set, setting up a blockbuster Round of 16 clash to get Monday’s action at Rod Laver Arena underway.

With world No.1 Iga Swiatek bundled out of the tournament, these two players have to be considered red-hot chances to claim a maiden grand slam – despite neither having reached a final before.

Sabalenka has lost just 14 games total in dismantling Tereza Martincova, Shelby Rogers and in-form 26th seed Elise Mertens. Her sometimes vulnerable serve has been almost unstoppable, dropping just two games with the ball on her racquet.

The Belarusian has slam semi-final appearances at Wimbledon (2021) and the US Open (2021-22) to her name but has not been beyond the fourth round of the Australian Open.

In major tournaments, Bencic has made it past the Round of 16 at the US Open – a semi in 2019 and quarters in 2014 and ’21. But the Swiss 25-year-old has thrown down the gauntlet with convincing victories over Viktoriya Tomova, Clare Liu and Camila Giorgi.

This is a mouth-watering duel between the two winners of the Adelaide Internationals earlier this month. The head-to-head is square one-all, Sabalenka prevailing in straight sets at New Haven in 2018 and Bencic getting up at the Dubai Championships in 2019.

If Sabalenka maintains her recent level, she deserves to be considered a strong favourite – her powerful groundstrokes are so hard to combat. But Bencic is also in great touch and will pounce on any lapses.

Tip: Back 3 Total Sets @ $2.38

KAROLINA PLISKOVA V SHUAI ZHANG

Shuai Zhang will have to overcome a 0-7 record against former world No.1 Karolina Pliskova is she is to advance to her first slam quarter-final since 2019 and third of her career. Pliskova has won all seven previous encounters (six on hard courts), though they haven’t met since Indian Wells in 2018.

Pliskova boasts a 10-3 record in grand slam Round of 16 matches, going on to reach the semis at the Australian Open (2019) and French Open (2017), and the final at Wimbledon (2021) and the US Open (2016).

The 30-year-old Czech, seeded 30th has wound back the clock over the past week to dispose of Wang Xiyu (6-1 6-3), Yulia Putintseva (6-0 7-5) and Varvara Gracheva (6-4 6-2). Pliskova’s opponents have had no answer to her imposing serve and flat forehand.

World No.22 Zhang survived a three-set test against Patricia Tig in the opening round before finding her groove in dominant wins over Petra Martic (6-3 6-3) and Katie Volynets (6-3 6-2).

There is an overriding notion that Pliskova’s best will be far too strong for the admirably consistent, but somewhat limited, 34-year-old Zhang.

Tip: Back Pliskova to Cover the Games Handicap (-3.5) @ $1.95

ANDREY RUBLEV V HOLGER RUNE

Fifth seed Andrey Rublev and ninth seed Holger Rune are eyeing off a likely quarter-final encounter with tournament favourite Novak Djokovic. Burgeoning talent Rune won the pair’s only previous clash – a straight-sets victory at the Paris Masters hard-court event just three months ago.

Rublev has bounced back from consecutive first-up exits in Adelaide by dropping just one set in his first three matches in Melbourne. He dominated Dominic Thiem 6-3 6-4 6-2, comfortably accounted for Emil Ruusuvuori in four sets and overpowered Dan Evans 6-4 6-2 6-3.

The 25-year-old Russian has dropped just one game on serve. He has six slam quarter-final appearances to his name, including at the 2021 Australian Open and last year’s French and US Opens.

Rune is still just 19 and in only his sixth major. He came from nowhere to reach the French Open quarters last year and stormed into the top 10 with ATP titles at the Bavarian Championships, Stockholm Open and Paris Masters – beating Djokovic in the final of the latter.

The Danish prodigy’s star has continued to soar with straight-sets wins over Filip Krajinovic, Maxime Cressy and Ugo Humbert so far at the Australian Open.

Rune boasts a magnificent 9-6 record against players ranked in the top 10 at the time of the match. Rublev is arguably the more explosive and talented performer right now, but he’s less reliable. Rune is a slight favourite for good reason and has barely put a foot wrong so far.

Tip: Back Rune to Win @ $1.75

ALEX DE MINAUR V NOVAK DJOKOVIC

Alex de Minaur gets a long-awaited maiden career showdown with Novak Djokovic on a huge stage, with the nine-time champion standing in the way of his first Australian Open quarter-final berth.

The 23-year-old Aussie was bounced out at this stage by Jannik Sinner last year. His sole run to the last eight of a slam was at the 2020 US Open.

De Minaur, the 22nd seed, has passed every test impressively during the opening three rounds, thrashing Yu Hsiou Hsu 6-2 6-2 6-3, outlasting Adrian Mannarino in four sets and brushing aside Benjamin Bonzi 7-6 6-2 6-1. He’ll need to be far better on serve to trouble Novak, however.

The incomparable Djokovic has won 33 of his last 34 matches. On the back of his Adelaide International 1 title win, the fourth seed swept past Roberto Carballes Baena and Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets either side of a 6-1 6-7 6-2 6-0 second-round win over Enzo Couacaud.

Djokovic is under an injury cloud, sporting heavy strapping and taking medical timeouts against Dimitrov, where he squandered early opportunities to take a stranglehold on the match before eventually finding his groove.

The 35-year-old has been eliminated before the quarter-finals in just seven of his past 60 grand slam tournament appearances.

The perpetually energetic de Minaur’s watershed win over Rafael Nadal at the United Cup may provide him with elevated confidence as he prepares to take on another legend. But Rafa was well short of a gallop on a low-profile stage; Djokovic has not lost at the Australian Open since 2018.

Tip: Back Djokovic to Win 3-0 @ $2.15

2023 Australian Open Day 5 Tips

ELENA RYBAKINA V DANIELLE COLLINS

Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins meet for the second time already this season in a third-round blockbuster.

Rybakina came from a set down to beat Collins 5-7 6-2 6-3 at the Adelaide International 1 – levelling the head-to-head after Collins won their maiden clash at the 2021 Silicon Valley Classic.

Kazakhstan’s Rybakina is searching for her first Round of 16 appearance at a hard-court major. She has made a blistering start, accounting for in-form rising star Elisabetta Cocciaretto 7-5 6-3 before obliterating Kaja Juvan 6-2 6-1.

Collins – a breakout semi-finalist at the 2019 Australian Open before losing last year’s final to Ash Barty – has endured a more arduous path to the last 32. The 29-year-old American outlasted Anna Kalinskaya in a lengthy three-setter and came from a set down to beat Karolina Muchova in a super tiebreak.

Consequently, 13th seed Collins has been on the court almost four hours longer than 22nd seed Rybakina this week. One of the cleanest ball-strikers on the tour, Rybakina has found her rhythm and should have too much in the tank for the weary Collins.

Tip: Back Rybakina to Win 2-0 @ $2.50

MADISON KEYS V VICTORIA AZARENKA

Challenging Rybakina and Collins for match-of-the-day honours, 10th seed Madison Keys and two-time champion Victoria Azarenka square off in a massive third-round encounter at the Australian Open.

After overcoming a three-set test against Anna Blinkova in the opening round, Keys breezed past Wang Xinyu 6-3 6-2 on Wednesday. It’s been a tidy start to 2023 for the 27-year-old, who won all five of her singles matches to help USA take out the United Cup.

Azarenka, the 24th seed, has negotiated a tricky early draw impressively. The Belarusian veteran downed 2020 champ Sofia Kenin 6-4 7-6 first up, then crushed Nadia Podoroska 6-1 6-0. She won the Australian Open way back in 2012-13 but was a US Open finalist as recently as 2020.

Keys reached the US Open final in 2017 and has made four other grand slam semi-final appearances – including at the Australian Open in 2015 and 2022.

Azarenka boasts a 3-0 record against Keys, beating her at the 2018 Miami Open, the 2021 French Open and the Guadalajara Open on hard courts just three months ago. This psychological edge, along with the 33-year-old’s top-shelf return game and greater consistency, makes her a solid option in what shapes as an absorbing contest.

Tip: Back Azarenka to Win @ $1.72

KAREN KHACHANOV V FRANCES TIAFOE

Two of the bigger serves on the ATP Tour come together in a mouth-watering third-round showdown. Karen Khachanov, the 18th seed, is striving for his first Round of 16 appearance at the Australian Open, while 16th seed Frances Tiafoe reached his first grand slam quarter here in 2019.

The pair were the beaten US Open semi-finalists in 2022. Khachanov holds the 2-0 head-to-head advantage, though both previous clashes were on the Wimbledon grass – in 2018 and 2021.

Khachanov accounted for Bernabe Zapata Miralles in straight sets in the first round, before seeing off the compelling challenge of in-form Aussie Jason Kubler 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-2 on Wednesday. He has racked up 26 aces and lost just three games on serve.

Tiafoe put away Daniel Altmaier in a four-set slugfest in the opening round then went up a gear in a 6-4 6-4 6-1 defeat of qualifier J.C. Shang. The 24-year-old American has dropped only one game on serve and fired down 42 aces across two matches.

Tiafoe was also in impressive touch during the United Cup, while Khachanov had mixed results in the Adelaide International tournaments. The market is finding it very hard to split the pair and viewers should settle in for a long one.

Tip: Back 5 Total Sets @ $3.00

SEBASTIAN KORDA V DANIIL MEDVEDEV

It’s a shame these two meet as early as the third round, but burgeoning dark horse Sebastian Korda and 2021-22 Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev are set to put on a scintillating show at Rod Laver Arena on Friday night.

Korda, the 29th seed, is seemingly on the cusp of joining the ATP’s elite. In a tremendous start to 2023, he left Andy Murray, Roberto Bautista Agut and Jannik Sinner in his wake on the way to the Adelaide International 1 final, where he had a match point against Novak Djokovic before losing in three.

The 22-year-old American has taken that form to Melbourne, overcoming the dangerous Cristian Garin in four sets and easing past qualifier Yosuke Watanuki in straight sets. He’s yet to make it past the fourth round of a major and was eliminated in the third round on Australian Open debut last year.

Seventh seed Medvedev looked in great touch at the Adelaide International 1 before going down convincingly to Djokovic in the semis. He’s powered through his early work at the Australian Open, losing just three games against Marcos Giron and beating John Millman 7-5 6-2 6-2.

Medvedev has made it to at least the fourth round of the last eight majors. On top of his Australian Open final runs in the past two years (losing to Djokovic and Rafael Nadal), he won a maiden slam at the 2021 US Open. He thrives on the big stage and his path to another final is clear with Nadal out.

The pair’s only previous meeting was at the 2021 Paris Masters, where Medvedev came from a set down to win 4-6 6-1 6-3.

Korda has come a long way since that clash but he will need to lift another couple of notches to give himself a chance of knocking off $1.20 favourite Medvedev, whose recent grand slam record provides a big edge in a showdown between two players in excellent form.

Tip: Back Korda to Cover the Games Handicap (+6.5) @ $1.73

2023 Australian Open Day 4 Tips

YULIA PUTINTSEVA V KAROLINA PLISKOVA

World No.47 Yulia Putinseva and 30th seed Karolina Pliskova square off for the seventh time in the Australian Open’s second round. Pliskova has a 5-1 lead in the head-to-head, taking the last five straight and all five on hard courts. They last met at the 2021 Cincinnati Masters, Pliskova winning 6-3 6-2.

Putintseva was in early trouble against Sorana Cirstea in her opening assignment but stormed back to win 2-6 6-4 6-3. She has been to the Australian Open’s third round three times, as well as two quarter-finals at the French Open and one at the US Open.

After straight-sets losses to Iga Swiatek and Belinda Bencic at the United Cup, the Kazakh star made it to the Hobart International quarters before being halted by Anna Blinkova.

Former world No.1 Pliskova had a mixed build-up in the two Adelaide Internationals – losing convincingly to Jelena Ostapenko and Danielle Collins – but she found form in Melbourne with a first-round 6-1 6-3 demolition of 53rd-ranked Xiyu Wang.

The highlight of Pliskova’s injury-hit 2022 campaign was a US Open quarter-final run. She made the Australian Open semis in 2019 and has played grand slam finals at the US Open (2016) and Wimbledon (2021).

Pliskova’s fine record at the Australian Open is a handy advantage – the Melbourne Park conditions are tailored to her booming serve and potent forehand. Putintseva has the ability to disrupt Pliskova and drag her into a dogfight but doesn’t have the form on the board to inspire enough confidence.

Tip: Back Pliskova to Win 2-0 @ $2.15

LEYLAH ANNIE FERNANDEZ V CAROLINE GARCIA

Caroline Garcia is on the fourth line of Australian Open title betting, but she encounters a recent grand slam finalist in the second round in Leylah Annie Fernandez.

Sixth seed Garcia, who finished 2022 in blistering form by reaching the US Open semis and winning the WTA Finals crown, breezed through the opening round in Melbourne – carving out a 6-3 6-0 win over qualifier Katherine Sebov.

Fernandez had a considerably harder first-up assignment against 2022 quarter-finalist Alize Cornet but powered to a 7-5 6-2 victory. The 20-year-old recovered from 3-1 down in the first set to get the job done in 55 minutes, hitting 24 service winners.

Fernandez shot to prominence in 2021 when she came from nowhere to make the US Open final. Currently ranked 40th, her most notable results in a mixed 2022 season were reaching the Round of 16 at Indian Wells and the French Open quarters.

Garcia’s fearless, ultra-aggressive approach is difficult for any player on the tour to combat – particularly when playing with the confidence she has for the past six months. If Garcia’s execution is on song, she should unsettle Fernandez’s serve and get through this tricky assignment.

Tip: Back Garcia to Cover the Games Handicap (-3.5) @ $1.80

ADRIAN MANNARINO V ALEX DE MINAUR

Australia’s best chance of seeing a homegrown competitor during the second week of the year’s first grand slam, 22nd seed Alex de Minaur lines up against vastly experienced world No.45 Adrian Mannarino after a swift first-up victory.

Buoyed by a United Cup upset of Rafael Nadal earlier this month, de Minaur made short work of fellow counterpunching jack-in-a-box Yu Hsiou Hsu in a 6-2 6-2 6-3 win on Tuesday. The 23-year-old held serve throughout and won 86 percent of his first-serve points.

De Minaur reached the fourth round of the Australian Open for the first time last year (losing to Jannik Sinner) and has a slam quarter-final appearance to his name, getting the last eight at the 2020 US Open.

Mannarino also earned his maiden Australian Open Round of 16 berth in 2022, knocking out two top-20 seeds before going down to eventual champ Nadal.

The 34-year-old Frenchman had a modest build-up to this tilt at the United Cup and via a first-round loss to JJ Wolf in Auckland. But he outlasted fellow tour stalwart John Isner 6-7 7-6 6-2 6-2 on Tuesday.

Combating the powerhouse serve of Isner, Mannarino was not broken once and won a staggering 93 percent of his first-serve points.

The pair have met three times previously: de Minaur won their Zhuhai final in 2019, while two 2022 clashes were split – Mannarino prevailed on grass at ’s-Hertogenbosch and de Minaur won a three-setter at the Atlanta Open.

The ever-tenacious de Minaur is a prohibitive $1.17 favourite and should get the win, but Mannarino is likely to give the tyro – and the partisan Melbourne crowd – some nervous moments.

Tip: SGM – Back de Minaur to Win and Over 34.5 Total Games @ $2.21

ANDY MURRAY V THANASI KOKKINAKIS

All-time great Andy Murray rode vociferous crowd support to an unforgettable, phenomenally gutsy first-round victory – but the cheers will predominantly be directed at the other side of the net on Thursday night as he faces Aussie hope Thanasi Kokkinakis.

The 35-year-old Murray tipped up 13th seed Matteo Berrettini in a five-set, near five-hour epic in the first round. He watched his two-set lead get whittled away and an honourable loss seemed inevitable as he shuffled uncomfortably between points.

But the Scot dug deep to stay in the fifth set before winning a tiebreak. It was a truly heroic performance from the five-time Australian Open finalist destined to become enshrined in slam folklore.

Kokkinakis’ path to the second round could hardly have been more disparate, cruising to a 6-1 6-2 6-2 win over an apparently disinterested Fabio Fognini. The 26-year-old’s trademark serve was on point – but his opponent’s limp showing made it hard to get a true form gauge.

Despite being ranked 159th in the world, Kokkinakis arrived in Melbourne after some confidence-boosting performances – including a semi-final run at the Adelaide International 2. He has only been beyond the second round of a major once, though, at the 2015 French Open.

Murray is a three-time slam winner and 11-time finalist but has not been past the third round of a major since 2017.

This duo’s only encounter to date was during the 2015 Davis Cup, where Murray won in straight sets. But this clash hinges on Murray’s body – he was totally spent after his marathon against Berrettini. Kokkinakis, the $1.60 favourite, comes in fresh and in tidy form…but this shapes as another lengthy affair.

Tip: Back Over 39.5 Total Games @ $1.80

2023 Australian Open Day 3 Tips 

OLIVIA GADECKI V MARTA KOSTYUK 

With Ash Barty retired and Ajla Tomljanovic and Daria Saville sidelined, Australian women’s tennis needed a new hero for the first major of 2023. Enter Olivia Gadecki. The Gold Coast wildcard is into the second round after carving out a stirring win on grand slam debut in the first round. 

World No.199 Gadecki made her WTA debut in 2021 but has predominantly been plugging away on the ITF circuit. The 20-year-old lost her matches at the United Cup and Hobart International but bounced back to overpower qualifier Polina Kudermetova 7-5 6-1 at the Australian Open. 

Gadecki held serve throughout, winning 81 percent of her first-serve points and sending down seven aces. But she will encounter a significant step up in class in the second round courtesy of in-form Ukrainian and fellow 20-year-old Marta Kostyuk. 

The world No.61 made her grand slam debut at the 2018 Australian Open, reaching the third round – a feat she repeated last year. She won a maiden WTA Open title at the Slovenia Open in September. 

Kostyuk upset Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina to reach the Adelaide International 1 quarters (where she lost to Ons Jabeur 7-6 7-5) before losing in Adelaide International 2 qualifying. She was magnificent in dumping 28th seed Amanda Anisimova out in the first round in Melbourne. 

Gadecki is a talent but is yet to prove herself against top-100 opposition. That said, the $6 underdog has nothing to lose and can ride the crowd support to at least give dark horse Kostyuk a run for her money, particularly if she can find a good groove again on serve. 

Tip: Back Gadecki to Cover the Games Handicap (+5.5) @ $1.95 

EMMA RADUCANU V COCO GAUFF 

An early blockbuster in the women’s draw as 2021 US Open champ Emma Raducanu takes on seventh seed and French Open finalist Coco Gauff in the second round. 

The pair opened their 2023 campaigns at the ASB Classic in Auckland, where Gauff powered to her third WTA title with five consecutive straight-sets wins and Raducanu pulled out during her second-round match with injury. 

But Raducanu looks to be back at full fitness, easily accounting for Tamara Korspatch in the first round at Melbourne Park 6-3 6-2 – despite a tentative start. The British 20-year-old is currently ranked 77th after cracking the top 10 in July, beset by injury issues later in the 2022 season. 

Gauff kept her momentum rolling with a comfortable 6-1 6-4 victory over world No.46 Katerina Siniakova, atoning for her opening-round exit at the Australian Open last year. 

Still only 18, Gauff’s best Australian Open performance was a fourth-round run in 2020. Raducanu made the second round on Australian Open debut last year and failed to make it to the last 32 in any of the four slams in 2022. 

The massively talented Gauff is undoubtedly burdened by expectation; Raducanu will revel in her underdog status. With plenty of attention on this clash it shapes as a seesawing battle – but $1.33 favourite Gauff has the form on the board to get the job done if she can keep her head. 

Tip: SGM – Back Gauff to Win and Over 20.5 Games Total @ $2.65 

KAREN KHACHANOV V JASON KUBLER 

Wildcard Jason Kubler tempered news of Nick Kyrgios’ withdrawal for Australian fans with a blistering first-round win – but he’s a $3.80 outsider to upend 18th seed Karen Khachanov on Wednesday. 

It’s been a big six months for Kubler, who has shaken off several injury-interrupted years to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon, carve out impressive United Cup wins over Dan Evans and Albert Ramos Vinolas, and produce some spirited Adelaide International 2 performances. 

Returning to the Australian Open main draw for the first time since 2019, world No.86 Kubler earned his first win at the tournament in emphatic style – demolishing 44th-ranked Sebastian Baez 6-4 6-4 6-4. The 29-year-old was unstoppable on serve, holding throughout and winning 85 percent of his first-serve points. 

Big-serving Russian Khachanov arrived at the Australian Open after some decent form in the two Adelaide Internationals. He weathered some early resistance from Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the opening round to run away with a 7-6 6-2 6-0 victory. 

Khachanov has not been beyond the third round in six previous Australian Open forays, but he made it to a maiden grand slam semi at the US Open four months ago. 

Kubler needs to operate at a high level of intensity from go to whoa to counter Khachanov’s physicality – but he’s by no means a longshot here. Aussie supporters will pack out John Cain Arena for this one and it would surprise if Kubler can’t pinch a set or two. 

Tip: Back Over 38.5 Total Games @ $1.91 

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS V RINKY HIJIKATA 

Another Aussie wildcard who soothed the Kyrgios pain on Monday, Rinky Hijikata lines up for a daunting second-round clash with third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. 

World No.169 Hijikata – playing in just his second grand slam match – came from two sets down to beat Yannick Hanfmann in a five-set thriller. The 21-year-old garnered some attention for taking a set off Rafael Nadal at the US Open, but his revival on home soil earned instant cult hero status. 

It was only his second ATP main draw match since the US Open after a first-round loss to Denis Shapovalov in Adelaide (where he also nabbed a set), plying his trade on the Challenger circuit in recent months. 

Tsitsipas, meanwhile, is one of the sport’s biggest names. He is a three-time Australian Open semi-finalist (2019, 2021-22) and reached a maiden slam final at the 2021 French Open. His early-2023 build-up consisted of four wins from four matches at the United Cup against quality opposition. 

The Greek 24-year-old negotiated a tricky first-round match-up impressively, putting away Quentin Halys 6-3 6-4 7-6. He’s moving well, serving strongly and on a roll. 

Hijikata’s four-and-a-half hours on the court two days ago should start to tell here. Expect another lively showing with the crowd behind him, but a much fresher Tsitsipas is likely to pick the tyro apart in convincing fashion. 

Tip: Back Tsitsipas to Cover the Games Handicap (-7.5) @ $1.67 

2023 Australian Open Day 2 Tips

GARBINE MUGURUZA V ELISE MERTENS 

Their current WTA rankings may not be much to get excited about, but Garbine Muguruza (73rd) and Elise Mertens (32nd) are among the more formidable competitors of the modern era. 

Former world No.1 and two-time major winner Muguruza was an Australian Open finalist as recently as 2020, while she won the Dubai Championships and the WTA Finals in 2021. But it’s been a lean trot since, falling out of the top 50 and failing to reach the last 16 of a slam for the first year since 2013. 

The 29-year-old lost in the first round of both Adelaide Internationals, to Bianca Andreescu and Belinda Bencic, respectively. 

With a semi-final appearance on Australian Open debut in 2018 and US Open quarter-final runs in 2019-20, Belgium’s Mertens has regularly threatened to take the next step to grand slam title contender without quite getting there. 

In 2022 Mertens reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, and took out the hard-court Jasmin Open title in Tunisia in October. Her 2023 campaign so far consists of a win over Gergana Topalova and a loss to Maria Sakkari at the United Cup, and a first-round defeat to Maryna Zanevska in Hobart. 

Muguruza is 2-0 against Mertens, beating her at the 2016 US Open and in the semi-finals of the 2021 Dubai Open. Neither has started this year well but Mertens is coming off a far stronger 2022 season and looks better value here as a slight underdog. 

Tip: Back Mertens to Win @ $2.05 

TAMARA ZIDANSEK V ONS JABEUR 

Second seed Ons Jabeur kicks off her quest for a third straight grand slam final appearance against world No.98 Tamara Zidansek. 

After missing the 2022 Australian Open, Jabeur created history by becoming the first Arab or African woman to win a WTA 1000 Series title at the Madrid Open and to make a slam final, agonisingly finishing runner-up at Wimbledon (to Elena Rybakina) and the US Open (to Iga Swiatek). 

Jabeur looked in a good touch at the Adelaide International 1 with wins over Sorana Cirstea and Marta Kostyuk before being tipped up in the quarters by Linda Noskova. 

Best suited to clay, Zidansek made her name with a shock run to the 2021 French Open semis and subsequent capture of the Lausanne Open title. As the 29th seed she reached the third of last year’s Australian Open, losing to Alize Cornet in straight sets. 

But the Slovenian 25-year-old has lost her last five main draw matches, taking just three games of Lauren Davis at the ASB Classic in Auckland and going down to Ysaline Bonaventure in Hobart after winning the first set. 

The pair have met twice previously – both on clay – with Jabeur winning at the 2016 Tunis Open and Zidansek taking out their 2019 Italian Open clash. Zidansek has a handy 15-20 record against players who have been ranked in the top 10. 

But Jabeur’s rare kitbag of breath-taking shots, variety in her play and temperament under pressure should fairly comfortably. 

Tip: SGM – Back Jabeur to Win and Over 18.5 Total Games @ $2.10 

MATTEO BERRETTINI V ANDY MURRAY 

Perhaps the box-office men’s match-up of the first round as 13th seed Matteo Berrettini takes on five-time Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray. 

Berrettini, a Wimbledon finalists in 2021, left the likes of Carlos Alcaraz in his wake on the way to the Australian Open semis last year, where he went down to Rafael Nadal in four. He made the US Open quarters and the Napoli Cup final but pulled out of a couple of year-ending tournaments. 

The brilliantly athletic 27-year-old played five matches at the United Cup earlier this month, beating Thiago Monteiro, Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz before going down to Stefanos Tsitsipas and Taylor Fritz. 

Murray, 35, last appeared in a decider at Melbourne Park in 2016 – the same year he won the last of his three majors at Wimbledon. He reached the second round of the Australian Open in 2022, just his second foray at the tournament in five years. 

In his only outing so far in 2023, world No.66 Murray lost to Sebastian Korda in straight sets at the Adelaide International 1. 

Berrettini has the wood on Murray with a 3-1 head-to-head advantage. After Murray won their initial clash at the 2019 Beijing Open, Berrettini responded with a victory at the 2021 Queen’s Club Championships and a pair of 2022 wins – in the Stuttgart Open final and the third round of the US Open. 

Murray is a perpetually popular figure Down Under and can still compete. But his days of elite-level tennis are well behind him and would need a player of Berrettini’s quality to be well down on his usual standard to have a chance of an upset. 

Tip: Back Berrettini to Win 3-0 @ $2.38 

THANASI KOKKINAKIS V FABIO FOGNINI 

Good buddy Nick Kyrgios’ agonising withdrawal will ramp up attention on Thanasi Kokkinakis as a homegrown hope to cheer on at the Australian Open – and he starts as a resounding $1.22 favourite to progress to the second round at the expense of former top-10 player Fabio Fognini. 

Kokkinakis, who won the 2022 Australian Open doubles title with Kyrgios, is ranked a lowly 159th but has starting this season in promising style on the singles front. He beat Maxime Cressy at the Adelaide International 1 before falling to big gun Jannik Sinner in a tough two-set loss. ‘ 

The 26-year-old reached the Adelaide International 2 semis as the defending champ, beating Alexei Popyrin, upending top seed Andrey Rublev and outlasting sixth seed Miomir Kecmanovic before going down to fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut in three sets. 

World No.57 Fognini – also an Australian Open doubles champ – peaked in 2018-19 with a string of ATP titles, mostly on clay. But the Italian picked up the Los Cabos Open title in 2019 and has been to the fourth round of the Australian Open four times, most recently in 2021. 

A first-round loss to Jenson Brooksby in Auckland was 35-year-old Fognini’s sole competitive outing in the past two months. 

Kokkinakis’ profile belies a pretty ordinary grand slam record. In 16 appearances since 2014, he lost in the first round 10 times – including in three of four majors last year. His sole third-round appearance was at the 2015 French Open. 

Kokkinakis has met Fognini twice before and prevailed both times, at the 2015 Cincinnati Open and last year’s Geneva Open. The big-serving South Australian has the form and momentum on the board to overwhelm clay specialist Fognini, but it may not be the landslide the market suggests. 

Tip: Back Kokkinakis to Win 3-1 @ $3.80 

2023 Australian Open Day 1 Tips

RAFAEL NADAL V JACK DRAPER

Underdone defending Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal has had an early potential banana skin thrown into his path in the form of 21-year-old Brit Jack Draper. The world No.1’s 2023 foray so far consists of United Cup losses to Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur.

Nadal won the Australian and French Opens back-to-back in 2022 to take his grand slam tally to a record 22. But injuries hampered the remainder of the 36-year-old’s season and he has played just a handful of competitive matches since an uncommonly early fourth-round US Open exit.

World No.40 and Australian Open debutant Draper is one of the ATP’s shooting stars. He reached the third round of the US Open – just his third slam appearance – by dumping out sixth seed Felix Auger Aliassime and subsequently made it to the ATP Next Gen semis.

Draper also knocked off the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Dominic Thiem and Taylor Fritz in 2022 and boasts a remarkable 9-9 record against players who have been ranked in the top 10.

Possessing a powerful serve, Draper made it the Adelaide International 2 semis last week after rolling Karen Khachanov in straight sets.

Counting against $3.25 underdog Draper is the fact he has played just six best-of-five matches in his young career. Nadal may be short of a gallop, but his incomparable, indomitable fighting spirit should see him avoid just his third opening-round loss in his 67th grand slam appearance – but it will be tough.

Tip: SGM – Nadal to Win and Over 37.5 Total Games @ $2.54

SEBASTIAN BAEZ V JASON KUBLER

Aussie journeyman Jason Kubler is 45 places behind Sebastian Baez in the ATP rankings, but he’s a hot $1.33 favourite to progress to the Australian Open’s second round for the first time.

The 29-year-old Kubler is through to the main draw at his home slam for the first time since 2019. A former junior prodigy, Kubler’s talent has been repeatedly stymied by injury but he enjoyed a breakout run to the Wimbledon Round of 16 last year.

He’s enjoyed a bright start to 2023, beating Dan Evans and Alber Ramos Vinolas as Nick Kyrgios’ United Cup replacement and beating Tomas Etcheverry at the Adelaide International 2 before being bundled out in a tough three-set loss to top-30 player Miomir Kecmanovic.

World No.41 Baez made his grand slam debut at last year’s Australian Open, beating Ramos Vinolas in the first round and taking Stefanos Tsitsipas to four sets in the Round of 64. The rising 22-year-old won a maiden ATP title at the Estoril Open in April among three 250 Series final appearances in 2022.

Baez is an out-and-out clay specialist, however, and has won just one of his last 17 matches. His career tour record on hard courts is a meagre 5-21. The tenacious Kubler is riding a wave of confidence and will be buoyed by the home crowd support as arguably Monday’s headline Aussie.

Tip: Back Kubler to Cover the Games Handicap (-5.5) @ $1.91

SOFIA KENIN V VICTORIA AZARENKA

The only two previous women’s champions lining up in the 2023 Australian Open square off in the first round – an incredibly tough draw for both Sofia Kenin and Victoria Azarenka but nevertheless a mouth-watering opening-day showdown.

As a 21-year-old in 2020, Kenin claimed a shock Australian Open triumph with a string of upsets against high-profile opponents. She made the subsequent French Open final but has not been beyond the fourth round of a slam since and has battled a raft of form and injury issues.

Currently ranked a lowly 141st, Kenin made an early exit at the Auckland Open at the hands of eventual champ Coco Gauff but looked in good touch as she reached the Adelaide International 2 semis last week.

Azarenka won her only two majors at the 2012-13 Australian Opens. But the 33-year-old remains one of the WTA’s heavy hitters. World No.24 Azarenka made the US Open final (her third) as recently as 2020 and got to the last 16 at the Australian and US Opens last year.

Azarenka has had a modest start to 2023, losing in the Adelaide International 1 quarters to teenager Linda Noskova and in the first round of the Adelaide International 2 to Veronika Kudermetova.

The head-to-head stands at one-all; Kenin prevailed at the 2019 Acapulco Open while Azarenka beat the breakout star at the 2020 Rome Masters. The powerful Azarenka has certainly been the more impressive player over the last couple of years but there’s little between them form-wise at present.

This shapes as a see-sawing battle likely to go to the wire and Kenin is tempting $2.85 underdog.

Tip: Back Kenin to Cover the Games Handicap (+3.5) @ $1.91

IGA SWIATEK V JULE NIEMEIER

World No.1 and reigning French and US Open champion Iga Swiatek has been dealt a tricky first-up assignment as she aims to add a fourth grand slam title to her collection. German 23-year-old Jule Niemeier is ranked 69th and has already proved her mettle in brief opportunities on the big stage.

Swiatek reached the Australian Open semis last year – going down to Danielle Collins – and is the resounding favourite to take out the 2023 crown. She won a swag of WTA titles on top of her two major successes last season.

But the Polish powerhouse’s build-up has been limited to the United Cup, carving out authoritative wins over Belinda Bencic, Yulia Putintseva and Martina Trevisan before going down to Jessica Pegula in alarmingly convincing fashion.

Australian Open debutant Niemeier is appearing in just her third grand slam. She embarked on a stunning run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2022, including an early upset of second seed Anett Kontaveit.

Niemeier backed that up by beating the likes of Kenin and Putintseva to reach the US Open Round of 16, where she took the first set off Swiatek before going down in three. It’s the pair’s only meeting to date but Niemeier’s ability to race out of the blocks will have Swiatek on high alert.

The underdog may arrive in Melbourne a little light on confidence, however, with her only 2023 outings being United Cup losses to Marie Bouzkova and Madison Keys – both in straight sets. Niemeier is a $7.25 longshot to roll women’s tennis’ preeminent force, but she should provide Swiatek with a genuine test.

Tip: Back Niemeier to Cover the Games Handicap (+6.5) @ $1.91

PAULA BADOSA V DARIA KASATKINA

A host of top-15 women’s players are making big pre-Australian Open statements at the Adelaide International 2. World No.11 Paula Badosa and eighth-ranked Daria Kasatkina are yet to drop a set this week and now line up in a fascinating first semi-final.

Climbing as high as second in the world in April last year, Badosa won just three of her last 13 matches in 2022. But the 25-year-old has started this season on fire, beating Harriet Dart at the United Cup before disposing of Anett Kontaveit, Kaia Kanepi and Beatriz Haddad Maia in straight sets.

A French Open semi-finalist in 2022, Kasatkina was bundled out by Linda Noskova in the opening round of the Adelaide International 1. But she was granted passage to the second round this week as the second-highest-ranked player and has powered past grand slam winners Barbora Krejcikova and Petra Kvitova.

The pair have met three times previously – all in the past 12 months. Badosa won 6-2 6-2 on her way to the Sydney International title last year, but Kasatkina responded with straight-sets victories at the Rome Masters and Silicon Valley Classic.

Both are strong baseliners; Badosa’s serve is a formidable weapon, while Kasatkina has the ability to outwit opponents with the rare variety of her shots. Badosa has been outstanding this week against fellow power hitters but Kasatkina’s crafty approach will present a new challenge.

Tip: Back Kasatkina to Win @ $2.05

BELINDA BENCIC V VERONIKA KUDERMETOVA

Another doozy of a semi-final at the Adelaide International 2, with world No.13 Belinda Bencic and ninth-ranked Veronika Kudermetova leaving some big names in their wake this week.

After a solid showing at the United Cup for Switzerland, Bencic disposed of grand slam winner Garbine Muguruza 6-3 6-4 in the first round in Adelaide, breezed past Anna Kalinskaya 6-3 6-3 and outlasted world No.4 Caroline Garcia 6-2 3-6 6-4.

Kudermetova has enjoyed a fruitful fortnight in Adelaide as she warms up for an Australian Open tilt. The 25-year-old Russian beat Amanda Anisimova and Bianca Andreescu in straight sets last week before going down to Irina Camelia Begu.

In the second Adelaide International instalment, she has beaten two-time Australian Open champ Victoria Azarenka and 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins – fighting back from a set down in both. Kudermetova saved an incredible five match points against Collins.

Remarkably, these players have already faced off nine times. Bencic leads the count 5-4 (3-2 on hard courts) after winning four of the five clashes since the start of 2020. More recently, Kudermetova won a Libema Open clash in June in straight sets but Bencic responded with a three-set victory in Berlin a week later.

Kudermetova can’t afford another tardy start against Bencic, who has steamed out of the blocks all week. Bencic’s confident, aggressive returns are the perfect counter to Kudermetova’s booming serve and she deserves her favourite status here.

Tip: Back Bencic to Cover the Games Handicap (-1.5) @ $1.85

JACK DRAPER V SOON WOO KWON

The first Adelaide International 2 men’s semi is a comparatively low-profile affair, with world No.40 Jack Draper a warm $1.40 favourite against Soon Woo Kwon, who is ranked 84th.

The tyros meet for the second time in less than a fortnight – Draper demolished Kwon 6-2 6-1 in the opening round of the Adelaide International 1, before being eliminated by Karen Khachanov.

But 21-year-old Brit Draper has turned heads this week, yet to drop a set in powering past Lorenzo Sonego and eighth seed Tommy Paul, and gaining revenge on Khachanov in a stunning 6-4 7-6 upset. Draper only made his ATP debut in 2021 and is vying for his first final on the tour.

Kwon lines up for his 10th match already in 2023, having made his way through qualifying of both Adelaide International tournaments. He only gained a spot in the main draw this week as a lucky loser but has made the most of the opportunity.

After defeating Tomas Machac – who beat him in qualifying – in the first round, Kwon rolled second seed Pablo Carreno Busta despite losing the first set and tore Mikael Ymer apart 6-1 6-2.

Draper has drawn the short straw with a first-round date against Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open, so he’ll be hellbent on turning this chance into a maiden ATP title. But Kwon (who faces Chris Eubanks on Monday) will be much harder to beat this time around.

Tip: SGM – Back Draper to Win and Over 21.5 Games Total @ $2.64

THANASI KOKKINAKIS V ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT

Thanasi Kokkinakis is two wins away from successfully defending his Adelaide International title, chalking up several highly impressive wins in his hometown – despite his lowly No.110 ranking.

The 26-year-old has spent plenty of time on the court this week, outlasting fellow Aussie Alexei Popyrin, top seed Andrey Rublev and world No.28 Miomir Kecmanovic in a trio of absorbing three-

setters. Kokkinakis has dropped just two matches on serve in this tournament and fired down 50 aces.

World No.26 Roberto Bautista Agut awaits in the semi-finals. The Spanish stalwart upset Rublev in the first round of the Adelaide International 1 before being halted by Sebastian Korda.

Receiving a pass straight into the last 16 this week, he beat Robin Haase in three sets and overwhelmed compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 6-2 – winning 85 percent of his first-serve points and not even offering up a break-point opportunity.

Kokkinakis is a slight outsider but his serve has been so dominant – and the home crowd support will be so vociferous – it’s hard to envisage this clash failing to go late into Friday night.

Tip: Back Over 23.5 Games Total @ $2.00

BRANDON NAKASHIMA V JORDAN THOMPSON

The Kooyong Classic is billed as an exhibition event, but it’s nevertheless a key Australian Open lead-in for the likes of American tyro Brandon Nakashima and experienced Aussie Jordan Thompson.

The 21-year-old Nakashima kicked his 2023 campaign off with a straight-sets loss to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the Adelaide International 2.

Currently ranked 47th, Nakashima rose to prominence in second half of 2022 by reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon, winning his maiden ATP title at the San Diego Open and taking out the Next Gen ATP Finals crown in November.

World No.85 Thompson lost to Quentin Halys first up in the Adelaide International 1 and went down to Mikael Ymer in Adelaide International 2 qualifying. The high points of a modest 2022 season for the 28-year-old were taking out the Surbiton Trophy and Columbus Challenger titles.

The pair have squared off four times previous – all in the past two years – with Nakashima building a 3-1 advantage. Thompson’s sole win came in Dallas last year, but Nakashima responded with a hard-fought three-set victory in Atlanta in July.

Nakashima gets around the court very well and has a solid all-round game, making important strides with his service game last year. But he’s short on court time and Thompson’s persistence is capable of causing an upset result with the crowd behind him.

Tip: Back Thompson to Win @ $2.38

CAROLINE GARCIA V BELINDA BENCIC

The Adelaide International 2 women’s quarter-finals are made up entirely of players ranked 16th or higher. This showdown between world No.4 Caroline Garcia and No.13 Belinda Bencic shapes is perhaps the pick of the bunch.

As the top-seeded player in the draw, Garcia bypassed the first round before eventually outlasting 48th-ranked qualifier Katerina Siniakova 6-3 3-6 7-5.

The 29-year-old – who finished 2022 on fire with a US Open semi-final run and a WTA Finals triumph – fired an early-2023 warning shot with straight-sets United Cup wins over Nadia Podoroska and Petra Martic.

Bencic also featured in the United Cup, beating Yulia Putintseva before going down to Iga Swiatek. The Olympic gold medallist has picked up some steam in Adelaide with a dominant 6-3 6-4 win over Garbine Muguruza and a similarly authoritative defeat of world No.64 Anna Kalinskaya.

This is only their second meeting, with Bencic beating Garcia in the first round at Wimbledon in 2018.

Among the very top bracket of WTA performers in the past six months, Garcia’s explosive talent and vast array of shots is a clear advantage. But Bencic has been highly impressive so far in 2023 and can counter Garcia’s all-out attack with her strong serve and flat forehands. This should go the distance.

Tip: Back Over 22.5 Total Games @ $1.91

DANIELLE COLLINS V VERONIKA KUDERMETOVA

Another Adelaide International 2 quarter-final blockbuster as world No.14 and 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins faces world No.9 Veronika Kudermetova.

Collins lost to Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina in the opening round of the Adelaide International 1 after taking out the first set. But the American has gone up a gear this week with convincing wins over Karolina Pliskova (6-2 6-4) and Jil Teichmann (6-4 7-6).

Kudermetova reached the quarters in the initial Adelaide tournaments last week with victories over Amanda Anisimova and Bianca Andreescu, before being upset by Irina-Camelia Begu. The 25-year-old beat former world No.1 Victoria Azarenka 2-6 7-6 6-4 in an impressive fight-back on Monday.

Ekaterina Alexandrova pulled out of the second-round fixture against Kudermetova.

Kudermetova won her only previous encounter with Collins in emphatic style, winning 6-3 6-2 at the 2021 Miami Open. But Collins’ form this week has been ominous and she has well and truly settled back into Australian conditions. Kudermetova’s serve will have to be pinpoint to halt Collins’ momentum.

Tip: SGM – Back Collins to Win and Over 20.5 Total Games @ $2.97

THANASI KOKKINAKIS V MIOMIR KECMANOVIC

Hometown hero Thanasi Kokkinakis is once again thriving in Adelaide and starts as a warm $1.57 quarter-final favourite against world No.28 Miomir Kecmanovic.

Kokkinakis, currently ranked outside the top-100, snared his first ATP title at the Adelaide International 2 last season and showed some promising signs last week with a win over Maxime Cressy and a hard-fought loss to Jannik Sinner.

On Monday he outlasted countryman Alexei Popyrin 6-0 6-7 7-5 before earning one of the biggest scalps of his career to date on Wednesday, upsetting world No.6 Andrey Rublev 6-4 3-6 6-3. Kokkinakis dropped just one game on serve against Rublev and fired down 17 aces.

Kecmanovic began his 2023 foray with a straight-sets win over Aussie Chris O’Connell in Adelaide last week but won just three games against Daniil Medvedev in the second round.

The 23-year-old Serbian has regrouped in the Adelaide International 2, however, beating Kyle Edmund 6-4 7-5 and outlasting in-form Jason Kubler 5-7 7-6 6-4 yesterday.

Last year, Kecmanovic made the fourth round of the Australian Open and 1000 Series quarters at Indian Wells and Miami to crack the top-30. He’s had a tough time of it since but has found some genuine form this week and will provide a stern test to Kokkinakis’ irresistible momentum.

Tip: SGM – Back Kecmanovic to Cover the Set Handicap (+1.5) and Over 23.5 Games @ $2.12

ANHELINA KALININA V TATJANA MARIA

The Hobart International has returned to the WTA schedule for the first time since 2020 and attracted plenty of high-profile players as they build up to the Australian Open. The second round harbours a clash between fifth seed Anehlina Kalinina and 2022 Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria.

Ukrainian 25-year-old Kalinina has made big strides on the tour in the past two years. She cracked the top-100 and a maiden WTA final appearance (at the Budapest Grand Prix) in 2021 and broke into the top-40 last year, a season that included a Madrid Open quarter-final run.

Kalinina won her first Challenger title in France in December and continued that form with some excellent wins to qualify for last week’s Adelaide International 1, before pushing two-time Australian Open champ Victoria Azarenka hard in an unlucky 7-6 7-6 defeat.

She demolished world No.66 Rebecca Marino 6-2 6-1 in the opening round in Hobart, while Maria was similarly dominant in a 6-3 6-2 win over Aussie wildcard Talia Gibson.

The 35-year-old Maria went down 6-4 6-1 in the first round of last week’s ASB Classic to eventual champion Coco Gauff. Ranked 71st, the German won the 2022 Copa Colsanitas title and left three seeds in her wake on the way to the Wimbledon semis.

Kalinina’s returning ability shapes as the key here as she tries to stamp herself as an Australian Open bolter – the younger competitor has the form on the board to get the job done against veteran Maria.

Tip: SGM – Kalinina Win and Under 19.5 Games Total @ $2.25

CASPER RUUD V LASLO DJERE

The Auckland-hosted ASB Classic has attracted some impressive names to this week’s men’s tournament, consequently delivering second-round clash between world No.3 Casper Ruud and former top-30 player Laslo Djere.

Ruud is looking for a form surge ahead of his Australian Open tilt. The Norwegian beat Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro at the United Cup but went down in straight sets to Matteo Berrettini. As top seed in Auckland he was granted passage straight through to the second round.

The 24-year-old is coming off a massive 2022, reaching the final of the French Open and US Open, and winning three ATP titles among seven finals.

Djere, currently ranked 70th, overcame Jaume Munar in the first round, fighting back after losing the first set and winning a tiebreak in the third. He was halted in the second round of the Maharashtra Open last week by Maximilian Marterer.

These players have met once previously, with Djere taking down a young Ruud in Rio de Janeiro in 2019. Both are considered clay specialists but Ruud laid down his hard-court credentials at the US Open and anything less than a title victory in Auckland will be considered an underachievement.

Tip: Back Ruud to Cover the Games Handicap (-4.5) @ $1.80

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA V DARIA KASATKINA

The second round of the women’s Adelaide International 2 is laced with showdowns between Australian Open smokies – including this clash between former French Open champ Barbora Krejcikova and Daria Kasatkina.

World No.21 Krejcikova looked solid in a 6-2 7-6 first-round win over Alison Riske-Amritraj – her first outing in almost three months – while world No.8 Kasatkina received passage straight through to the last 16 as the second-highest-ranked player in the draw.

Kasatkina will be looking to make a statement after being rolled first-up by shock eventual finalist Linda Noskova in Adelaide last week. The 25-year-old’s bumper 2022 included a semi-final appearance at the French Open and WTA titles at Silicon Valley and Championnats de Granby.

Aggressive all-court player Krejcikova has struggled to recapture the heights of her 2021 triumph at Roland Garros, but she did notch a pair of WTA titles in October at the Tallinn Open and Ostrava Open – beating Anett Kontaveit and Iga Swiatek, respectively, in the finals.

Crafty baseliner Kasatkina may appear good value as the $2 outsider, but the way Krejcikova finished 2022 and her strong first-round performance can’t be ignored ahead of what should be a high-quality contest. Krejcikova won their only previous meeting at the 2021 Cincinnati Open.

Tip: SGM – Back Krejcikova to Win and Over 21.5 Games @ $3.25

ANDREY RUBLEV V THANASI KOKKINAKIS

After accounting for a compatriot, hometown hero Thanasi Kokkinakis takes on top seed Andrey Rublev in the second round of the Adelaide International 2.

Kokkinakis who won his maiden ATP title in Adelaide last year, was eliminated in the second round of the Adelaide International 1 last week by Jannik Sinner after beating Maxime Cressy in straight sets. He nabbed another first-round victory on Monday over in-form fellow Aussie Alexei Popyrin.

The 27-year-old bageled Popyrin in the first set, before holding on in an absorbing contest for a 6-0 6-7 7-5 win. Kokkinakis was broken just once – a break that very nearly cost him the match.

World No.6 Rublev suffered a disappointing loss to kick off his 2023 campaign, going down to Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut at the Adelaide International 1 after winning the first set. The 25-year-old Russian earned passage straight through to the second round of this tournament.

Rublev consolidated his standing as one of the ATP’s preeminent forces in 2022, reaching the French and US Open quarter-finals and winning four tour titles – including the 500 Series Dubai Championships.

There’s more than a few similarities between this duo: big first serve, baseline-focused game with an innate ability to hit winners, often tempestuous. But there’s little question Rublev – an Adelaide International champ in 2020 – is the more accomplished player.

Tip: Back Rublev to Win 2-0 @ $1.91

ALBERT RAMOS VINOLAS V JOHN MILLMAN

Despite his lowly ranking, Aussie veteran John Millman will head into his Adelaide International 2 first-round clash with world No.38 Albert Ramos Vinolas as a $1.55 favourite.

Millman is 148th in the world after a fruitless 2022 season that ended grinding away on the Challenger circuit. The dizzy 2018 heights of a US Open quarter-final run and a career-high ranking of No.33 seem a world away.

The 33-year-old was bounced out during Adelaide International 1 qualifying but made it to the main draw of this tournament with handy straight-sets wins over Bernabe Zapata Miralles and Chris O’Connell.

Ramos Vinolas is also searching for a change of fortunes after losing eight of his last nine matches. was a late replacement in Spain’s United Cup line-up for Pablo Carreno Busta but went down to Australian Jason Kubler and Great Britain’s Dan Evans in three-setters.

The 34-year-old is a clay specialist, failing to make it past the third round of an Australian or US Open in 23 attempts. But Ramos Vinolas did defeat Millman at the hard-court Winston-Salem Open last year (Millman won their only other encounter in 2016, at the same tournament).

Working against the dogged Millman is the fact he is playing his third match in as many days, though he has looked much better in Adelaide International 2 qualifying. But the fresher Ramos Vinolas showed enough during the United Cup to suggest he can buck his underdog status in this one.

Tip: Back Ramos Vinolas to Cover the Games Handicap (+2.5) @ $1.95

JASON KUBLER V TOMAS MARTIN ETCHEVERRY

Another Aussie in action in the Adelaide International 2 men’s draw on day two, Jason Kubler is aiming to parlay some superb United Cup form into a first-round win over world No.80 Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Former junior star Kubler, ranked a career-high 80th, replaced Nick Kyrgios in the Australian team and upset top-40 stars Dan Evans (Great Britain) and Albert Ramos Vinolas (Spain) in back-to-back gutsy performances.

The 29-year-old impressive 2022 renaissance included a Round of 16 appearance at Wimbledon and a win over Felix Auger-Aliassime at Newport.

Argentine tyro Etcheverry returned to action for the first time since mid-November in recent days with dominant qualifying wins over Aussie Luke Saville and Robin Haase in Adelaide. A new face on the ATP Tour, Etcheverry made his debut at all four slams in 2022 but exited in the first round of each.

The head-to-head is locked 1-all after two encounters in 2022. Etcheverry won in Australian Open qualifying before Kubler responded with a victory at the Los Cabos Open in August. Both matches went 29-plus games.

But Kubler is a clear favourite here on the back of his eye-catching form at the United Cup, while Etcheverry is taking the court for the third time in three days.

Tip: Back Kubler to Win 2-0 @ $2.05

VICTORIA AZARENKA V VERONIKA KUDERMETOVA

Quarter-finalists at the Adelaide International 1 last week, two-time Australian Open champ Victoria Azarenka and world No.9 Veronika Kudermetova square off in a first-round blockbuster at the Adelaide International 2.

Former world No.1 Azarenka, currently ranked 25th, looked good last week in defeating Anhelina Kalinina and Qinwen Zheng in straight sets. She lost to surprise finalist Linda Noskova in the quarters in three sets.

Kudermetova snared the high-profile scalps of Amanda Anisimova (6-3 6-0) and Bianca Andreescu (6-4 6-0) in sizzling style before going down to Irina-Camelia Begu (7-5 6-4).

Russian 25-year-old Kudermetova broke into the top-10 in a 2022 season that included a quarter-final run at the French Open and appearances in the finals of the Melbourne Summer Set, Dubai Championships – beating Azarenka 6-3 6-4 earlier in the tournament – and Istanbul Cup.

Azarenka, 33, made the Round of 16 of the Australian and US Opens last year to prove she is still a formidable force on the WTA Tour.

Kudermetova’s serve is a weapon but Azarenka remains one of the best baseline strikers in the business. The younger competitor is the $1.60 favourite but there’s nothing between the pair and this shapes as a rollercoaster contest.

Tip: Back Over 21.5 Total Games @ $1.85

ANETT KONTAVEIT V PAULA BADOSA

Yet another massive first-round clash from the women’s Adelaide International 2 draw. Currently ranked 11th and 17th, respectively, Paula Badosa and Anett Kontaveit both reached a career-high No.2 during breakout 2022 campaigns.

Kontaveit lost in the first round in Adelaide last week, going down in three sets to Qinwen Zheng. Though she went poorly on the grand slam stage and had a rough midyear run after contracting COVID, the Estonian won the St Petersburg Trophy in 2022 and made three other WTA Finals (including the 1000 Series Qatar Open).

Badosa kicked off her 2023 campaign with a solitary appearance for Spain at the United Cup, beating Great Britain’s Heather Dart in three sets while suffering from cramps.

She stormed the top-10 after winning Indian Wells in 2021 and took out the Sydney International last year. The 25-year-old made it to the fourth round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2022 but failed to make it past the second round of any of the last seven tournaments she competed in.

Kontaveit won their only previous clash, at the 2021 Ostrava Open. The rivals are both looking for a confidence-boosting turnaround after sliding down the rankings in disappointing finishes to 2022. Neither showed much to get excited about last week but the more aggressive Kontaveit should have a slight edge.

Tip: Back Kontaveit to Win @ $1.70

PETRA KVITOVA V ELENA RYBAKINA

Like last week’s season-opening tournament at the same venue, the Adelaide International 2 is stacked with first-round blockbusters. World No.16 and two-time grand slam winner Petra Kvitova squares off against world No.21 and reigning Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina on Monday afternoon.

Kvitova featured for Czech Republic at the United Cup last week, chalking up impressive wins over world No.3 Jessica Pegula (7-6 6-4) and Laura Siegemund (6-4 6-2).

The 32-year-old’s best slam result was a Round of 16 appearance at the US Open, while she reached the final of the Cincinnati Open and won the Eastbourne International to remain among the game’s big guns.

Rybakina competed in Adelaide last week, coming from a set down to beat fifth seed Danielle Collins before being upset 6-7 6-2 6-3 by world No.69 Marta Kostyuk. The 23-year-old was a shock winner at Wimbledon in 2022 but went on to reach the Slovenia Open final in September.

The pair met for the first time in October at the Ostrava Open, with Rybakina defeating Kvitova 7-6 6-4 on her way to the semis. Rybakina goes in as a $1.53 favourite here but looked a little off the pace last week; Kvitova was magnificent in Sydney and has to be considered great underdog value.

Tip: Back Kvitova to Cover the Games Handicap (+1.5) @ $2.10

DANIELLE COLLINS V KAROLINA PLISKOVA

The high-profile clashes to kick off the Adelaide International 2 continue with world No.14 Danielle Collins taking on former world No.1 Karolina Pliskova.

Collins is striving to bounce back from a season-opening 5-7 6-2 6-3 loss to Elena Rybakina in the first round in Adelaide last Monday, committing 10 double-faults. The 29-year-old American was the Australian Open runner-up last year.

Pliskova, currently ranked 31st, was dumped out of the Adelaide International 1 in the first round by Jelena Ostapenko 6-1 6-3. But in the unfamiliar position of having to play qualifiers to make the main draw of this tournament, she responded with identical 6-4 6-3 wins over Jule Niemeier and Shelby Rogers.

Veteran Pliskova’s service game was superb in the qualifiers, sending down a slew of aces against quality opposition.

The head-to-head is locked 1-all. Both encounters came in Australia early in 2021; Collins prevailed at the Yarra Valley Classic 7-6 7-6 before Pliskova took out their Australian Open second-round fixture 7-5 6-2.

Somewhat surprisingly, Pliskova is installed as a $1.70 favourite. She has regained form but is backing up for her third match in as many days, while Collins – the better mover of this duo – has been cooling her heels for a week and should have an edge in this one provided her serve improves.

Tip: Back Collins to Win @ $2.05

GARBINE MUGURUZA V BELINDA BENCIC

Another potential first-round barnburner in the Adelaide International 2 with former world No.1 Garbine Muguruza searching for a change of fortunes against 12th-ranked Belinda Bencic.

Two-time slam winner Muguruza fell out of the top-50 for the first time since 2013 last year. It was a season bereft of highlights and a jarring decline for one of the game’s most dominant players of recent times.

After an injury-affected finish to 2022, Muguruza got off to a flyer in the first round against Bianca Andreescu in Adelaide but faded in a 0-6 7-6 6-1 loss.

Reigning Olympic champ Bencic opened her 2023 campaign at the United Cup, winning her match for Switzerland against Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva before losing to Polish world No.1 Iga Swiatek. The 25-year-old struggled at grand slam level in 2022 but won the Charleston Open and made the German Open final and Miami Open semis.

Bencic leads her head-to-head against Muguruza 2-1 after a 6-1 6-3 demolition at last year’s Canadian Open. There’s a real opportunity here for $2.80 outsider Muguruza if she can build on the positives of her showing against Andreescu, but Bencic should find her way through to the second round.

Tip: Back Bencic to Win 2-1 @ $3.90

THANASI KOKKINAKIS V ALEXEI POPYRIN

The first night session of the Adelaide International 2 men’s draw features an all-Australian encounter between Thanasi Kokkinakis and Alexei Popyrin.

World No.93 Kokkinakis won his maiden ATP title in the first instalment of the Adelaide International last year. The 26-year-old opened his 2023 campaign in solid fashion in his hometown last week, too, beating Maxime Cressy 7-6 7-6 and pushing world No.15 Jannik Sinner in a 7-6 6-4 loss.

Popyrin, ranked 120th, emerged from qualifying for the Adelaide International 1 to produce one of the biggest wins of his career, rolling second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 7-6. The 23-year-old then

came from a set down to beat Marcos Giron before his run ended in a three-set loss to world No.36 Yoshihito Nishioka.

The compatriots are strikingly similar: tall with big serves and strong forehands. There’s little between the two form-wise, though Popyrin arguably was the more impressive last week. Expect a lengthy and entertaining affair.

Tip: Back Over 23.5 Total Games @ $1.85

MARIA SAKKARI V MARTINA TREVISAN

Greece and Italy square off in the United Cup semis and the showdown between the teams’ top-ranked women’s players sees world No.6 Maria Sakkari take on 27th-ranked Martina Trevisan. Trevisan won the pair’s only previous clash, coming from a set down in the third round of the 2020 French Open.

Sakkari, a French Open and US Open semi-finalist in 2021, has been in sensational form for Greece over the past week. She beat Viktoriya Tomova, Elise Mertens and Petra Martic in straight sets without losing more than six games – and backed up to play doubles in all three ties.

The 27-year-old’s 2022 highlights included reaching WTA 1000 finals at Indian Wells and in the Guadalajara Open, along with getting to the St Petersburg Trophy and Emilia-Romagna Open deciders.

Trevisan, 29, broke into the top-30 for the first time last year after making the French Open semis and a maiden WTA final, winning the Rabat Grand Prix in Morocco.

She’s a clay specialist, however, and has underwhelmed at the United Cup. Trevisan was swamped 6-0 6-0 by Beatriz Haddad Maia and 6-2 6-4 by Iga Swiatek either side of a three-set win over Norway’s world No.319 Malene Helgø.

Australian Open dark horse Sakkari looks a near-certainty to chalk up a win for Greece and should put away the struggling Trevisan in quick time.

Tip: Back Under 18.5 Total Games @ $1.85

ONS JABEUR V MARTA KOSTYUK

Adelaide International top seed Ons Jabeur made a fine start to her 2023 campaign on Thursday. Afforded direct passage to the second round, the world No.2 overwhelmed Sorana Cirstea 7-6 6-1 after some early resistance.

There are a few wrinkles in her service game to iron out but the 2022 Wimbledon and US Open finalist ultimately won 89 percent of her first-serve points.

Jabeur will meet world No.69 Marta Kostyuk in the quarter-finals. Kostyuk emerged from qualifying for this tournament to beat Aussie wildcard Jaimee Fourlis in three sets, before pulling off a serious upset by beating reigning Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina 6-7 6-2 6-3.

The 20-year-old Ukrainian is undoubtedly a player to watch on the tour, winning her first WTA title at the Slovenia Open in September and chalking up nine wins already against players who have been ranked inside the top-10. Kostyuk’s powerful groundstrokes have been eye-catching in Adelaide so far.

Beating Jabeur’s Wimbledon conqueror may provide a confidence boost for Kostyuk ahead of her first meeting with the Tunisian. Jabeur’s craftiness and array of shots should get her through to the semis, but $3 outsider Kostyuk is likely to make this more than a little uncomfortable for her high-profile opponent.

Tip: Back 3 Total Sets @ $2.50

DANIIL MEDVEDEV V KAREN KHACHANOV

Third seed Daniil Medvedev and eighth seed Karen Khachanov are yet to drop a set heading into their all-Russian Adelaide International quarter-final.

Lorenzo Sonego retired in the first round when trailing Medvedev 7-6 2-1, before the world No.7 thrashed Miomir Kecmanovic 6-0 6-3. Khachanov put away Paulo Cachin 6-2 6-4 and Jack Draper 6-4 6-2. Both players offered up just one break-point opportunity in their second-round fixtures.

The prickly Medvedev has a fine record Down Under, chalking up his maiden ATP title at the 2018 Sydney International and reaching the past two Australian Open finals. He won the Los Cabos Open and Vienna Open in the last three months of the 2022 season.

Khachanov, ranked 20th, made the final in Adelaide last year (losing to Gael Monfils), while he capped an otherwise disappointing 2022 campaign with a career-best semi-final run at the US Open.

Surprisingly, the 26-year-old, 198cm compatriots have met just three times previously (and not at all for more than three years), with Medvedev taking a 2-1 advantage. Medvedev won at the 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals and 2019 Canadian Open, while Khachanov grabbed a victory in Moscow in 2018.

Plenty has changed since they last met, with Medvedev becoming a grand slam champion and one of the sport’s truly elite. Khachanov’s booming serve is a test for any player but Medvedev’s superior shot-making and all-court game will prove the difference.

Tip: Back Medvedev to Win 2-0 @ $1.73

NOVAK DJOKOVIC V DENIS SHAPOVALOV

Novak Djokovic appears to be enjoying his return to the tennis courts of Australia so far, powering into the Adelaide International quarter-finals. The top seed cruised past Constant Lestienne 6-3 6-2 but was made to work in a 7-6 7-6 win over Quentin Halys, fighting back from 5-2 down in the first set.

After winning Wimbledon and being prevented from competing at the US Open, Djokovic finished 2022 in sizzling touch. The 35-year-old won the Watergen Open in Tel Aviv, the Astana Open and ATP Finals, and reached the Paris Masters final in the space of two months.

World No.18 Denis Shapovalov awaits in the quarter-finals. The Canadian had to claw back from a set down to beat Aussie Rinky Hijikata in the first round but looked more comfortable in a 6-4 6-3 win over another qualifier in the second round, Roman Safiullin.

Shapovalov had a reasonable 2022, making the Australian Open quarters for the first time and reaching ATP finals in Korea and Vienna.

But the 23-year-old’s head-to-head with Djokovic makes for grim reading, behind 7-0 in the count. The last meeting saw Djokovic win their 2021 Wimbledon semi-final in straight sets. But Shapovalov has managed to jag a set in two of their three clashes in Australia (the 2019 Australian Open and 2020-21 ATP Cups).

Djokovic has picked up where he left off in late-2022 and his forehand has been as brutally effective as ever. Shapovalov has been comparatively unconvincing and would need to lift significantly to be competitive here.

Tip: Back Djokovic to Cover the Games Handicap (-4.5) @ $1.85

VICTORIA AZARENKA V QINWEN ZHENG

Qinwen Zheng will start her maiden clash with two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka as a warm favourite.

World No.28 Zheng only emerged from the first round in Adelaide after saving match point in a 6-1 4-6 7-6 victory over sixth seed Anett Kontaveit. Azarenka, currently ranked 26th, had a fair amount of trouble with qualifier Anhelina Kalinina before progressing 7-6 7-6.

It’s been a rapid rise for 20-year-old Zheng, who only made her WTA debut in 2021. Last year she reached the fourth round at the French Open, earned a maiden tour semi-final berth at the Melbourne Summer Set and got to her first WTA final at the Pan Pacific Open in September.

Azarenka, 33, remains a force in women’s tennis. She made the Round of 16 at the Australian and US Opens last year, while in her last outing of 2022 she reached the Guadalajara Open semis with wins over top seed Paula Badosa, Madison Keys and Coco Gauff.

Former world No.1 Azarenka is a hard-court specialist and her guile and consistency will prove big obstacles for comparative novice Zheng. Zheng is undoubtedly a star on the rise but Azarenka’s underdog value here is tough to ignore.

Tip: Back Azarenka to Win @ $2.15

ONS JABEUR V SORANA CIRSTEA

Adelaide International top seed Ons Jabeur opens her 2023 campaign with a second-round clash against world No.45 Sorana Cirstea. Jabeur makes her first competitive outing since the WTA Finals in early-November, though she did outlast Emma Raducanu in a lengthy exhibition clash in the UAE last month.

It was a massive 2022 for the 28-year-old Tunisian, who climbed to second in the rankings after making the Wimbledon and US Open finals, as well as winning the Madrid and German Opens. She is an all-surface threat with an outstanding kitbag of shots.

Cirstea swept aside qualifier Viktoria Golubic 6-0 7-6 in the first round. She was broken just once but will be aiming to improve her first-serve accuracy. The Romanian veteran had a modest 2022 season; highlights included a Round of 16 appearance at the Australian Open and a semi-final run at the Birmingham Classic.

Cirstea beat Jabeur back in 2013 (Doha) and 2014 (Baku), but Jabeur won their only clash since – at last year’s Rome Masters. Injury niggles hampered Jabeur at the back end of 2022 but she will be laser-focused on building up to the first grand slam of the season with some strong performances.

Tip: Back Jabeur to Win 2-0 @ $1.73

SEBASTIAN KORDA V ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT

World No.33 Sebastian Korda and 21st-ranked Roberto Bautista Agut both produced superb first-round displays in Adelaide.

The 22-year-old Korda fired down 12 aces, was broken just once and won 79 percent of his first-serve points in a 7-6 6-3 defeat of long-serving ATP great Andy Murray. Veteran Bautista Agut showed tremendous resolve to fight back against fourth seed Andrey Rublev and win 4-6 6-3 6-4.

One of the next big things in men’s tennis, Korda finished 2022 with final appearances at the Gijon and European Opens during October. He beat Bautista Agut in Gijon 5-7 6-4 6-4.

Bautista Agut had a disappointing 2022 in the higher-profile tournaments but otherwise remained a consistent presence on the tour to stay in the top-25, winning the Qatar Open for the second time and the Austrian Open.

The 34-year-old can’t get around the court as effectively as he used to and Korda will take confidence from his 2-0 head-to-head rivalry record. But, like their encounter less than three months ago, this shapes as a lengthy affair between two in-form players.

Tip: Back Over 22.5 Total Games @ $1.85

JANNIK SINNER V THANASI KOKKINAKIS

Defending champ Thanasi Kokkinakis heads into his second-round Adelaide International match-up against world No.15 Jannik Sinner as a $3.50 underdog.

But the hometown boy – who clinched his first ATP singles title in Adelaide last January – will take plenty of heart from his 7-6 7-6 victory over 34th-ranked Frenchman Maxime Cressy in the opening round.

Kokkinakis, currently 97th in the world, was hampered by a knee injury early in the match but appeared to run it out.

The 21-year-old Sinner got his 2023 season off the mark in style with a 6-3 6-2 demolition of Brit Kyle Edmund. Though he slipped out of the top-10, the Italian tyro made three grand slam quarter-finals in 2022 and the Round of 16 in the other, while he rolled Carlos Alcaraz to win the Croatia Open.

Sinner won the pair’s only previous meeting – a 6-7 6-4 7-6 thriller at the Cincinnati Masters last August. He’s a deserving favourite but the tight nature of that contest will provide Kokkinakis with enough confidence to at least take Sinner late into Thursday night in front of a raucous home crowd.

Tip: Back Kokkinakis to Cover the Games Handicap (+3.5) @ $1.91

LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA V ARYNA SABALENKA

It’s a top-20 showdown in the second round of the Adelaide International as fifth-ranked Aryna Sabalenka looks to get one back on world No.20 Liudmila Samsonova. The pair met for the first time at the Guadalajara Open in October, Samsonova walking away with a 6-4 2-6 6-2 upset.

Samsonova came from a set down to beat Zhang Shuai 5-7 6-3 6-0 in a tough first-round fixture in Adelaide. The 24-year-old Russian fired down 17 aces, while her powerful return eventually wore down her Chinese opponent.

Sabalenka received direct passage to the second round as the second seed. This will be her first competitive hit-out since making the final of the WTA Finals in November, though she did feature in the World Tennis League exhibition matches just prior to Christmas – losing to 2022 grand slam winners Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina.

The Belarussian’s strong finish to 2022 also included a US Open semi-final appearance, but for the first time since 2017 she failed to add a WTA title to her trophy cabinet.

The 24-year-old Samsonova racked up three hard-court titles in August and September – as well as reaching the last 16 at the US Open – to achieve a career-high ranking. Samsonova is the $1.73 favourite here but expect the pair to go to three sets once again.

Tip: Back 3 Total Sets @ $2.38

MARCOS GIRON V ALEXEI POPYRIN

Alexei Popyrin, currently ranked 120th, will be aiming to ride the crowd support into the Adelaide International quarters when he faces world No.61 Marcos Giron. This duo faced off for the first time in Canadian Open qualifying five months ago; Giron grabbed a hard-fought win in three sets.

Popyrin should still be fizzing after arguably the biggest win of his career to date, the 23-year-old knocking over second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 7-6 in the opening round. He came from 4-1 down in the second set in the perfect start to 2023 after a highly disappointing 2022 season.

Giron had to dig deep against French veteran Richard Gasquet in the first round, eventually prevailing 7-6 6-7 7-5. The 29-year-old’s 2022 highlight was making the San Diego Open final – his first at ATP level.

Popyrin is a far better player than his ranking indicates and his showing against Auger-Aliassime suggests he has turned a corner. The Aussie tyro should find a way past journeyman Giron.

Tip: Back Popyrin to Win @ $1.75

TAYLOR FRITZ V CAMERON NORRIE

The United Cup knockout stage gets underway on Wednesday and the United States v Great Britain tie is headlined by a blockbuster between top-15 men’s stars Taylor Fritz and Cameron Norrie.

Fritz has recorded straight-sets wins over Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka and Germany’s superstar Alexander Zverev so far in the United Cup. Norrie blitzed Alex de Minaur 6-3 6-3 and came from a set down to defeat Rafael Nadal.

Both players enjoyed career-best grand slam runs at Wimbledon last year, Fritz making the quarter-finals and Norrie charging into the semis, and broke into the top-10 for the first time. Fritz also won the Indian Wells Masters, Eastbourne International and Japan Open, while Norrie took out the Delray Beach Open and Lyon Open.

The pair have met 11 times previously – all on hard courts – with Fritz taking a 6-5 advantage after winning three of their last four encounters. Fritz also took out a lengthy Diriyah Cup exhibition clash recently.

Norrie is a high-quality competitor but Fritz has more tricks up his sleeve and a higher ceiling. They are both in tremendous form, though, and their trend of close-fought matches looks set to continue with plenty at stake for their teams.

Tip: Back Fritz to Win 2-1 @ $4.00

HUBERT HURKACZ V MATTEO BERRETTINI

With women’s world No.1 Iga Swiatek a hot favourite to give Poland a United Cup lead over Italy when she takes on Martina Trevisan, 16th-ranked Matteo Berrettini is attempting to pull off a crucial result for Italy against top-10 tyro Hubert Hurkacz.

Hurkacz defeated Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik in three sets, before overcoming Swiss stalwart Stan Wawrinka 7-6 6-4. Berrettini was pushed hard by Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro in a 6-4 7-6 win then carved out an impressive 6-4 6-4 win over world No.3 in Italy’s cleansweep of Norway.

The middle of Berrettini’s 2022 was severely hampered by injury, but he bookended the year with a semi-final run at the Australian Open and a US Open quarter-final appearance.

Although disappointing on the grand slam stage, Hurkacz built on his breakout 2021 campaign by winning the Halle Open and reaching the Canadian Open final.

The head-to-head sits at 2-1 in Berrettini’s favour. Berrettini won an Australian Open qualifier in 2018 and took out their 2021 Wimbledon semi in four sets, while Hurkacz nabbed a victory at the 2019 Miami Masters.

Hurkacz faces a tall order combatting Berrettini’s vaunted serve – he’s yet to be broken at the United Cup. The Polish 25-year-old is the more well-rounded player but Berrettini’s outstanding display against Ruud is very difficult to ignore.

Tip: Back Berrettini to Win @ $1.95

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA V JASON KUBLER

With Australia heading into the second day of its United Cup tie against Spain locked one-all and Zoe Hives rated a longshot to topple Paula Badosa, Jason Kubler could be fighting to keep his team alive with an upset of world No.13 Pablo Carreno Busta.

Kubler, ranked 107th and a last-minute replacement for Nick Kyrgios in the Aussie team, will be brimming with confidence after rolling England’s world No.27 Dan Evans 6-3 7-6 in last week’s tie.

The 29-year-old journeyman enjoyed a breakout 2022, most notably reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon via wins over Evans and Jack Sock.

Carreno Busta missed the tie against England. The two-time US Open semi-finalist was disappointing on the grand slam stage in 2022 but enjoyed an impressive hard-court victory at the Canadian Open – his maiden Masters 1000 title.

The pair’s only meeting was in the opening round of the 2018 Australian Open, Carreno Busta taking out a four-setter. But he’s playing for the first time since mid-November, while Kubler looks in very good touch. Don’t be surprised to see the $2.70 outsider pull off a crucial win.

Tip: Back Kubler to Cover the Set Handicap (+1.5) @ $1.70

CAROLINE GARCIA V PETRA MARTIC

World No.4 Caroline Garcia is striving to keep France alive in its United Cup tie against Croatia when she takes on 38th-ranked Petra Martic.

Garcia helped France to a cleansweep of Argentina with a blistering 6-2 6-0 thrashing of Nadia Podoroska. Croatia also whitewashed Argentina but Martic needed three sets to overcome Podoroska.

The 29-year-old Garcia is coming off a spectacular second half of the 2022 season. She won the Cincinnati Masters and WTA Finals among four tour titles since June (after a gap of three years without a trophy) and reached her first grand slam semi-final at the US Open.

Martic, a former top-15 player, won the Lausanne Open on clay last season and reached the fourth round at Wimbledon as she bounced back from an injury-riddled 2021.

Garcia boasts a 4-1 advantage in her head-to-head with Martic. Martic’s sole win came last year in the semis at Lausanne, but Garcia responded with a commanding straight-sets victory at the Cincinnati Masters.

Martic’s aggressive all-court style is capable of troubling most players on the tour, but Garcia has found consistency to complement her mercurial talent in the past six months and deserves to be considered a red-hot favourite in this clash.

Tip: Back Garcia to Win 2-0 @ $1.75

JELENA OSTAPENKO V KAROLINA PLISKOVA

Yet another high-profile women’s first-round clash from the Adelaide International, with seventh seed and grand slam champ Jelena Ostapenko lining up against former world No.1 Karolina Pliskova.

Currently 18th in the world, 2017 French Open winner Ostapenko’s highlights last season included winning the Dubai Championships. A run to the Korea Open final aside, her campaign stagnated somewhat post-Wimbledon.

Pliskova has slipped outside the top-30 after an injury-hit start to 2022. She missed the entire Australian swing last season but has a strong affinity for Down Under conditions, winning the Brisbane International three times.

Pliskova enjoyed an admirable run to the US Open quarters but finished a tough year with a string of early exits.

The power-hitting duo shares an eventful rivalry. Pliskova is ahead 5-3 in the count but it’s two-all on hard courts. Ostapenko’s last victory was at the 2020 French Open, with Pliskova winning two clashes on clay in 2021 since.

Four of their past five encounters went to three sets and this is a strong chance of following suit. But slight underdog Ostapenko holds an edge with more recent tennis under her belt and Pliskova showing only snippets of her best in the past 12 months.

Tip: SGM – Back Ostapenko to Win and Over 21.5 Total Games @ $3.52

ANDY MURRAY V SEBASTIAN KORDA

Always a popular visitor in Australia, the 35-year-old Andy Murray kicks off 2023 in better shape than usual. The five-time Australian Open finalist has missed the first major of the season three times in the past five years but returned to the top-50 for the first time since 2018 midway through last year.

Murray also made his first tour-level finals in three years in Sydney and Stuttgart during 2022. But the revered Brit has been lobbed a first-round hand grenade at the Adelaide International in the shape of world No.33 Sebastian Korda.

The 22-year-old produced some promising performances on the grand slam stage and made back-to-back hard-court finals in October at the Gijon Open – a run that included a win over Murray in the pair’s only meeting to date – and European Open.

Korda is yet to develop the consistency to complement a multifaceted kitbag of skills and Murray is well-placed to capitalise on any lapses. But this feels like a showdown that is Korda’s to win or lose, with Murray’s current best arguably not enough to overcome the vibrant talent of Korda if he fires.

Tip: Back Korda to Cover the Games Handicap (-2.5) @ $1.95

ELENA RYBAKINA V DANIELLE COLLINS

One of several first-round blockbusters in the Adelaide International women’s draw, fifth seed Danielle Collins squares off against 2022 runner-up Elena Rybakina.

Both players produced watershed grand slam runs during 2022. World No.14 Collins reached the Australian Open final – her first at a major – before going down to Ashleigh Barty. Rybakina, ranked 21st, was a shock winner at Wimbledon, beating two grand slam winners along the way.

Rybakina lost her opener at the US Open but finished the season in solid form, making the Slovenia Open final and the Ostrava Open semis. Collins got to the last 16 at the US Open for the first time then reached the San Diego Open semis.

Both players employ an aggressive style complemented by a formidable serve. Collins won their only previous meeting, getting up 7-6 7-6 at the 2021 Stanford Open.

But Kazakh Rybakina – on the fourth line of betting to win this tournament at $9 – arguably carries greater momentum into this showdown. She was on fire at the recent World Tennis League exhibition tournament, overwhelming top-five players Aryna Sabalenka, Caroline Garcia and Iga Swiatek.

Tip: Back Rybakina to Win 2-1 @ $4.00

THANASI KOKKINAKIS V MAXIME CRESSY

Hometown lad Thanasi Kokkinakis returns to the scene of his maiden ATP title triumph, winning the Adelaide International 2 last year after sweeping aside the likes of big guns John Isner and Marin Cilic. He also made his first ATP semi in five years at the initial Adelaide tournament earlier that January.

World No.93 Kokkinakis has his work cut in the opening round, however, as he stares down towering Frenchman Maxime Cressy, who has climbed to 34th in the rankings on the back of an outstanding 2022 campaign.

The 25-year-old Cressy only made his grand slam debut in 2020 but made a big splash last season, reaching the finals at the Melbourne Summer Set and Eastbourne International, and clinching his first ATP title at the Hall of Fame Open in July.

Doubles star Kokkinakis’ form tapered with three first-round exits to finish 2022. The head-to-head ledger is square one-all; Kokkinakis prevailed at a Challenger event in 2019, while Cressy took out a Wimbledon qualifier in 2021.

Home advantage notwithstanding, Cressy looks strong value as the slight outsider, boasting an imposing serve-and-volley ability and excellent return game.

Tip: Back Cressy to Win @ $1.93

RAFAEL NADAL V ALEX DE MINAUR

The United Cup group-stage rubber between Australia and Spain kicks off with a mouth-watering clash between all-time great Rafael Nadal and world No.24 Alex de Minaur.

Nadal and de Minaur both went down to Cameron Norrie in recent days as their respective teams lost their opening ties to Great Britain.

On the back of a sluggish showing at the season-ending ATP Finals, world No.2 Nadal was glaringly disappointing in a physical encounter with Norrie and only got 58 percent of his serves in. De Minaur finished 2022 in decent touch at the Paris Open and in Davis Cup action but could only win six games against Norrie.

Nadal has won all three previous meetings with de Minaur. He breezed to straight-sets wins at Wimbledon in 2018 and the Australian Open in 2019, but the tyro took a set off Nadal at the 2020 ATP Cup as Australia and Spain clashed in the semi-finals.

The tenacious de Minaur – the $2.55 underdog here – probably won’t get too many better opportunities to knock over the incomparable Nadal and is a great shout to at least win a set.

Tip: Back de Minaur to Cover the Set Handicap (+1.5) @ $1.70

IGA SWIATEK V BELINDA BENCIC

Poland and Switzerland meet in a United Cup group tie after both teams carved out convincing wins over Kazakhstan. The nations’ respective top-ranked players, Iga Swiatek and Belinda Bencic, lock horns in the opening women’s clash of the tie.

Both players racked up solid straight-sets victories over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva. World number one Swiatek was especially dominant, dropping only four games.

Swiatek is coming off the most dominant WTA season by any player in recent years, winning the French and US Opens after reaching the Australian Open semis, as well as taking out six other tournaments.

World No.12 Bencic, the reigning Olympic champion, had a comparatively disappointing 2022. She failed to make it past the third round at any of the four slams, her campaign peaking with a title win at the Charleston Open. She did finish the year with a string of wins at the Billie Jean King Cup, however.

The pair have met twice, both during 2021. Swiatek prevailed at the Adelaide International, before Bencic dumped the budding superstar out of the US Open. But $1.22 favourite Swiatek appears to have picked up where she left off in a blistering 2022 season and should be far too strong in this one.

Tip: Back Swiatek to Cover the Games Handicap (-4.5) @ $1.73

2022 US Open Women’s Final Tips

The 2022 US Open women’s semis have been run and won. We’re left with two brilliant competitors appearing in their second grand slam finals this year, respectively, with Swiatek chasing her third major and Jabeur searching for her maiden slam.

Despite her breakthrough Wimbledon final appearance two months ago – an upset loss to Elina Rybakina – pre-US Open hype around Jabeur was surprisingly muted. The Tunisian 28-year-old’s hard-court lead-in form was below par.

But Jabeur has dropped just one set in New York, to 31st seed Shelby Rogers in the third round. The world No.5 has gone from strength to strength since, outlasting 18th seed Veronika Kudermetova (7-6 6-4) and in-form, Serena-slaying Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic (6-4 7-6).

Jabeur went into the semis as a pronounced outsider against red-hot Caroline Garcia…and wiped the Flushing Meadows court with her 6-1 6-3. Her power, accuracy and variety were at their peak in a blistering 66-minute exhibition against the new tournament favourite.

Clay-court juggernaut Swiatek, a two-time French Open champ, has proven her chops on hard courts over the past year and has passed some notable tests during this tournament. The world No.1 beat former champ Sloane Stephens and came from a set down to subdue big-hitting Jule Niemeier.

Swiatek then held off eighth seed Jessica Pegula 6-3 7-6 in the quarters, before fighting back from a first-set loss to defeat Belarusian powerhouse and sixth seed Aryna Sabalenka 3-6 6-1 6-4 in the semis.

The 21-year-old seems to be becoming more comfortable with the pressure her long WTA Tour winning streaks, Roland Garros successes and rankings leader status entail.

Adding intrigue to this final, the head-to-head is locked 2-all. Swiatek won their initial meeting at the 2019 Washington Open, Jabeur bundled the phenom out of Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Masters last year, and Swiatek won their Rome Masters final in convincing style earlier this season.

Swiatek is the $1.53 favourite and, given Jabeur’s Wimbledon failure, may be the more relaxed of the pair. But her clash with Sabalenka revealed some early vulnerabilities – not for the first time in the past fortnight – and Jabeur was near-perfect in dismantling the seemingly unstoppable Garcia.

No women’s player has won two grand slams in the same calendar year since Angelique Kerber in 2016. The US Open has produced five first-time major winners in the past seven years – on top of 15 new champions being crowned in the past 27 women’s slam finals overall.

Jabeur is peaking at the right time and will primed to add her name to the latter lists.

2022 US Open Men’s Semi-Final Tips

Kyrgios-conquering Khachanov lines up in his maiden grand slam semi-final, while Norwegian tyro Ruud is vying for his second major final appearance of 2022. Neither had been past the third round at the US Open prior to this year.

Khachanov, the 27th seed, is coming off back-to-back five-setters. He dropped the first set against 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta but fought back superbly, while he outlasted title favourite Kyrgios in a classic 7-5 4-6 7-5 7-6 6-4.

The towering Russian’s service game has been first-rate, dropping just two games on serve against each of Carreno Busta and Kyrgios.

Fifth seed Ruud has carved a highly impressive path to the semis. He beat Kyle Edmund, Tim van Rijthoven, 29th seed Tommy Paul in a five-setter, Corentin Moutet and 13th seed Matteo Berrettini in a 6-1 6-4 7-6 quarter-final demolition.

This run has continued a stellar season for clay specialist Ruud, who reached the French Open final and won the Geneva and Swiss Opens, but has also shone on hard courts with appearances in the Miami Open final and the Canadian Open semis.

Ruud won the pair’s only previous meeting – a three-set result on clay at the 2020 Rome Masters. His takedown of the big-serving Berrettini holds him in good stead to thwart Khachanov, whose consecutive marathon matches may start to take a toll.

Teenager Alcaraz Garfia has thundered into $2 title favouritism with Medvedev, Nadal and Kyrgios falling by the wayside. The third seed takes on another first-time grand slam semi-finalist in American 22nd seed Tiafoe.

Alcaraz Garfia breezed through the first three rounds in straight sets, but he had to dig deep in his last two matches. Former champ and 15th seed Marin Cilic took him to five sets, while he went the distance with 11th seed Jannik Sinner in the quarters after falling two sets to one behind.

The Spanish 19-year-old is a freak. His athleticism and mind-blowing array of shots were on full display against Sinner, while he showed tremendous resolve in that match to claw back from 4-3 down in the fourth set.

Tiafoe’s career-best slam run has been smoother but no less impressive – and consists of even bigger scalps. The 24-year-old has bookended his stunning four-set elimination of Rafa in the Round of 16 with straight-sets defeats of 14th seed Diego Schwartzman and ninth seed Andrey Rublev.

The first African-American to reach the US Open semis since the legendary Arthur Ashe 50 years ago, Tiafoe will enjoy a tidal wave of crowd support. He also won his only clash with Alcaraz Garfia to date, a 6-4 7-6 result at last year’s Barcelona Open.

Schwartzman was the only player to break big-serving Tiafoe more than twice so far. Meanwhile, Alcaraz Garfia could be leg-weary after back-to-back five-setters. Strap in for another lengthy encounter, with Tiafoe providing solid value as a $2.60 underdog.

2022 US Open Women’s Semi-Finals Tips

Garcia is through to her maiden grand slam semi-final at her 41st attempt, while Jabeur is featuring in her second in a row on the back of her breakthrough Wimbledon final appearance.

French 28-year-old Garcia’s only previous quarter-final was at the 2017 French Open. But the 17th seed has emerged as a genuine contender for the silverware with dominant straight-sets wins over 2019 champ Bianca Andreescu, 29th seed Alison Riske and 12th seed Coco Gauff.

Jabeur’s form since losing the Wimbledon decider to Elina Rybakina had been very scratchy. It hasn’t been all smooth sailing in New York: Shelby Rogers took her to three sets in the third round, before 18th seed Veronika Kudermetova (7-6 6-4) and Ajla Tomljanovic (6-4 7-6) pushed her hard.

The fifth seed has often been visibly frustrated with her unforced errors, but it’s a credit to her talent and ability to overcome adversity that she has made it through a tricky draw to the final four.

Garcia, on the back of her Cincinnati Masters success, has been in career-best touch. She has not dropped a set – or lost more than seven games – at the US Open. Jabeur has won both previous clashes though, at the 2019 US Open and 2020 Australian Open.

Garcia has stormed into title favouritism and is $1.57 to subdue Jabeur thanks to her spellbinding form. But the Tunisian is great value here to at least force this tantalising clash to three sets.

Swiatek remains on course to become the first women’s player to win two grand slam titles in the same calendar year since Angelique Kerber in 2016. The world No.1 and French Open champ faced a seeded player for the first time in the quarters, overwhelming eighth seed Jessica Pegula 6-3 7-6.

The strong performance followed on from her revival from a set down against Jule Niemeier in the Round of 16, in which she won the deciding set 6-0.

Sixth seed Sabalenka is into her third grand slam semi, having got to the last four at Wimbledon and the US Open last year – losing to Karolina Pliskova and Leylah Fernandez, respectively.

The Belarusian looks as capable as ever of living up to the grand slam champion promise she projected as the WTA titles piled up in 2020 and ’21. After coming from a set down to beat 19th seed Danielle Collins, Sabalenka blew Pliskova away in the first set on her way to a 6-1 7-6 quarter-final victory.

Swiatek boasts a 3-1 head-to-head advantage against Sabalenka, with all four clashes coming in the past year. Sabalenka won the initial encounter in last year’s WTA Finals, while Swiatek won their Doha Open quarter, Stuttgart Open final and Rome Masters semi this season.

Swiatek has already shown in this tournament she can counter the tour’s big hitters. Sabalenka is as powerful as they come, but there’s still a question mark over her set-to-set consistency. The Polish wunderkind’s proven big-match temperament holds her in good stead to take out this one.

2022 US Open Day 10 Tips

The 2022 US Open will crown a first-time men’s grand slam champion – but Rublev and Tiafoe remain in the bottom half of title betting among the quarter-finalists.

Tiafoe, though, has as much reason to be confident as any contender after a stunning Round of 16 upset of Rafael Nadal. The 22nd seed rode the home-crowd support and played fearlessly to prevail 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-3 in the biggest win of his career to date.

It followed on from a superb straight-sets victory over 14th seed Diego Schwartzman for Tiafoe, who is into just his second slam quarter-final, having made it to the last eight in Melbourne in 2019.

Fellow 24-year-old Rublev, the ninth seed, isn’t attracting much hype but has been going about his New York campaign impressively. He outlasted 19th seed Denis Shapovalov in a five-set thriller in the third round, before disposing of seventh seed Cameron Norrie 6-4 6-4 6-4.

This is Rublev’s sixth grand slam quarter-final appearance (third at the US Open) – but he’s 0-5 so far. The head-to-head is square at 1-all: Tiafoe bounced Rublev from the third round of last year’s US Open in five sets, before Rublev took out their Indian Wells clash in March 6-3 6-4.

The crowd is a big factor in Tiafoe’s favour – particularly given Rublev’s famed temper. There’s hasn’t been an American champ since 2006 and Tiafoe is a huge chance, riding a wave of confidence after his aggressive, big-serving, net-rushing conquer of Rafa.

The two youngest players left in the men’s draw, 21-year-old Sinner and 19-year-old Alcaraz are both gunning for their first grand slam semi-final berth. They have already met on the big stage, with Sinner winning their fourth-round Wimbledon clash in four sets two months ago.

It hasn’t been the smoothest path to the last eight for 13th seed Sinner. He was taken to five sets by Daniel Altmaier in the first round and again by Ilya Ivashka in the Round of 16.

In between, the Italian looked solid in beating Chris Eubanks in straight sets and coming from a set down to defeat rising star Brandon Nakashima in four.

On the second line of outright betting behind Nick Kyrgios, Alcaraz cruised to the fourth round without dropping a set.

The third seed emerged from a ding-dong battle with former champ and 15th seed Marin Cilic with a 6-4 3-6 6-4 4-6 6-3 victory – becoming the youngest man in 70 years to make consecutive US Open quarter-finals. It was a another significant step in his rapid rise to tennis’ upper echelon.

Sinner leads the head-to-head count 2-1 after also taking out their Croatia Open final on clay in July. But Alcaraz won their only hard-court meeting, at the Paris Masters last year. Both players are coming off marathon encounters – but Alcaraz was easily the more impressive of the pair.

Arguably the two best players on tour yet to win a major, veteran Pliskova and powerhouse tyro Sabalenka both emerged from tough Round of 16 assignments with three-set victories.

Thirty-year-old Pliskova, the 22nd seed, followed up her 5-7 6-4 6-3 win over 13th seed Belinda Bencic with a 7-5 6-7 6-2 defeat of two-time Australian Open champ and 2020 US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka.

Sixth seed Sabalenka came from a set down to overwhelm 19th seed Danielle Collins – an Australian Open finalist earlier this year – 3-6 6-3 6-2 in the fourth round, having done the same against Kaia Kanepi in the second round.

Pliskova is vying for her fifth grand slam semi; she reached the US Open final in 2016 (losing three quarters since) and the 2021 Wimbledon decider. The 24-year-old Sabalenka lost her two previous slam semis, at last year’s Wimbledon – losing to Pliskova in three sets – and US Open.

The head-to-head stands at 2-all, with Pliskova winning the last two. She followed up the Wimbledon win by downing Sabalenka in the Canadian Masters semis soon afterwards. But there’s nothing in this between two heavy hitters.

Pliskova shapes as a value underdog given her edge in big-match experience and temperament, but this one should go the distance.

World No.1 Iga Swiatek survived a fright in her Round of 16 clash with German up-and-comer Jule Niemeier, dropping the first set convincingly before clicking into gear for a 2-6 6-4 6-0 win. She had previously lost just 15 games total in beating Jasmine Paolini, Sloane Stephens and Lauren Davis.

The 21-year-old is in pursuit of her third grand slam title, having won two of the last three French Opens. But she has looked more vulnerable in recent months since her blistering 37-match winning streak came to an end at Wimbledon.

Eighth seed Pegula lines up for her fourth grand slam quarter-final since the start of 2021, but she is vying for a maiden semi-final appearance. The 28-year-old American has been dominant in New York, with a second-set tiebreak loss to Yue Yuan in the third round the only hiccup.

Pegula passed her first high-profile test with honours, wiping the court with 21st seed and two-time grand slam champ Petra Kvitova 6-3 6-2.

The American’s sole win over Swiatek came in their first meeting at the Washington Open in 2019; Swiatek has won both clashes since – in the Miami Masters semis and the French Open quarters this year.

There’s little question Swiatek’s ruthless best will be too strong for Pegula. But with the support of a partisan crowd and an aggressive baseline game, she is capable of dragging the red-hot tournament favourite into deep waters.

2022 US Open Day 9 Tips

Inconceivable just months ago, Kyrgios is the outright US Open favourite heading into the quarters after knocking over world No.1 in arguably the finest display of his career. The 23rd seed took out a nerve-shredding first-set tiebreak and lost the second set, before powering home 7-6 3-6 6-3 6-2.

Kyrgios is into the last eight at grand slam for just the second time since 2015. But the momentum and confidence he has crafted since beginning his Wimbledon charge has been astonishing. Next up is big-serving, 27th-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov.

The 26-year-old is vying for his maiden grand slam semi berth after producing an upset of his own, outlasting 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta in a seesawing five-setter.

The head-to-head is locked 1-all, with Khachanov prevailing at the 2019 Cincinnati Masters and Krygios winning a marathon five-setter at the 2020 Australian Open.

Khachanov is a tough opponent and will test Kyrgios at times, but the lack of variety in his game means he’ll be relying on errors from his in-form opponent. Kyrgios looks so sharp and focused – it’s hard to see him getting rolled here.

Vying for a likely semi-final date with Kyrgios are fifth seed Ruud, who is past the fourth round of a grand slam for just the second time, and 13th seed Berrettini, who reached the US Open semis in 2019 and the Australian Open semis this year.

Ruud, the French Open runner-up three months ago, has navigated a difficult draw to the last eight. He beat Kyle Edmund in straight sets, Wimbledon bolter Tim van Rijthoven in four, 29th seed Tommy Paul in five and Corentin Moutet in four.

It’s been similarly gruelling for Berrettini. After a comfortable first-up win over Nicolas Jarry, he came from a set down to beat Hugo Grenier, saw off former champ Andy Murray in four sets, and held his nerve in a long five-setter against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

The tyros have already met five times. Berrettini took out their only hard-court clash – at the 2020 US Open – while Ruud took a 3-2 lead in the count by winning their recent Swiss Open final showdown on clay.

This is a tough one to call with both players showing plenty of heart to get to this stage, but not their best tennis. Berrettini may hold a slight edge on this surface but expect it to go deep.

Two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist Tomljanovic has produced arguably the most impressive grand slam run of her career to reach the US Open’s last eight for the first time.

The 29-year-old Aussie has had a tough draw, but beat Karolina Muchova in straight sets and came from a set down to overcome Evgeniya Rodina before handling the sell-out crowd pressure-cooker to end Serena Williams’ career 7-5 6-7 6-1.

Tomljanovic regrouped from that high and a slow start against in-form favourite Liudmila Samsonova to power through the Round of 16 clash 7-6 6-1.

She’ll need to lift another gear again to topple fifth seed Ons Jabeur. The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up has dropped just one set – to 31st seed Shelby Rogers in the third round – and won a tough fourth-round clash against 18th seed Veronika Kudermetova 7-6 6-4.

Tunisia’s Jabeur is the $1.48 favourite and one of the more dangerous, versatile players on tour. But Tomljanovic is in the form of her life and won’t die wondering. This should be an outstanding and close-fought quarter-final.

Amid her best US Open run to date, 12th seed Gauff heads into her quarter-final against 17th-seeded Frenchwoman Garcia as a slight underdog.

Gauff, with a maiden grand slam final appearance at the French Open in June under her belt, is yet to drop a set in New York. The 18-year-old has left Leolia Jeanjean, Elena-Gabriela Ruse, 20th seed Madison Keys and Zhang Shuai in her wake.

Garcia shaped as a pre-tournament dark horse after claiming some big scalps on her way to the Cincinnati Masters trophy.

The 28-year-old hasn’t skipped a beat in New York, losing no more than six games in demolishing Kamilla Rakhimova, Anna Kalinskaya, 2019 champ Bianca Andreescu and 29th seed Alison Riske. She’s yet to make the semis in 12 years on the grand slam scene and this is only her second quarter-final.

Crowd support will overwhelmingly be behind Gauff, arguably the best American hope left in either draw. That may give the young, more powerful player an edge – but Garcia’s blistering form can’t be ignored and she will zero in on Gauff’s second serve to gain the ascendancy.

2022 US Open Day 8 Tips

The only American remaining in the men’s draw, Tiafoe faces one of the great tests in the sport as he strives to reach the US Open quarter-finals for the first time. The 22^nd seed, an Australian Open quarter-finalist in 2019, lost in the Round of 16 at Flushing Meadows in 2020 and ’21.

But Tiafoe has been superb over the past week. He is yet to drop a set in disposing of Marcos Giron, Aussie Wimbledon surprise pack Jason Kubler and 14^th seed Diego Schwartzman.

Nadal, who counts four US Open wins among his record 22 grand slam titles, has not exited a major before the quarter-finals since 2017. This is his first visit to New York since winning the 2019 US Open.

The second seed has taken some time to get rolling during this campaign, dropping the first set against Aussie wildcard Rinky Hijikata and Fabio Fognini before winning both matches in four, then cruising to a straight-sets victory over French veteran Richard Gasquet.

Nadal is 2-0 against Tiafoe, winning their clashes at the Australian Open and Madrid Masters – both in 2019 – comfortably. Expect Tiafoe to snare a set this time around, but $1.18 favourite Nadal is on a 22-match winning streak at grand slam level and we should see him take it up a notch here.

A $4.60 outsider to advance to the quarters, 2014 US Open champ Cilic is aiming to continue an unexpected renaissance that carried him to the French Open semi-finals. The 33-year-old missed Wimbledon but has been in great touch so far in New York.

World No.16 Cilic put away Maximilian Marterer and Albert Ramos-Vinolas in straight sets, before outlasting 20^th seed Dan Evans 7-6 6-7 6-2 7-5 in typically dogged fashion. He’s racked up 57 aces and lost just four games on serve.

Tennis’ next big thing, Alcaraz Garfia caught the world’s attention by reaching the quarters here as an 18-year-old last year. He’s looking to take the next step after a quarter-final exit at the French Open and a fourth-round loss at Wimbledon when touted as a genuine title threat.

So far, so good for the third seed, who has blown Sebastian Baez, Federico Coria and Jenson Brooksby away without dropping a set.

Alcaraz has accounted for Cilic in straight sets twice in hard-court tournaments this season – in Miami in March and Cincinnati last month. The big stage of the US Open presents a tougher challenge for the tyro against a wily, in-form stalwart, however, in what should be a cracker.

A pair of veteran US Open finalists square off in a fascinating fourth-round clash. Two-time Australian Open champ Azarenka lost deciders at Flushing Meadows in 2012-13 and 2020. Pliskova, still chasing a maiden major, has made three quarter-finals since losing the 2016 US Open final.

The 33-year-old Azarenka, the 26^th seed, overcame a three-set test in the first round against Ashlyn Krueger to demolish Marta Kostyuk and Petra Martic for the loss of just eight games combined.

Pliskova, 30 years of age and seeded 22^nd, has had a tougher draw. She outlasted Magda Linnette in a third-set tiebreak before thrashing Marie Bouzkova 6-3 6-2 and came from a set down to beat 13^th seed Belinda Bencic 5-7 6-4 6-3.

The big guns’ head-to-head is locked 4-all. Pliskova won their only previous grand slam encounter – 6-3 6-3 at Wimbledon in 2018 – but this is their first meeting in more than three years. The Czech also had the better build-up to the US Open with a semi-final run in Montreal.

But Azarenka remains the reliable, consistent and level-headed performer of two players the market can’t split.

One of three Americans standing in the women’s draw, 19^th seed Collins faces arguably the toughest Round of 16 assignment in shape of world No.6 Sabalenka. The Belarusian boasts a 3-0 record against Collins and despatched her from the 2018 and 2021 US Opens.

But Collins, the Australian Open runner-up earlier this year, has been outstanding during the first week in New York. She emerged from a horror first-round draw against Naomi Osaka with a 7-6 6-3 win, eliminated Cristina Bucsa 6-2 7-5 and outlasted the dangerous Alize Cornet 6-4 7-6.

Sabalenka is still chasing an elusive maiden grand slam final appearance after semi-final runs at Wimbledon and the US Open last year. But after being banned from competing at Wimbledon, the 24-year-old looms as a genuine dark horse to take out the title at Flushing Meadows.

After obliterating Cathrine Harrison 6-1 6-3, the powerhouse came from a set down and saved match point to defeat veteran Kaia Kanepi in a gruelling second-round encounter and lost just two games in beating Clara Burel.

Sabalenka can be error-prone and Collins will rely on her consistency and solid all-round game to stay in it. But Sabalenka is looking ominous – and her best will be too good for Collins.

2022 US Open Day 5 Tips

A huge third-round clash between a pair of top-20 seeds. De Minaur is looking very capable of matching his breakout 2020 US Open quarter-final appearance, backing up a quality straight-sets win over Filip Krajinovic with a four-set victory against his Wimbledon conqueror, Cristian Garin.

The tenacious 23-year-old Aussie was strong on serve versus the dangerous Garin, winning 81 percent of his first-serve points and being broken just twice in a 6-3 6-0 4-6 6-2 result.

Carreno Busta, the 12th seed, has navigated a tough draw so far. He outlasted 2020 US Open winner Dominic Thiem in four sets in the first round, before coming from a set down to beat world No.47 Alexander Bublik in four.

The 31-year-old was a semi-finalist here in 2017 and 2020 – his best grand slam results. In his only previous meeting with de Minaur, Carreno Busta lost just five games in a straight-sets win at the 2019 French Open.

The underrated duo seem destined to produce the match of the round. It’s a brutally tough one to call, though slight $1.75 favourite Carreno Busta does have a better record at majors. Either way, expect it be an absorbing – and lengthy – showdown.

Tennis’ resident bad boy squares off against an emerging American cult hero in a fascinating third-round clash.

Kyrgios has picked up where he left off in his run to the Wimbledon final and Washington Open triumph. After disposing of close mate Thanasi Kokkinakis in straight sets, the 23rd seed overcame a tough test from Benjamin Bonzi 7-6 6-4 4-6 6-4.

Kyrgios sent 30 aces past Bonzi in the three-hour rollercoaster. He’s now shooting for his maiden US Open Round of 16 appearance and just his fourth trip to the fourth round of a grand slam in six years.

In just his second grand slam appearance, Wolf rolled 16th seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4 6-4 6-4 in the first round – holding his serve throughout – then overcame Alejandro Tabilo in four sets after dropping the fourth. He has smashed 34 aces in his two matches so far.

Wolf produced a similar run to reach the third round of the 2020 US Open as a wildcard before being halted by Daniil Medvedev.

The 23-year-old warmed us for this tilt with a quarter-final run at the Washington Open in which he beat Denis Shapovalov, while he pushed 2020 US Open champ Dominic Thiem to the brink at the Winston-Salem Open last week.

This should be a thrill-a-minute affair given the shotmaking ability on both sides of the net. Kyrgios’ form and new-found resolve gives him the edge to find a way through, but $6 underdog Wolf will make it difficult and holds plenty of value.

Aussie Tomljanovic has picked a high-profile occasion for her first-ever clash with women’s tennis’ G.O.A.T. The (possible) Serena farewell extravaganza is gathering juggernaut-esque momentum and Tomljanovic faces a massive task shutting out the hype and playing her own game.

The 29-year-old has had to dig deep to reach the US Open second round for the second straight year. She overcame Karolina Muchova 6-3 7-6 before recovering from an awful start to put away Evgeniya Rodina 1-6 6-2 7-5.

Williams had just one singles match win since the 2021 French Open to her credit before this tournament, but she disposed of Danka Kovinic 6-3 6-3 then rode the roar of 20,000 adoring fans to outlast world No.2 Anett Kontaveit 7-6 2-6 6-2 in a barnburner.

The six-time champ turned back the clock in the upset – but it’s a gruelling encounter to back up from for a 40-year-old with not a whole lot of tennis under her belt. The vociferous support is also a massive factor for both players. Kontaveit was clearly affected by the partisan crowd.

Despite being a two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist, Tomljanovic will not have played in an atmosphere anything like what she’ll encounter here. If the $2.30 underdog can get off to a flyer she’s a chance – but the longer the match wears on, the more likely Serena will again come home with a wet sail.

Top-20 seeds Keys and Gauff are being reduced to sidelights with fellow American Williams’ campaign gobbling up the attention, but this shapes as a massive third-round clash between a couple of dark horses.

World No.20 Keys saw off Dayana Yastrameska 7-6 6-3 in the first round before prevailing in a marathon encounter with Camila Giorgi 6-4 5-7 7-6.

The 27-year-old found some timely pre-major form with a semi-final run in Cincinnati, beating the two most recent grand slam champs in Iga Swiatek and Elina Rybakina. Keys reached the US Open final in 2017 and the semis a year later. She made her second Australian Open semi in January.

Twelfth seed Gauff has enjoyed a relatively straightforward passage to the third round, accounting for Leolia Jeanjean and Elena-Gabriela Ruse in straight sets. She’s dropped just two games on serve so far.

The 18-year-old phenom reached her first slam final at the French Open three months ago but has never made it past the third round at her home major. She met Keys for the first time in Adelaide in January, going down in a three-setter.

This seems likely to go the distance, too. Both players look in good touch and are regarded as two of the most powerful ball strikers in the sport. Keys is certainly tempting value as the underdog given her hard-court grand slam record.

2022 US Open Day 4 Tips

After disposing of countryman Chris O’Connell, Aussie Duckworth lines up against 20th seed Evans in the second round at Flushing Meadows. Duckworth conceded the first set to O’Connell but took the ascendancy after claiming a second-set tie-break, eventually winning 4-6 7-6 6-2 6-3.

Duckworth was broken just once in the match to make the second round of the US Open for the first time since 2016. The world No.83 is chasing just his second third-round appearance at a grand slam (Wimbledon 2021).

British hope Evans blasted through his first-round assignment against Jiri Vesely 6-4 6-1 6-1. He served superbly, winning 91 percent of his first-serve points and did not offer up even a break-point opportunity.

Evans made it to the fourth round at last year’s US Open and enjoyed an excellent run to the Canadian Open semis recently. The 32-year-old may be a little short as $1.22 to overcome the plucky Duckworth, but he is likely to progress.

Aussie tyro Popyrin carved out a straight-sets win over Tseng Chun-hsin in the opening round, sending down 16 aces in a hard-fought 6-3 7-6 7-6 victory. The 23-year-old will need to lift a couple of gears to topple 14th seed Schwartzman, however.

But it was a confidence-booster for Popyrin, who hadn’t won a main draw ATP Tour match since the Miami Open in March. He reached the third round of the US Open in 2019 and ’21, matching his career-best slam performances of Round of 32 appearances at the 2019-20 Australian Opens.

Schwartzman was fortunate not to be bundled out in the first round in a physical showdown with Jack Sock. The Argentine trailed two sets to one when Sock succumbed to injury early in the fourth. Schwartzman arrived in New York in reasonable form, reaching the last 16 at the Cincinnati Masters.

The 30-year-old baseliner was a quarter-finalist at the US Open in 2017 and ’19, while he made it to the fourth round last year. Schwartzman’s forehand and serve has been inconsistent throughout 2022, but his experience and power should be enough to account for the 84th-ranked Popyrin.

World No.1 and title favourite Swiatek takes on a former US Open champion in the second round. The Polish 21-year-old opened her New York campaign in blistering fashion courtesy of a 6-3 6-0 win over Jasmine Paolini, finding her groove after dropping two games on serve in the first set.

Since crashing out of Wimbledon in the third round, the two-time French Open winner recorded early exits in her hard-court lead-in events. The powerhouse is looking to improve on her best US Open effort of a fourth-round appearance last year.

Currently ranked 51st, Stephens won the US Open in 2017 and reached the French Open final the following season. While Stephens is yet to return to those dizzying heights, she is capable of a surprise slam run – as she proved by reaching the quarters at Roland Garros earlier this year.

Stephens overcame a poor start against Greet Minnen to move into the second round with a 1-6 6-3 6-3 win. She picked up some decent scalps in recent tournaments (Sofia Kenin, Alize Cornet) and pushed Swiatek in a 6-4 7-5 loss in Cincinnati two weeks ago.

Swiatek may be a clay-court specialist, but her Australian Open semi-final run in January and subsequent tournament wins in Qatar, Indian Wells and Miami underlined her hard-court ability. If she’s locked in early, the top seed should make short work of Stephens.

One of the more intriguing second-round clashes as 37-year-old Kanepi takes on 24-year-old sixth seed Sabalenka. Both players moved were impressive first up: World No.34 Kanepi beat Tereza Martincova 7-6 6-3, while Sabalenka overwhelmed Catherine Harrison 6-1 6-3.

Belarus’ Sabalenka reached the US Open semis last year and warmed up for this tilt by reaching the Cincinnati Masters semis after being banned from competing at Wimbledon.

Kanepi is a seven-time grand slam quarter-finalist (twice at the US Open), including an unlikely charge at this year’s Australian Open.

The obvious talking point here is Kanepi’s twin upsets of Sabalenka Down Under. Kanepi prevailed in three sets at the 2021 Gippsland Trophy and produced a 5-7 6-2 7-6 boilover in the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open.

Sabalenka, regarded as a frontline slam contender for some time after some dominant periods on the WTA Tour, seems to have timed her run form-wise to give the US Open a real nudge.

Kanepi may be the last player she wanted to face in the second round but Sabalenka should be better prepared for this challenge than she was in Melbourne.

2022 US Open Day 3 Tips

Kyrgios passed his first Flushing Meadows test with flying colours, defeating fellow Aussie and close mate Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3 6-4 7-6.

Both players blasted down a stack of aces, but Krygios’ service game was untouchable – he did not offer up a break point opportunity, won 87 percent of his first-serve points and 90 percent on his second.

It was a continuation of a stellar run of form for Kyrgios. The Wimbledon finalist now looks to match his best US Open performance, having made it to the third round in 2014, ’16 and ’18-19 – but never beyond.

Frenchman Bonzi outlasted compatriot Ugo Humbert in a first-round five-setter. He has not been past the second round of a major but has climbed to No.50 in the ATP rankings in a career-best season.

Bonzi earned a maiden ATP semi-final appearance at the Open 13, reached the third round at Indian Wells and the quarters at the recent Hall of Fame Championships and Winston-Salem Open. The 26-year-old has beaten the likes of Dominic Thiem and Denis Shapovalov in 2022, so he is no pushover.

Anything like the form Kyrgios has produced of late will be too good for the plucky Bonzi, though – and a repeat of his serving display against Kokkinakis should garner another straight-sets victory.

Aussie de Minaur’s fruitful association with the hard courts of New York continued with a dominant first-round win at the US Open, dismantling Filip Krajinovic 7-5 6-2 6-3. The 23-year-old overcame some early resistance from a tough opponent and was relentless in taking his chances in the last two sets.

De Minaur will be aiming to up his service game, having been broken four times by Krajinovic. But the jack-in-the-box – seeded 18th – looks in good shape to go on a similar tear to the one that carried him to a maiden grand slam quarter-final at the 2020 US Open.

He’ll have a slice of revenge on his mind, too, as he lines up against Garin, who won the pair’s epic five-set Wimbledon Round of 16 clash two months ago to reach his first slam quarter. That run was something of an outlier in a tough season for the Chilean, who was in the top-20 last year but is now ranked 82nd.

Garin overcame Jiri Lehecka in four sets in the opening round but has never been past the second round at the US Open.

De Minaur won the pair’s other three encounters – at the 2019 US Open, Indian Wells last year and the Eastbourne International just prior to Wimbledon. He should progress here but looks under the odds as $1.14 favourite. Garin is a gritty baseliner and I’d expect him to at least take a set off de Minaur.

What is expected to be Serena Williams’ farewell tour has at least one more stop after she put away Danka Kovinic 6-3 6-3 in the opening round. It was just her fifth singles match in 14 months and her first grand slam victory since last year’s French Open.

The six-time US Open champ will have to lift again in the second round, however, as she prepares to face world No.2 Anett Kontaveit. The Estonian obliterated Jaqueline Cristian 6-3 6-0 in her first assignment, winning 81 percent of her first-serve points.

The 2011 Junior US Open finalist is seeking an elusive breakout grand slam run. Winning the St Petersburg Trophy and reaching the Qatar Open final this year have seen her rocket up the rankings, but a 2020 Australian Open quarter-final appearance is her best effort at a major and she has not made it past the third round since.

Kontaveit’s overall form in recent months has left plenty to be desired and the vociferous home-crowd support for the legendary Williams shapes as a big mental hurdle. There was enough in Serena’s first-up display to get behind her as a $2.70 underdog in this one, even if she is a shadow of the dominant player of US Opens past.

Australia’s top-ranked woman’s player, Tomljanovic grafted out a solid first-round win over the well-credentialled Karolina Muchova 6-3 7-6. She powered through the first set in 45 minutes and hung tough in a lengthy second, breaking Muchova when she was serving for the set before taking out the tiebreak.

The 2021-22 Wimbledon quarter-finalist is yet to realise her potential in hard-court grand slams, but this is shaping as her best opportunity yet on the back of some strong lead-in form and an impressive start in New York.

Next up is 33-year-old Rodina, who stunned 27th seed Martina Trevisan 7-5 6-1 despite not having played a tour-level match in three years. The Russian has plenty of experience, though, having reached the Round of 16 at Wimbledon in 2018 among 24 grand slam appearances.

But it was one win more than anyone expected and beating the in-form Tomljanovic would be an even bigger shock. Trevisan is a clay specialist ill-suited to the hard-court tennis and Rodina’s tournament should end quite swiftly here.

2022 US Open Day 2 Tips

It’s another all-Australian first-round encounter at Flushing Meadows with Duckworth, the world No.83, and 118th-ranked O’Connell squaring off for the first time at ATP level.

Duckworth has a 9-29 grand slam record (1-5 at the US Open) and is chasing his first match victory at a major since a career-best third-round run at Wimbledon last year. O’Connell is featuring in his ninth slam; he made it to the second round at his only previous US Open tilt in 2020 and reached the third round at this year’s Australian Open.

The 30-year-old Duckworth has produced some handy form of late, getting to the quarters of the Hall of Fame Championships and beating compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Winston-Salem Open last week after battling back from hip surgery in January and a four-month layoff.

O’Connell’s build-up has included first-round exits at the Cincinnati Masters and Winston-Salem. The $2.25 outsider, I like Duckworth’s value on the back of his recent performances.

Twenty-nine-year-old Kubler is in much better form than his No.109 ATP ranking would suggest. The Queenslander is coming off a breakout run at Wimbledon.

In just his second main draw grand slam appearance in more than three years, Kubler achieved a career-best Round of 16 appearance. He backed that up with a semi-final run at the Hall of Fame Championships, beating top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime along the way.

Kubler faces 99th-ranked Mikael Ymer first up. The 23-year-old Swede is 7-4 in grand slam first-round matches but is yet to taste victory at the US Open. He impressed at the recent Washington Open, making the semis with wins over Andy Murray, Aslan Karatsev and Sebastian Korbia before losing to Nick Kyrgios.

Ymer is the $1.67 favourite, but Kubler is on a five-match first-round winning streak at ATP level. Both have been regarded as clay-court specialists but have looked very confident and capable in their hard-court build-up to the US Open. Expect this intriguing match-up to go at least four sets.

Raducanu’s campaign for a rare successful defence of a women’s grand slam title begins with a tough assignment against world No.40 Alize Cornet.

Eleventh seed Raducanu made history last year, winning the US Open as an 18-year-old qualifier – without dropping a set. She’s recorded three straight second-round exits at grand slam level since, however, and is yet to collect any more silverware on the WTA Tour.

The Brit beat Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka at the recent Cincinnati Masters before going down to top-10 star Jessica Pegula in the Round of 16.

Cornet boasts seven fourth-round appearances in grand slams, including at the 2020 US Open. She made a maiden quarter-final run at this year’s Australian Open and reached the last 16 at Wimbledon. The French 32-year-old warmed up for the US Open by reaching the semis of the Tennis in the Land tournament last week.

Raducanu will aim to get on the front foot and use her powerful groundstrokes to overwhelm her veteran opponent. But Cornet’s counterpunching ability will prove a serious hurdle for a young player with high expectations on her shoulders.

Neither player would have been too ecstatic when the US Open draw unveiled this monster first-round showdown. Two-time champ Osaka, ranked 44th, and 19th seed Danielle Collins are among the tournament’s higher-profile players but arrive in New York at a low ebb.

Osaka hasn’t been past the third round of a grand slam since winning the 2021 Australian Open. She lost in the first round at the French Open and skipped Wimbledon. The 24-year-old heads into the US Open on a three-match losing streak.

Collins reached her maiden grand slam final at the Australian Open in January, losing to Ash Barty. She subsequently made it to the Miami Open quarters but her form since has been poor. The 28-year-old lost her first-round Wimbledon match and has not played since losing first-up as the top seed in Lausanne last month.

The pair have met just once previously, Osaka blitzing Collins 6-1 6-0 at the 2018 Beijing Open. The Japanese superstar is the $1.53 favourite to advance. Neither player inspires a great deal of confidence for punters at present, but Osaka’s record at Flushing Meadows may be enough to carry her through in a scrappy affair.

2022 US Open Day 1 Tips

Alex de Minaur has been very much in the shadow of compatriot Nick Kyrgios in recent months – it’s easy to forget he is the 18th seed at the US Open. But the 23-year-old Sydneysider starts his New York campaign as a hot $1.25 favourite to account for Serbian veteran Filip Krajinovic.

De Minaur reached his sole grand slam quarter-final here in 2020 but was rolled by Taylor Fritz in the first round last year. In 2022, he has bookended a first-up exit at the French Open with Round of 16 appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

World No.45 Krajinovic has not been past the third round of a slam but has won eight of his last 14 first-round matches in majors. The 30-year-old went down to Kyrgios convincingly in the second round at Wimbledon and failed to fire on the hard courts of Montreal and Cincinnati.

De Minaur, meanwhile, took out the Atlanta Open in late-July, and beat Denis Shapovalov and Grigor Dimitrov before losing to Kyrgios at the Canadian Open. His last outing was a straight-sets defeat to Felix Auger-Aliassime in Cincinnati, but the tenacious livewire’s court coverage and improved serve should prove decisive here.

The only previous meeting between this pair saw de Minaur come away with a 0-6 6-4 6-4 win at the 2021 Cincinnati Masters.

Just seven months after their wild ride to win the Australian Open doubles title together, good buddies Kyrgios and Kokkinakis have been pitched into a first-round grand slam showdown against one another.

Plenty has happened in the interim, of course, headlined by Krygios’ stunning charge to the Wimbledon final. The 27-year-old firebrand has – somewhat uncharacteristically – maintained that form, snaring the Citi Open title in Washington and reaching the quarters in Montreal, where he beat world No.1 Daniil Medvedev.

Kokkinakis is also on a 2022 upswing after enduring a torrid run of injuries. Highlights have included winning the Adelaide International and reaching the fourth round of the Miami Open. But his build-up to the US Open has consisted of first-round losses at the Cincinnati Masters (to Jannik Sinner) and Winston-Salem Open (to James Duckworth).

Kyrgios, the 26th seed and a frontline contender for the championship, is unsurprisingly a short $1.15 favourite. It may be a tricky match-up mentally for him, however, given he often channels the adversarial nature of his contests to lift a gear.

Kokkinakis is a quality player with nothing to lose – though he has won only three of his last 12 first-round matches on the grand slam stage. There may be a couple of bumps in the road, but Krygios’ blistering serve, variety and vastly superior all-round ability should carry him through to the second round comfortably.

Aussie Daria Saville arrives at the US Open full of confidence after a satisfying few weeks. The 28-year-old beat top seed Jessica Pegula on her way to the Washington Open semis, while last week she reached the final of the Grandby National Bank Championships.

The world No.58 has been dished up a decent first-round match-up in the shape of 101st-ranked Ruse. The Romanian is appearing in just her seventh grand slam, boasting just one win to date – at this year’s Australian Open against Jasmine Paolini.

Saville is 2-5 in US Open matches and has won only three of her last nine first-round grand slam fixtures, though she did get to the third round at Roland Garros earlier this year.

Saville is a little difficult to get behind as a $1.20 favourite, but on recent form it would be a surprise to see her tipped up here. Ruse has lost eight of her last nine WTA Tour main draw matches and has not played since the German Open six weeks ago.

Australia’s top-ranked women’s player, Tomljanovic is coming off her second straight Wimbledon quarter-final appearance and a solid hard-court build-up in the States.

The world No.46 beat Sloane Stephens in Washington and Veronika Kudermetova in Montreal, before reaching the Cincinnati Masters quarters with victories over Taylor Townsend, Paula Badosa and top-20 star Kudermetova again.

Muchova has tumbled to 169th in the world after an injury-hit period, but she was ranked in the top 20 after storming to the 2021 Australian Open semis and has reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals twice. The Czech’s injury woes have continued in recent weeks, forcing her to pull out of the Cincinnati Masters.

Tomljanovic has a modest 17-14 record in first-round grand slam matches, while Muchova is an impressive 11-3. Muchova at her best is arguably the superior player, but given her disjointed lead-in and fitness issues the advantage lies with Tomljanovic, who is much better touch.

2022 Wimbledon Men’s Final Tips

Rod Laver, John Newcombe, Pat Cash, Lleyton Hewitt…as gifted as Nick Kyrgios is, as good as his recent form has been and as much as he traditionally lifts on the All England Club grass, few would have genuinely thought tennis’ resident enigma was capable of joining this list of Australian men’s Open era Wimbledon winners.

But the 27-year-old – whose career-best quarter-final appearances came at Wimbledon in 2014 and the Australian Open the following year – is just one win away from the sport’s most coveted prize. Kyrgios is the first Aussie male to make a grand slam final since Hewitt lost the 2005 Australian Open decider.

Inevitably, it’s been a wild and controversial ride. But amid the trademark explosions and allegations of bullying and tanking, Kyrgios has played some mind-blowing tennis. Five-set rollercoasters against Paul Jubb and Brandon Nakashima bookended stunning victories over 26th seed Filip Kranjinovic and fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

With the pressure valve cranking up, Kyrgios saw off the threat of tenacious Cristian Garin 6-4 6-3 7-6 – then Rafael Nadal pulled the pin on their blockbuster semi-final due to injury. Kyrgios has blasted 121 aces and lost just six games on serve, as well as unleashing his full array of dazzling shots.

Despite Nadal’s withdrawal, if Kyrgios lifts the silverware he will have well and truly earned it given who is standing on the other side of the net in the final. Top seed Novak Djokovic is a six-time Wimbledon champ and gunning for his fourth straight triumph, as well as a 21st career grand slam title.

After breezing through the first three rounds, Djokovic has been made to work to reach his 32nd slam final. But he went up a gear to subdue in-form Tim van Rijthoven in four sets, then overcame a sloppy start to fight back from two sets down and defeat 10th seed Jannik Sinner in five.

The 35-year-old was similarly tardy against unfancied Brit Cameron Norrie in the semis, dropping the first set convincingly before storming to a 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 victory.

Adding another edge to this mouth-watering final is the fact Kyrgios has won their only previous two encounters. He beat Djokovic in straight sets at the Acapulco Open and Indian Wells in 2017. But those wins can’t distract from the Everest $4 underdog Kyrgios must climb to win this match.

Since 2010, only eight different players have won men’s grand slams – and the last 18 Wimbledon titles have been shared among the big four of Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and Murray. Meanwhile, big question marks remain over Kyrgios’ mental capacity to grasp such an unfamiliar opportunity.

But Kyrgios has never been better placed form-wise to win a major and his capacity to defy expectations knows no bounds. His unorthodox approach will unsettle Djokovic, who has shown a few chinks in his armour in his past couple of outings. An upset still seems unlikely – but Kyrgios will drag Djokovic into some deep waters where anything is possible.

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For the 15th time in the past 27 grand slams, a first-time women’s major champion will be unveiled at Wimbledon as Elina Rybakina and Ons Jabeur both line up in their maiden final.

Rybakina is the bolter of the pair. The 17th seed is appearing in just her 12th grand slam. Her previous best effort was a quarter-final run at the 2021 French Open to become the first Kazakh player to reach a major final.

After a very modest grass-court build-up, Rybakina has been scintillating at Wimbledon. The 23-year-old accounted for Coco Vandeweghe, former US Open champ Bianca Andreescu, Qinwen Zheng and Petra Martic in straight sets.

Confronting her first big test in the quarters, she came from a set down to overwhelm in-form Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic. Next up, Rybakina produced the biggest win of her career to decimate 2019 Wimbledon champ – and hot favourite – Simona Halep 6-3 6-3.

Jabeur had made it to the quarters of a slam twice but has been threatening a run of this calibre for some time. Warming up for Wimbledon by taking out the German Open, the third seed demolished Mirjam Bjorklund, Katarzyna Kawa and Diane Parry in straight sets then carved out a tough 7-6 6-4 win over 24th seed Elise Mertens.

The 27-year-old Tunisian then came from a set down to halt in-form Marie Bouzkova’s charge comfortably, 6-3 6-1 6-1, and ended veteran Tatjana Maria’s fairytale run 6-2 3-6 6-1. She’s the first Arab or African woman to make a grand slam final in the Open era.

Jabeur leads the head-to-head count against Rybakina 2-1. After Rybakina’s three-set win at Wuhan in 2019, Jabeur prevailed in three sets in Dubai in 2021 and at the Chicago Fall Tennis classic later that year when Rybakina retired in the second set.

Jabeur is a brilliant player with a phenomenal range of shots in her kitbag. But she would be much shorter than $1.65 for a title-winning triumph if not for the astounding level of Rybakina’s defeat of Halep, who had looked near-unbeatable. Jabeur, meanwhile, had a couple of hiccups against world No.103 Maria.

Last year’s final between Ash Barty and Karolina Pliskova was the first at Wimbledon to go three sets since 2012. But this showdown has the makings of another lengthy thriller – both will enjoy their periods of ascendancy and both come in supremely confident. Rybakina, with slightly less pressure of expectation, may hold the slight edge.

2022 Wimbledon Women’s Final Tips

For the 15th time in the past 27 grand slams, a first-time women’s major champion will be unveiled at Wimbledon as Elina Rybakina and Ons Jabeur both line up in their maiden final.

Rybakina is the bolter of the pair. The 17th seed is appearing in just her 12th grand slam. Her previous best effort was a quarter-final run at the 2021 French Open to become the first Kazakh player to reach a major final.

After a very modest grass-court build-up, Rybakina has been scintillating at Wimbledon. The 23-year-old accounted for Coco Vandeweghe, former US Open champ Bianca Andreescu, Qinwen Zheng and Petra Martic in straight sets.

Confronting her first big test in the quarters, she came from a set down to overwhelm in-form Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic. Next up, Rybakina produced the biggest win of her career to decimate 2019 Wimbledon champ – and hot favourite – Simona Halep 6-3 6-3.

Jabeur had made it to the quarters of a slam twice but has been threatening a run of this calibre for some time. Warming up for Wimbledon by taking out the German Open, the third seed demolished Mirjam Bjorklund, Katarzyna Kawa and Diane Parry in straight sets then carved out a tough 7-6 6-4 win over 24th seed Elise Mertens.

The 27-year-old Tunisian then came from a set down to halt in-form Marie Bouzkova’s charge comfortably, 6-3 6-1 6-1, and ended veteran Tatjana Maria’s fairytale run 6-2 3-6 6-1. She’s the first Arab or African woman to make a grand slam final in the Open era.

Jabeur leads the head-to-head count against Rybakina 2-1. After Rybakina’s three-set win at Wuhan in 2019, Jabeur prevailed in three sets in Dubai in 2021 and at the Chicago Fall Tennis classic later that year when Rybakina retired in the second set.

Jabeur is a brilliant player with a phenomenal range of shots in her kitbag. But she would be much shorter than $1.65 for a title-winning triumph if not for the astounding level of Rybakina’s defeat of Halep, who had looked near-unbeatable. Jabeur, meanwhile, had a couple of hiccups against world No.103 Maria.

Last year’s final between Ash Barty and Karolina Pliskova was the first at Wimbledon to go three sets since 2012. But this showdown has the makings of another lengthy thriller – both will enjoy their periods of ascendancy and both come in supremely confident. Rybakina, with slightly less pressure of expectation, may hold the slight edge.

2022 Wimbledon Men’s Semi’s Tips

Novak Djokovic and Cameron Norrie face off in the only men’s Wimbledon semi-final, with Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal presenting Nick Kyrgios with an armchair ride through to his maiden grand slam decider.

Ninth seed Norrie lines up for the biggest match of his career…and arguably the biggest test in men’s tennis: Djokovic on the Wimbledon grass. The 35-year-old is a six-time champ at the All England Club and has won the last three Wimbledon titles.

Top seed Djokovic had to dig deep to get through his quarter-final against 10th-seed tyro Jannik Sinner, however. After dropping the first two sets, he stormed home to win 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2. It came on the back of a quality four-set win over in-form grass specialist Tim van Rijthoven.

South African-born Brit Norrie is also coming off a five-set grind examination – against veteran David Goffin. He fought back from a set down twice to prevail 3-6 7-5 2-6 6-3 7-5. While Norrie deserves his semi-final berth after making it past the third round of a slam for the first time, his best-credentialled opponent so far is 30th seed Tommy Paul.

Norrie is super-fit with a solid all-round game. But he lacks the necessary weaponry to truly test Djokovic on this sort of stage. Djokovic has won 17 of this last 18 grand slam semi-finals. He also won his only previous clash with Norrie, a one-sided encounter at November’s ATP Finals.

Home-crowd support won’t be enough for $9 underdog Norrie here. Djokovic is facing the prospect of being shut out of the US Open and will be hellbent on converting potentially his only opportunity to win a slam in 2022.

2022 Wimbledon Women’s Semi’s Tips

Rybakina, the 17th seed, is into her maiden grand slam semi while decorated 16th seed Halep lines up for her ninth – and the rivals are on a 24-hour turnaround.

The 23-year-old Rybakina stormed through the opening four rounds against Coco Vandeweghe, Bianca Andreescu, Qinwen Zheng and Petra Martic without dropping a set. She then staged a superb fight-back to overcome in-form Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic 4-6 6-2 6-3 in the quarters to become the first Kazakh to reach a major semi.

Halep, the 2019 Wimbledon champ, has been simply unstoppable throughout this campaign. Yet to drop a set, the 30-year-old has only lost more than six games once (a 7-5 6-4 defeat of veteran Kirsten Flipkens in the second round) and is getting more dominant with every outing.

Halep crushed fourth seed Paula Badosa 6-1 6-2 in the fourth round and overwhelmed dangerous 20th seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2 6-4 in the quarters.

The modern great’s serve is arguably the best it’s ever been – which is a massive obstacle for her opponents when coupled with her blistering returning ability and underpinning tenacity.

Halep leads the head-to-head count 2-1, beating Rybakina in the 2020 Dubai Championships final and the third round of the 2021 US Open after losing the pair’s initial clash in Wuhan in 2019.

The short turnaround favours $1.33 favourite Halep, coming off a much quicker quarter-final assignment. This won’t be the last time Rybakina makes the last four at Wimbledon – but Halep, who boasts a 5-3 record in slam semis, shapes as an insurmountable roadblock here.

A pair of first-time grand slam semi-finalists – both tremendous stories – square off for a place in the Wimbledon final.

Third seed Jabeur, from Tunisia and the highest ranked Arab player of all time, has been threatening a deep run for some time. On the back of her German Open win, the 27-year-old has been superb over the past 10 days at the All England Club.

Jabeur powered through the opening four rounds with straight-sets wins, including a hard-fought 7-6 6-4 result against 24th seed Elise Mertens in the Round of 16. In the quarters, she was caught on the back foot early against Marie Bouzkoza and dropped the first set – before storming home to prevail 3-6 6-1 6-1.

Germany’s Tatjana Maria is the real bolter, though. The 34-year-old’s best previous grand slam effort was a third-round appearance at Wimbledon in 2015. Only 15 months after the birth of her second child and ranked 103rd, her lead-up form offered few clues of a breakout run.

But the veteran survived three-setters against Astra Sharma and 26th seed Sorana Cirstea, before upsetting fifth seed Maria Sakkari in straight sets, coming from a set down to beat 12th seed Jelena Ostapenko and doing the same in the quarters against powerful young compatriot Julie Niemeier.

Jabeur has won two of her three previous encounters with Maria – including the most recent clash, in the 2018 Beijing Open final.

One of the unlikeliest semi-finalists of the Open Era, Maria clearly can’t be underestimated and her power and range of shorts is super-impressive. But her string of three-set contests may start to take a toll and the brilliant Jabeur is another step up in class again for the giant-killer. Plenty of value in $6 underdog Maria with a big start, however.

Wimbledon Day 10 Tips

The mercurial Kyrgios is into his third grand slam quarter-final – and his first since the 2015 Australian Open. It’s been a wild, controversial and engrossing ride to get to this point, but never has the fiery Aussie looked as capable of going all the way on the big stage.

Following his fiery, brilliant four-set defeat of fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, Kyrgios had more than a little trouble with Round of 16 bolter Brandon Nakashima. The 27-year-old dropped the first set and was accused of tanking in the fourth. But he ultimately held his nerve for a 4-6 6-4 7-6 3-6 6-2 victory. Kyrgios blasted 35 aces.

World No.43 Garin arrives in his maiden slam quarter-final as a rank outsider. But the Chilean 26-year-old has lifted in the past two rounds to upset 29th seed Jenson Brooksby in four sets and Aussie livewire Alex de Minaur in a five-set thriller

Garin came from two sets down and saved two match points against 19th seed de Minaur, clinching a sensational win by taking out a fifth-set tiebreak.

Kygrios is playing magnificent tennis but is still undeniably mentally scattered, while he is battling a shoulder injury and it remains to be seen what impact revelations of an assault charge has on his preparation. He should find a way to get past the dogged Garin – but it shapes as another lengthy rollercoaster.

The 24-year-old Fritz is enjoying a breakout season and confronts the biggest match of his career to date. Fritz is into his maiden grand slam quarter-final, having reached the Round of 16 for the first time at the Australian Open in January. He won Indian Wells and warmed up for Wimbledon by taking out the Eastbourne International.

The 11th seed has been superb at the All England Club, albeit while navigating a gentle draw. He is yet to drop a set in accounting for Lorenzo Musetti, Alastair Gray, Alex Molcan and Aussie qualifier Jason Kubler.

Fritz’s campaign lifts several notches courtesy of a showdown with 22-time slam winner Nadal – who he defeated in the Indian Wells final in March. The second seed won Wimbledon in 2008 and ’10 amid a run of five finals in six years and reached the semis in 2018-19 before missing last year’s tournament.

The current Australian and French Open champ has kept his Calendar Slam hopes alive with four straightforward wins. He lost just six games to brush aside 27th seed Lorenzo Sonego and saw off Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4 6-3 7-6 on Monday.

Fritz is in the form of his life…but it still is unlikely to be enough to topple Nadal, who is 7-0 in Wimbledon quarter-finals and 37-8 in grand slam quarters overall.

A watershed grand slam semi-final appearance awaits 29-year-old Aussie Tomljanovic. She reached the quarter-finals of a major for the first time at Wimbledon last year (losing to Ash Barty) and has matched that effort with another stellar run at the All England Club.

World No.44 Tomljanovic breezed past 18th seed Jil Teichmann and qualifier Catherine Harrison for the loss of just nine games total, then came from a set down to defeat both 13th seed Barbora Krejcikova and the Swiatek-slaying Alize Cornet.

But she’ll start as a distinct underdog against 17th seed Elina Rybakina, who is also into the last eight at slam for the second time. The 23-year-old has not dropped a set in accounting for Coco Vandeweghe, former US Open champ Bianca Andreescu, Qinwin Zheng and Petra Martic.

Big-hitting Tomljanovic’s advantage comes from her tough draw, whereas Rybakina is yet to face anyone in genuinely top form. The experienced Tomljanovic is a real chance here and should take at least one set off her youthful opponent.

Halep has emerged from an injury-stricken period to reach the last eight of a grand slam for the first time since last year’s Australian Open. The five-time major finalist, who won Wimbledon at her last attempt in 2019, has been nothing short of dominant in her four matches.

Yet to drop a set, 30-year-old Halep’s only real test came in a 7-5 6-4 second-round win over veteran Kirsten Flipkens. Since then, the 16th seed has dismantled Magdalena Frech 6-4 6-1 and fourth seed Paula Badosa 6-1 -6-2.

Anisimova’s run to a second slam quarter-final has been less smooth but impressive nonetheless. The 20th seed, who reached the French Open semis as a teenager in 2019, came from a set down to beat both Lauren Davis and 11th seed and French Open runner-up Coco Gauff.

Anisimova breezed through the fourth round with comparative ease, demolishing Harmony Tan 6-2 6-3.

Halep’s French Open title defence was ended by Anisimova in 2019, but she has won both clashes with the American since – in the 2020 French Open and the recent Bad Homburg Open quarters. The latter 6-2 6-1 grass-court victory should provide the tenacious Romanian with the impetus to subdue the talented but flighty Anisimova again.

Wimbledon Day 9 Tips

This all-German Wimbledon quarter-final brings together two players ranked outside the WTA’s top 90 enjoying unexpected watershed runs. Niemeier is competing in just her second grand slam, having lost in the first round of the French Open. The 34-year-old Maria had never been past the third round in 34 previous slam appearances.

Maria beat Aussie qualifier Astra Sharma first up before accounting for three seeded players: Sorana Cirstea (26th), Maria Sakkari (5th) and Jelena Ostapenko (12th). The veteran only returned from maternity leave this year and her charge is developing into the Cinderella story of the tournament.

Rising star Niemeier beat Wang Xiyu in the first round, stunned second seed Anett Kontaveit 6-4 6-0, outlasted Lesia Tsurenko in three sets and subdued home favourite Heather Watson 6-2 6-4 to reach an unexpected quarter-final. The 22-year-old’s serve has been outstanding and constantly had Watson on the back foot.

This is a contrast in styles, with Maria looking to unpick Niemeier’s power game with her tricky slices and tenacious court coverage. But Maria’s clash with Ostapenko was a lengthy one – Niemeier will be the fresher of the pair and should have the edge.

Jabeur is the only top-15 seed remaining and has a massive opportunity to win a maiden grand slam. But before she eyes off her first major semi-final, the 27-year-old must overcome Czech tyro Bouzkova.

After coming from a set down to upset seventh seed Danielle Collins in the first round, world No.66 Bouzkova has been in sparkling form. The 23-year-old had never been past the second round of a slam but disposed of Ann Li, 26th seed Alison Riske and highly-credentialled Caroline Garcia for the loss of just 15 games total – and only one on serve.

Third seed Jabeur is yet to drop a set. She cruised through the first three rounds against relatively unheralded opposition, before passing a stern examination against experienced 24th seed Elise Mertens 7-6 6-4. The Tunisian saved four set points and showed tremendous poise and stamina throughout a tough match.

This won’t be easy for Jabeur, despite her $1.29 favourite price. Bouzkova’s court coverage is outstanding, she is full of confidence and has nothing to lose. But this stage is foreign to her and the versatile Jabeur is playing too well to let this chance slip.

Top seed and overwhelming tournament favourite Djokovic takes on a burgeoning tyro for the second straight round, having seen off Dutch bolter Tim van Ritjhoven 6-2 4-6 6-1 6-2 on Sunday. The 35-year-old lifted a gear to get the job done and appears to be timing his run to perfection.

Having overcome serving monster John Isner in straight sets in the third round, 10th seed Sinner outstripped fifth seed Carlos Alcaraz 6-1 6-4 6-7 6-3 to reach his third grand slam quarter-final. The 20-year-old Italian has not dropped a game on serve in his past two matches.

Djokovic won the pair’s only previous encounter, at last year’s Monte Carlo Masters. He is an eye-watering 42-6 in grand slam quarter-finals – and 10-2 at Wimbledon, where he is the three-time defending champ. Sinner will have his moments but Djokovic is just warming up.

Norrie is showing few signs that carrying British hopes is weighing down on him – though the ninth seed has benefitted from a relatively gentle draw. After surviving a five-setter against Jaume Munar, Norrie has put away journeyman Steve Johnson and 30th seed Tommy Paul in straight sets.

It’s nevertheless been a breakout campaign for the 26-year-old, who had not previously been past the third round at a grand slam.

World No.58 Goffin is into his fourth grand slam quarter-final and second at Wimbledon. He was relatively convincing in progressing past Radu Albot, 31st seed Sebastian Baez and Ugo Humbert, before taking out a five-set epic against 23rd seed Frances Tiafoe 7-6 5-7 5-7 6-4 7-5.

How much the four-and-a-half-hour cliff-hanger has taxed Goffin remains to be seen. Norrie won their only previous encounter at last year’s Barcelona Open and his patience and tuned-in baseline game should wear down his 31-year-old opponent.

Wimbledon Day 8 Tips

The likes of Djokovic and Nadal are taking a backseat to the Nick Kyrgios juggernaut, with the polarising Aussie now on course to reach a grand slam quarter-final for the first time since the 2015 Australian Open and gobbling up the bulk of the Wimbledon spotlight.

A five-set struggle against unknown Paul Jubb, a dominant straight-sets win over 26th seed Filip Krajinovic and an absorbing four-set victory over world No.5 Stefanos Tsitsipas have featured exhilarating tennis of the highest order – and customary Kyrgios histrionics and unsavoury moments that have raised the ire of critics.

Despite repeatedly losing his cool, Kyrgios recovered from losing a first-set tiebreak to beat Tsitsipas 6-7 6-4 6-3 7-6. His serve was outrageously good, winning 82 percent of his first-serve points. Combined with breath-taking groundstrokes and drop shots, Kyrgios now looks more capable than ever of a watershed slam run.

Next up is world No.54 Nakashima, a 20-year-old American shining in just his sixth major. Nakashima beat Nicola Kuhn and 13th seed Denis Shapovalov in four sets, before downing Daniel Galan 6-1 6-4 6-1.

While Kyrgios’ explosions and alleged bullying tactics are attracting heat, they are a monumental hurdle for his opponents to overcome as long as they’re allowed to continue. Meanwhile, Kyrgios – now on the third line of title betting – is also playing inspired tennis. The attention on this match will be a new, daunting experience for Nakashima.

Kyrgios’ headline-grabbing tendencies have also diverted some much-deserved attention away from compatriot de Minaur’s career-best Wimbledon run. The 19th seed accounted for Hugo Dellien in straight sets then powered past Brits Jack Draper (5-7 7-5 6-2 6-3) and Liam Broady (6-3 6-4 7-5).

It continues de Minaur’s fine grass-court form in recent times, reaching the semi-finals in his Eastbourne International title defence last week. He’s now into the Round of 16 of a grand slam for the third time, aiming to match his quarter-final run at the 2020 US Open.

Ranked a career-high 17th last year, Garin is 43rd in the world at present but has moved into position for a crack at a maiden grand slam quarter-final by beating Elias Ymer and Hugo Grenier in straight sets and outlasting 29th seed Jenson Brooksby in four. He made the Round of 16 at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2021.

De Minaur has won all three previous clashes with Garin, including at the 2019 US Open and Eastbourne last month. A potential quarter-final against Kyrgios looms for the winner – and the terrier-like de Minaur is best equipped to set up a storyline-laden showdown in the last eight.

Tomljanovic defeated Cornet in the second round at Wimbledon last year on her way to a career-best quarter-final appearance. But Cornet arrives in the Round of 16 brimming with confidence after a stunning 6-4 6-2 upset of world No.1 Iga Swiatek, on the back of straight-sets wins over 27th seed Yulia Putintseva and Claire Liu.

The 32-year-old Cornet, currently ranked 37th, made her grand slam debut way back in 2005. She made the quarter-finals of a major for the first time at this year’s Australian Open – picking up the scalps of slam winners Garbine Muguruza and Simona Halep along the way.

Tomljanovic has been similarly impressive over the past week, thrashing 18th seed Jil Teichmann 6-2 6-3 and qualifier Catherine Harrison 6-2 6-2, before coming from a set down to beat 13th seed and 2021 French Open champ Barbora Krejcikova 2-6 6-4 6-3. It was a gritty fight-back from the world No.44 reminiscent of last year’s charge.

Cornet’s win over Swiatek nudges her into narrow favouritism to advance, but there’s barely a struck match between these two right now. Plenty of value in Tomljanovic as the underdog, while a three-setter looks likely.

With only two top-10 seeds remaining, 2019 champ Halep can spy an opportunity to surge to a second Wimbledon title. But first she must overcome fourth seed Paula Badosa, who has enjoyed a superb week at the All England Club.

The 24-year-old, who reached her first grand slam quarter-final at last year’s French Open before making it to the fourth round at Wimbledon, has accounted for Louisa Chirico (6-2 6-1), Irina Bara (6-3 6-2) and 25th seed Petra Kvitova (7-5 7-6). Badosa has dropped just one service game in each match so far.

On the back of reaching the Birmingham Classic and Bad Homburg semis, 16th seed Halep has been in vintage touch to dispose of Karolina Muchova, Kirsten Flipkens and Magdalena Frech in straight sets.

The pair met for the first time at the Madrid Masters in May, with Halep cruising to a 6-3 6-1 win. This is the point of grand slams where Halep habitually takes it up a notch – she is 15-6 in Round of 16 matches, including 4-0 at Wimbledon.

It shapes as a mighty struggle but the tenacious Halep appears set to shake off a couple of injury-hampered years and make a run at the silverware.

2022 Wimbledon Day 5 Tips

With crowd favourites Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray falling by the wayside, British fans will turn their attention to the Wimbledon hopes of ninth seed Norrie. The 26-year-old cruised past Pablo Andujar in straight sets but had to fight from two-sets-to-one down before overcoming Jaume Munar relatively comfortably in five.

Norrie won ATP titles at Delray Beach and Lyon earlier this year, but his grass-court lead-in form was modest. The counterpuncher is into the third round for the sixth time in the last eight grand slams but has never reached the Round of 16 at a major.

World No.93 Johnson’s only last-16 appearance at a slam was at Wimbledon in 2016. But the 32-year-old shapes as a tricky opponent for Norrie. Johnson progressed past the first round with 18th Grigor Dimitrov retiring during the second set, before overwhelming British wildcard Ryan Peniston 6-3 6-2 6-4.

Johnson’s serve has been locked in so far and he’ll fancy his chances of an upset as a $3.75 underdog. Expect Norrie to eventually get on top of his experienced opponent – but he’ll have to dig deep to salute for the home crowd.

Tenth seed Sinner is past the first round at Wimbledon for the first time but he is searching for his sixth Round of 16 appearance in 11 grand slam appearances. The 20-year-old has looked relatively solid so far in accounting for Stan Wawrinka and Mikael Ymer in four sets, putting a limited grass-court build-up behind him.

The 37-year-old Isner is searching for his first fourth-round berth at a major since 2018. After surviving a five-set marathon against unknown Enzo Couacaud, Isner outlasted in-form Andy Murray 6-4 7-6 6-7 4-6.

The towering veteran’s serve has been almost unplayable: he has offered up just five break-point opportunities and dropped only one game on serve, while he has thundered down 90 aces already. Isner’s volley game against Murray was also strong.

The ledger is square after the pair met twice in 2021: Isner won a lengthy three-setter at the Cincinnati Masters, while Sinner blew the American off the court 6-2 6-0 in a Davis Cup tie. Sinner must cut down the errors that have characterised his campaign so far. If the tyro is to knock off the 2018 Wimbledon semi-finalist, he’s going to have to go the distance.

Parry is only 19 and appearing in her seventh grand slam, but the rising French star is again proving a thorn in the side of experienced opponents on the big stage. After rolling defending champ Barbora Krejcikova on her way to the third round of the French Open, Parry has swept aside 31st seed Kaia Kanepi (6-4 6-4) and Mai Hontama (6-3 6-2) at Wimbledon.

This is world No.77 Parry’s first main draw appearance at the All England Club, though she was a Junior Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2019.

Next in the firing line is third seed Ons Jabeur, who reached the quarter-finals here last year and is rated a red-hot chance of a breakout grand slam final run. The Tunisian won the German Open and has continued that form with easy wins over Mirjam Bjorklund (6-1 6-3) and Katarzyna Kawa (6-4 6-0).

A real player to watch for the future, Parry can’t be underestimated and has negotiated a tougher draw to the third round. Jabeur is a genuine contender for the title and has won 17 of her last 19 matches on grass – she should get the win. But Parry looks a solid option with big handicap.

Few third-round matches in either draw feature two better-credentialled opponents. Three-time grand slam champ Kerber won Wimbledon in 2018, was a finalist in 2016 and reached the semis last year. Mertens, a 2018 Australian Open semi-finalist in 2018, is into the third round at Wimbledon for the fourth straight year.

World No.19 Kerber has powered past Kristina Mladenovic (6-0 7-5) and Magda Linette (6-3 6-3) so far. Mertens, the 24th seed, has had a rockier time against lesser opposition, dropping the first set against both Camila Osorio (who retired in the third set) and Panna Udvardy before progressing.

Mertens has struggled to find form on grass after powering to the fourth round of the French Open. But the Belgian won her last match against modern great Kerber, in the 2019 Doha Open semis.

There’s a sizeable gulf between the high-profile players’ performances this week, however, and Kerber looks capable of another deep run at the All England Club.

2022 Wimbledon Day Four Tips

Kyrgios’ first-round win entailed the usual histrionics and predictable unpredictability, spitting towards a spectator and spraying a line umpire as he took five sets to beat 219th-ranked Paul Jubb. After dropping the first set, Kyrgios finally prevailed 3-6 6-1 7-5 6-7 7-5 in over three hours.

Krajinovic, the 26th seed, also needed five sets to overcome a relatively unheralded opponent, dragged into deep waters by Jiri Lehecka. The 5-7 6-4 6-7 7-6 6-4 victory was significant, however, as Krajinovic’s maiden win at Wimbledon.

The 30-year-old Serbian has never been past the third round of a major but surged up the ATP rankings by beating the likes of Sam Querrey and Marin Cilic on his way to the Queen’s Club Championships final – his first on grass – earlier this month, where he pushed second seed and Wimbledon contender Matteo Berrettini.

Kyrgios needs to quickly rediscover the rhythm that powered him into the semis at Stuttgart and Halle in recent weeks. He has a 3-0 head-to-head record against Krajinovic – albeit with all three matches taking place in 2014-15 – and a much stronger grass-court pedigree. Expect Aussie Nick to lift a couple of gears here.

Thompson’s reward for a dominant first-round victory is a showdown with fourth seed Tsitsipas. The 28-year-old Sydneysider obliterated Roberto Carballés Baena 6-4 6-1 6-1 on Monday, dropping just one game on serve and winning 79 percent of his first-serve points.

World No.76 Thompson reached the third round at Wimbledon last year and warmed up for his All England Club campaign by winning the Surbiton Trophy and reaching a Challenger tournament final in Nottingham earlier this month.

Tsitsipas has barely rated a mention ahead of Wimbledon despite his lofty ranking. He progressed past the first round at Wimbledon for just the second time with a four-set win over powerful qualifier Alexander Ritschard, in which he was broken four times.

The 23-year-old – the French Open runner-up last year – won the Mallorca Open last week to build some elusive grass-court momentum. Thompson is a grafter, who will aim to chip away at Tsitsipas and make him earn every point. There’s a sizeable gulf in ability between the pair but Thompson can make life uncomfortable for the $1.18 favourite.

Tomljanovic, a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon last year, has signalled her intent for another deep run at the All England Club. The world No.44 crushed 18th seed Jil Teichmann 6-2 6-3 to be the only Australian woman to make it through the opening round.

Next up is qualifier Catherine Harrison. The 262nd-ranked American made short work of Arantxa Rus on grand slam debut, winning 6-4 6-1. The 28-year-old has predominantly made her way on the ITF and WTA tours as a doubles specialist. She had never previously even featured in qualifying for a major.

World No.86 Rus was a very impressive scalp for Harrison, but Tomljanovic represents another step up in class. While she has made it past the second round just three times in 30 grand slam appearances, the 29-year-old Tomljanovic has played some of the best tennis of her career in the last 12 months and should be far too strong.

With Emma Raducanu being bundled out, the likes of Boulter and Heather Dart are now carrying British hopes in the women’s draw. World No.118 Boulter is into the second round at Wimbledon for the third time after overcoming Clara Burei 7-5 6-3.

Normally a showdown with sixth seed Pliskova – the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up – would shape as a mismatch. But Boulter upset the Czech big gun in the second round of the Eastbourne International last week, continuing a highly encouraging grass swing that includes wins over Alison Riske and Caroline Garcia at Birmingham.

Pliskova herself had shown some reasonable form at the German Open before her three-set stumble against Boulter. The 30-year-old bounced back with a hard-earned 7-6 7-5 first-round win over world No.61 Tereza Martincova (who Boulter also beat at Eastbourne) over two days.

Pliskova has bested Boulter previously – in the Tianjin Open quarters in 2018 – in another three-setter. All signs point to another seesawing affair. But Boulter is playing in just her 11th grand slam match, which provides a decisive edge for nine-time slam quarter-finalist Pliskova.

2022 Wimbledon Day Three Tips

Raducanu’s bid to become the first British woman to win Wimbledon in 45 years began with a solid 6-4 6-4 win over world No.46 Alison van Uytvanck. The reigning US Open champ, still only 19, put a nervous start behind her and channelled the rabid home-crowd support effectively.

Garcia, ranked 55th, had plenty of trouble with world No.204 Yuriko Miyazaki in the first round – eventually getting up 4-6 6-1 7-6. It’s the 28-year-old’s first time into the second round at Wimbledon since her fourth-round run in 2017.

But Garcia arrived in London in impressive form, beating Bianca Andreescu to win the Bad Homburg Open. Raducanu’s injury-hampered grass-court build-up consisted of a first-round loss to Viktorija Golubic at the Nottingham Open.

The pair met for the first time at Indian Wells earlier this year, with Raducanu carving out a 6-1 3-6 6-1 win. Raducanu, the $1.60 favourite, was unquestionably the more impressive first-round winner but Garcia’s best is a match for anyone and this has a three-set feel about it.

Few players have a better Wimbledon résumé over the past decade than Kerber. The German won the title in 2018 – the last of her three grand slam triumphs – and was a finalist in 2016, while she reached the semis in 2012 and 2021.

Kerber, seeded 15th, looked very much at home again as she accounted for 33rd-ranked Kristina Mladenovic in the first round, producing a dominant service performance.

World No.65 Linette brushed aside Fernanda Contreras Gomez in her opening match, building on some strong showings at the Eastbourne International last week. The 30-year-old reached the third round at Wimbledon in 2019 and 2021.

The 34-year-old Kerber grafted out a three-set win against Linette at the Strasbourg Open this year – their maiden WTA clash. Linette is certain to provide firm resistance again, but Kerber is a genuine contender and already looks locked in.

Fresh off his maiden win at Wimbledon, Aussie Kokkinakkis faces the toughest assignment in grass-court tennis.

The 26-year-old was excellent in defeating 7-6 6-2 7-5 in the first round, dropping just one game on serve in his first win since the Geneva Open in May.

But the 79th-ranked Kokkinakis is a $13 outsider against top seed Djokovic for good reason.

However, the six-time Wimbledon champ didn’t have it all his own way in his opener against Kwon Soon-woo, though, eventually prevailing 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4.

Djokovic eliminated Kokkinakis 6-4 6-4 6-4 in the third round of the 2015 French Open in their only previous meeting.

Realistically it’s a case of Djokovic by how much – he’s won the last three Wimbledon titles and he’s been halted before the third round of a major just once since 2008.

But a confident Kokkinakis has nothing to lose and will view this as a career highlight, a surprise set win may be beyond him but he can do enough to cover.

Two-time Wimbledon champ Murray arrived in London confident of a deep run after reaching the Surbiton Trophy semis and the Queen’s Club Championship final in recent weeks. The 35-year-old kicked off his campaign at the All England Club with a 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 victory over plucky Aussie James Duckworth.

Big-serving Isner presents an entirely different challenge, but the 20th seed is coming off a gruelling five-set test against world No.206 Enzo Couacaud.

Bringing back memories of his record-breaking 11-hour match against Nicholas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, the 37-year-old needed 54 aces to eventually subdue his unknown opponent.

Murray boasts an eye-watering 8-0 head-to-head advantage against Isner, including matches at the Australian Open (2010), US Open (2011) and French Open (2016), but the veterans haven’t met since the 2016 Paris Masters.

Isner made the Wimbledon semis in 2018. Murray’s third-round run last year was the only time he has been past the second round of a grand slam since 2017.

But Murray is by far the superior grass-court player and has enjoyed a tremendous month form-wise, while Isner’s marathon first-round match will catch up with him.

2022 Wimbledon Day Two Tips

Aussie Saville received another wildcard entry to Wimbledon on the back of her third-round run at the French Open, where she upset big gun Petra Kvitova. The 28-year-old’s best result at the All England Club was a Round of 32 appearance in 2018.

Saville, ranked 98th, rolled in-form Jil Teichmann at the German Open a fortnight ago, before going down to potential Wimbledon second-round opponent Maria Sakkari.

World No.112 Tomova is appearing in just her seventh grand slam, winning just one match – at Wimbledon in 2018 – at this level previously. But the 27-year-old Bulgarian returns to Wimbledon on the back of an encouraging quarter-final charge at the Eastbourne International.

Tomova won the pair’s only previous match-up – a 6-3 6-1 blowout in the Cagnes-Sur-Mer quarter-finals in 2020. But Saville’s grand slam experience provides a crucial advantage and she has enough recent form on the board to justify her $1.44 favouritism.

Kyrgios, installed on the seventh line of men’s Wimbledon betting despite not making it to a grand slam quarter-final since 2015, starts his All England Club campaign against world No.219 Paul Jubb.

When not on injury hiatus, Kygrios’ form in recent month has been sparkling. He made the semis of the Houston, Stuttgart and Halle Opens – beating some quality opponents along the way. The 27-year-old’s dazzling range of skills translate well to the grass surface and his serve is a weapon.

Briton Jubb is playing in just his second grand slam match, having lost in the first round at Wimbledon in 2019. He picked up a couple of handy qualifying wins at the Queen’s Club Championships over James Duckworth and Steve Johnson – but the 22-year-old is destined to be outclassed here.

Kyrgios’ withdrawal from his Mallorca Open second-round match may linger in the back of punters’ minds, but if it was merely risk prevention the tempestuous one will cruise to victory.

Nineteenth seed de Minaur’s best effort in three previous Wimbledon tilts is a third-round appearance in 2018, while he was bounced in the first round by Sebastian Korda last year. But his grass-court performances have improved over the past couple of seasons, winning the 2021 Eastbourne International.

The 23-year-old livewire reached the semis in his title defence at Eastbourne last week, beating Cristian Garin, Lorenzo Sonego and the in-form Tommy Paul before losing to Taylor Fritz.

Bolivian stalwart Dellien is appearing at Wimbledon for just the second time. The 29-year-old has made his bones as a clay specialist on the ITF and Challenger circuits. He upset Dominic Thiem in the first round of the French Open and currently sits 80th in the ATP rankings.

De Minaur is just $1.03 to advance, which makes value hard to come by – but the Aussie tyro should wrap this one up quickly.

Australia’s top-ranked women’s player, world No.44 Tomljanovic, has been dealt a tough first-up assignment in the shape of 18th seed Teichmann. The Swiss 24-year-old is enjoying a career-best season, with an outstanding clay swing culminating in her maiden fourth-round appearance at a grand slam in the French Open.

But Teichmann’s build-up to Wimbledon has been less than ideal, losing first-round matches to Aussie Daria Saville at the German Open and Heather Dart at the Eastbourne International. She is yet to win a match at Wimbledon.

Tomljanovic reached the quarters at Wimbledon last year – her first at grand slam level – where she lost to eventual champ Ash Barty. Her build-up this month has consisted of a quarter-final run at the Nottingham Open and a second-round appearance at the Eastbourne International.

Teichmann’s modest performances on grass see Tomljanovic head into this clash as a warm favourite. Tomljanovic is 7-1 in her last eight WTA first-round matches, but Teichmann should be better than we’ve seen in recent weeks and will lean on a strong net game.

Arguably the pick of the women’s first-round matches with 2019 champion Halep squaring off against two-time quarter-finalist Muchova. Currently ranked 81st, Muchova was a top-20 player last year and became only the third woman ever to reach the last eight at Wimbledon at her first two attempts.

Muchova spent six months on the sidelines with injury after the US Open but made it to the third round at the French Open, upsetting fourth seed Maria Sakkari. Her only match on grass this season was a first-round loss to top seed Ons Jabeur at the German Open.

Halep, the 16th seed here, has had her injury problems too and was ruled out of defending her Wimbledon title last year. But she has shown signs of her best this season – including recently by making the Birmingham Classic semis and powering into the Bad Homburg Open semis.

This shapes as a potential barnburner and Muchova looks over the odds as a $3.40 outsider. But Halep’s form this week has been hugely encouraging and returning to the All England Club for the first time since lifting the silverware should provide her with an extra boost.

2022 French Open Finals Tips

A first-time finalist is the last hurdle between Rafael Nadal and extending his record tally of grand slams to 22 with a 14th French Open triumph. Eighth seed Casper Ruud had not previously been beyond the fourth round of a major but has emerged as a contender for the ‘King of Clay’ crown when the incomparable Nadal abdicates.

After breezing through the first three rounds, Nadal has passed some arduous tests. He survived a five-setter against ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, won a four-set, four-hour classic against world No.1 and tournament favourite Novak Djokovic, and progressed to the final when Alexander Zverev retired late in the second set of their semi.

Nadal saved four set points to take out the first-set tiebreak against Zverev. Despite the third seed’s early injury exit, the match went for three hours.

Ruud has had a much easier path to the final, but the 23-year-old has ticked every box despite winning just once in straight sets. He dug his way out in five sets against 32nd seed Lorenzo Sonego in the third round and won four-setters against a pair of fellow young guns, 12th seed Hubert Hurkacz and bolter Holger Rune.

But Ruud was most impressive in the semi, dropping the first set against on-fire veteran and 20th seed Marin Cilic before powering to a 3-6 6-4 6-2 6-2 win in composed and confident style.

Nadal boasts a 21-8 record in grand slam finals – losing to only Djokovic, Federer and Wawrinka – and, more ominously, 13-0 in French Open deciders. Djokovic and Robin Soderling (back in 2009) are the only players to beat Rafa at Roland Garros.

Ruud is yet to face his hero on a tennis court, which makes this maiden slam final appearance doubly difficult. Nadal has been put through the physical and mental wringer this week – but he always finds another gear.

The Norwegian will have his moments in the decider and seems destined to one day lift the trophy at Roland Trophy, but it won’t be this Sunday against the best to ever do it.

The expectation that Iga Świątek would win her second French Open title in a canter has weighed on the 2020 champ since she entered the first round as the tournament favourite at a virtually unheard of $1.91.

The blockbusting 21-year-old lost just four games total in disposing of Lesia Tsurenko and Alison Riske, before looking a touch scratchy against Danka Kovinic and dropping a set against Qinwen Zheng. But Świątek has since returned to her devastating best, demolishing 11th seed Jessica Pegula 6-3 6-2 and in-form 20th seed Daria Kasatkina 6-2 6-1.

The world No.1 dropped just one game on serve against Kasatkina, who could only win 44 percent of her own first-serve points in the face of Świątek’s relentless groundstroke power. She’s now won 34 straight matches – one short of Venus Williams’ post-2000 record.

But the bulk of the attention is arguably on her opponent, 18-year-old phenom Coco Gauff, who has produced the deep grand slam run she has been threatening since bursting into the sporting world’s consciousness three years ago at Wimbledon.

A quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros last year was her best previous performance at a major, but the American 18th seed has powered into the decider without dropping a set or losing more than seven games.

Gauff has played only one seeded player – 31st seed Elise Mertens in the fourth round – but comfortably overcame what shaped as tough assignments against Sloane Stephens (7-5 6-2) and Martina Trevisan (6-3 6-1) in her last two matches.

Gauff’s serve is one of the few on the WTA tour capable of combatting Świątek’s peerless return game. Her groundstrokes – particularly on the backhand side – are strong enough to put the seemingly indestructible Pole on the back foot.

But question marks hang over whether Gauff can be aggressive enough to seize the opportunities to put Świątek under sustained pressure. Świątek beat Gauff 7-6 6-3 at last year’s Rome Masters and 6-3 6-1 at the recent Miami Open; it’s hard to envisage anything but a similar result in this final.

2022 French Open Semi-Finals Tips

A semi-final few would have predicted pre-tournament, with eighth seed tyro Ruud making it past the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time and 33-year-old Cilic winning a grand slam quarter-final for the first time since 2018.

Ruud arrived at Roland Garros on the back of an Italian Open semi-final appearance and a Geneva Open title, though, and has been superb in this breakout major run. After surviving a five-setter against 32nd seed Lorenzo Sonego, the 23-year-old has seen off fellow young guns, 12th seed Hubert Hurkacz and Holger Rune, in four.

Cilic, the 2014 US Open champ and a finalist at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, into his first French Open semi.

There wasn’t much in in the 20th seed’s lead-up form to suggest this sort of charge, but he demolished world No.2 Daniil Medvedev 6-2 6-3 6-2 in the fourth round and outlasted world No.7 Andrey Rublev 5-7 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6 in the quarters. Cilic has blasted 69 aces in the tournament so far – including 33 against Rublev.

Ruud has won both previous clashes against Cilic – at the 2020 Rome Masters and 2021 Canadian Open. But this is a new stratosphere for the Norwegian, one the wily Cilic is familiar with. Ruud may have the edge in terms of ability and athleticism, but Cilic has arguably been in better form in Paris and looks well over the odds.

The incomparable Rafa surged into favouritism for a 14th French Open title after defending champ Novak Djokovic and teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz both bit the dust in the quarter-finals.

Nadal has lost just two French Open matches in the past 13 years – both to Djokovic. He was the underdog heading their quarter-final after a five-set test against Felix Auger-Aliassime but overwhelmed the world No.1 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6 for a memorable victory.

It was a win built on Nadal’s trademark mental toughness, bouncing back from wasting a double-break in the second set to emphatically wrest back the ascendancy in the third. He broke Djokovic seven times in the four-hour classic.

Nadal boasts a staggering 29-7 record in grand slam semis. Zverev is into his fifth and looking for his second win, having reached the 2020 US Open final. He agonisingly lost a five-setter to Stefanos Tsitsipas at Roland Garros last year after winning the first two sets.

But Zverev will be buoyed by his 6-4 6-4 4-6 7-6 defeat of Alcaraz, who had been near-untouchable on clay this season. He could have closed out the sets with more authority and Alcaraz was short of his best, but the world No.3 deserves credit for consistently pushing the young gun back and only being broken on serve twice.

Nadal is 6-3 against Zverev, including a 4-1 record on clay. But Zverev has won three of the last four encounters; last year Zverev won their Madrid Masters quarter-final before Nadal turned the tables in the Rome Masters quarters.

The only question mark around impossibly fit Nadal on his 36th birthday is his foot and rib injuries after two long, gruelling encounters. Zverev should be the fresher competitor…but Rafa’s Roland Garros aura is set to prove an insurmountable hurdle.

Świątek, the only 2022 French Open semi-finalist to have been to this stage of a grand slam, slipped back into her groove with a dominant 6-3 6-2 win over Jessica Pegula in the quarters. The world No.1 and runaway tournament favourite dropped a set in the previous round to Qinwen Zheng and looked short of her best.

But Świątek barely gave the in-form Pegula an opening in her most ruthless and complete performance of the tournament so far – and her 33rd win in succession.

Kasatkina sealed her best slam run (which was previously quarter-final appearances at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2018) with a fifth consecutive straight-sets victory, beating fellow Russian 25-year-old Veronika Kudermetova 6-4 7-6 in the quarters. It was 20th seed Kasatkina’s stiffest test so far, having lost a mere 14 games in her first four matches.

Kasatkina won her first encounter with Świątek at last year’s Eastbourne International. But Świątek has beaten Kasatkina three times in 2022: at the Australian Open, Dubai Championships and Doha Open, dropping no more than five games.

Expect Kasatkina to put up far more resistance in the biggest match of her career to date – she is in sizzling form and does look over the odds here. Though 2020 champ Świątek seems certain to progress in straight sets, it should last longer than her brisk quarter-final.

A watershed grand slam final berth beckons for first-time semi-finalists Trevisan and Gauff, who both overcame serious quarter-final hurdles.

World No.59 Trevisan made a surprise quarter-final run on French Open debut – as a 26-year-old in 2020 – but otherwise had not been beyond the second round of a major. She disposed of fellow unseeded players Heather Dart, Magda Linette, Daria Saville and Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first four rounds.

A distinct underdog in her quarter-final against 2021 US Open runner-up and 17th seed Leylah Annie Fernandez, Trevisan prevailed 6-2 7-6 6-3. The gritty Italian is now on a 10-match winning streak, having won the Morocco Open just two days before her campaign at Roland Garros began.

Though still only 18, reaching the semis relieves a bit of pressure on Gauff. The prodigiously talented 18th seed has been tipped for a breakout slam run for some time but boasted just one quarter-final appearance – at last year’s French Open – prior to this tilt.

Gauff is yet to drop a set and passed her biggest test with flying colours, subduing former US Open-winning powerhouse Sloane Stephens 7-5 6-2. The American is yet to lose more than seven games in a match in this tournament.

Trevisan fits the profile of the unseeded surprise packet that we’ve seen reach the final of several French Open finals in recent years. She has nothing to lose and will cause Gauff plenty of problems – while she also upset

Gauff in the second round of the 2020 French Open. But the teenager has been more consistent in Paris and boasts a higher performance ceiling.

2022 FRENCH OPEN QUARTER-FINALS TIPS

A maiden grand slam semi-final awaits Russian 25-year-olds Kudermetova and Kasatkina. World No.29 Kudermetova had not been beyond the third round of a major prior to this tournament, while 20th seed Kasatkina reached the French Open and Wimbledon quarters back in 2018.

Kudermetova reached the Istanbul Open final in an otherwise disappointing lead-up but has been outstanding against high-profile opposition at Roland Garros. Third seed Paula Badosa pulled out of their third-round clash when Kudermetova was up 6-3 2-1, before Kudermetova produced a stunning reversal to beat 22nd seed Madison Keys 1-6 6-3 6-1.

Though negotiating a relatively comfortable draw, Kasatkina has carved the most dominant path of any quarter-finalist. Building on her Italian Open semi-final run, she has lost just 14 games in her four straight-sets wins – swamping Shelby Rogers (6-3 6-2) and 28th seed Camila Giorgi (6-2 6-2) in the last two rounds.

Kasatkina won the pair’s only previous clash in St Petersburg last year. Kudermetova’s perseverance – on display against Keys – has been very impressive, but Kasatkina brings more shots and X-factor in her gear bag.

Just $1.40 to go on and win her second French Open crown, world No.1 Świątek encounters a seeded player for the first time on her seemingly inevitable charge to the silverware.

The 21-year-old lost just four games total in disposing of Lesia Tsurenko and Alison Riske but was challenged in a 6-3 7-5 win over Danka Kovinic and lost a first-set tiebreak before overwhelming cramp-ridden Qinwen Zheng 6-7 6-0 6-2. Świątek’s winning streak now stands at 32 matches.

Eleventh seed Pegula is gunning for her maiden grand slam semi, having reached the last eight at the past two Australian Opens. Runner-up at the recent Madrid Open, the 28-year-old American came from behind to beat Irina-Camelia Begu 4-6 6-2 6-3 in the fourth round in Paris.

The head-to-head is 1-all, but Pegula’s win was back in 2019 while Świątek won their Miami Open semi 6-2 7-5 in March. Unbeatable as she appears, Świątek has been slightly down on her irresistible best in the past two rounds. Pegula is capable of at least nabbing a set here and is good value as a $6 outsider.

After rolling world No.2 Daniil Medvedev in the Round of 16, veteran Cilic will look to bundle another Russian superstar out of the French Open in seventh seed Andrey Rublev. Cilic eliminated Rublev from the third round of the Australian Open in January after losing the previous four matches between the pair.

The 33-year-old Croatian is back inside the top-20 and has dropped just one set at Roland Garros so far. He lost only five games in the third round against Gilles Simon and just seven to Medvedev – not even offering up so much as a break-point opportunity to the reigning US Open champ.

Rublev has been less convincing. He needed four sets to overcome Kwon Soon-woo, Federico Delbonis and Cristian Garin, while 11th seed Jannik Sinner retired during the third set of their Round of 16 showdown with the match locked at one set apiece.

Rublev has a reasonable clay pedigree but carries the pressure of striving for a maiden grand slam semi-final berth. Cilic hasn’t been to this stage at a major since 2018 but he won the 2014 US Open and has reached finals at Wimbledon (2017) and the Australian Open (2018). Form and experience are set to prevail over ability and potential.

Eighth seed Ruud is into his first grand slam quarter-final, but the French Open bolter status unmistakably goes to his 19-year-old opponent. Denmark’s Rune is playing in just his third major, exiting in the first round of the most recent US and Australian Opens.

But clay specialist Rune surged into the top 40 by winning the Bavarian International a month ago – his maiden ATP title – and reaching the Lyon Open semis. He upset 14th seed Denis Shapovalov in his first look at Roland Garros, cruised past Henri Laaksonen and Hugo Gaston, then stunned fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in four.

Ruud reached the Italian Open semis and won the Geneva Open in a perfect French Open build-up. After surviving a five-setter against Lorenzo Sonego in the third round, the Norwegian 23-year-old beat 12th seed Hubert Hurkacz in four sets.

Ruud takes a sizeable psychological edge into this clash, having won all three previous meetings with Rune – all on clay, all in straight sets and all in the past 14 months. Most recently he grafted out a 7-6 7-5 result at the Monte-Carlo Masters in April.

Both players thrive on the surface, play with an aggressive mindset and boast an impressive array of shots. Ruud deserves his favouritism here but Rune has arguably been in better touch in Paris and this should go deep.

World No.58 Trevisan is the lowest-profile player left in the women’s draw, but the 28-year-old Italian is set for a charge up the rankings after making her second French Open quarter-final in three years. Trevisan is yet to drop a set in Paris, overwhelming Heather Dart, Magda Linette, Daria Saville and Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

But Trevisan has managed to avoid seeded players so far at Roland Garros – and 17th seed Fernandez has defeated some genuine contenders on her way to the last eight.

The 19-year-old, who stormed to last year’s US Open final, accounted for 14th seed Belinda Bencic and 27th seed Amanda Anisimova in three sets in her last two matches.

Trevisan beat the likes of Giorgi, Gauff, Sakkari and Bertens before going down to Świątek in the 2020 French Open, so Fernandez’s higher profile won’t bother her. You can only face the players put in front of you and Trevisan has capitalised on a soft draw. Fernandez is in great touch but there’s plenty of underdog value here.

Gauff, the 18th seed and still only 18 years old, is into her second grand slam quarter-final. She was halted at this stage of the 2021 French Open. The phenom has been superb so far, dropping no more than seven games in her four matches. Elise Mertens was dispatched 6-4 6-0 in the fourth round.

Fellow American Stephens is into the last eight of a major for the first time in three years. The 2017 US Open champ and 2018 French Open runner-up is ranked just 64th but has been in vintage touch in Paris. After a couple of tough three-setters, the 29-year-old beat Diane Parry 6-2 6-3 and destroyed 23rd seed Jil Teichmann 6-2 6-0.

Stephens won the compatriots’ only previous clash – a 6-4 6-2 drubbing at last year’s US Open. This is by far the biggest test for either player so far in the tournament, but Stephens’ dismantling of the in-form Teichmann is the best either has played. Gauff won’t be overawed but Stephens is near-untouchable when in peak form.

The first of a pair of monster men’s quarter-final showdowns on the Day 10 schedule. Zverev boasts a 2-1 head-to-head advantage over Alcaraz, carving out convincing 2021 wins in Vienna and Acapulco. But Alcaraz demolished Zverev 6-3 6-1 in the recent Madrid Masters final.

The hype around teenage sensation Alcaraz appeared to weigh on him as he battled through a five-setter against veteran Albert Ramos Vinolas. But the sixth seed has since responded with dominant straight-sets defeats of 27th seed and clay specialist Sebastaian Korda, and big-serving 21st seed Karen Khachanov.

Similarly, world No.3 Zverev was dragged to five sets in the second round by Sebastian Baez. He’s accounted for unseeded pair Brandon Nakashima and Bernabe Zapata Miralles in straight sets (albeit losing 14-plus games in both) in his past two assignments.

Zverev has played seven grand slam quarter-finals, winning four. He reached the French Open semis last year and is a US Open finalist. That experience will count for plenty in a high-profile showdown – the biggest match of Alcaraz’s young career to date.

Alcaraz’s scintillating clay swing form – winning his last 14 matches – ensures he’s a hot favourite but Zverev looks over the odds here.

This is the earliest modern legends Djokovic and Nadal have met in a grand slam since the 2015 French Open.

Novak has a narrow 30-28 all-time head-to-head lead over Rafa, winning 15 of the last 21 encounters. Nadal has won four of the last five on clay and is 7-2 overall in French Open clashes – including the 2020 final – but Djokovic will draw confidence from his four-set semi-final victory over the ‘King of Clay’ at Roland Garros last year.

Top seed and defending French Open champ Djokovic has been almost faultless over the past week. He obliterated 15th seed Diego Schwartzman 6-1 6-3 6-3 in the fourth round, is yet to drop a set and has lost only three games on serve.

World No.5 Nadal breezed to the Round of 16, dropping just 23 games along the way. But he is coming off a gruelling five-setter against ninth seed Felix Auger Aliassime. Djokovic is the warm favourite and it’s hard to argue. However, the great rivals have produced some lengthy epics over the years and another looms tonight.

2022 DAILY FRENCH OPEN TIPS

Aussie Saville is into the third round of a major for the first time since the 2018 French Open and is aiming to match her best grand slam performances: Round of 16 appearances at the 2016-17 Australian Opens.

The world No.127 is the last Australian standing in Paris after disposing of qualifier Valentini Grammatikopoulou 6-1 6-2 and modern great Petra Kvitova 6-4 6-2. The latter was her first victory over a player who has been ranked top-five since 2018.

Next up is 59th-ranked Trevisan, who arrived at the French Open on the back of winning her maiden WTA title at the Morocco Open. The 28-year-old Italian has kept the roll going with comprehensive defeats of Heather Dart (6-0 6-2) and Magda Linette (6-3 6-2).

Trevisan, lining up in just her eighth slam, was a quarter-finalist on French Open debut in 2020. She’s a warm favourite and a clay specialist in great form – but Saville is playing confident tennis and already has a massive scalp. This has the hallmarks of a lengthy duel.

Olympic champion Bencic is gunning for her maiden Round of 16 appearance at a French Open after accounting for Reka Luca Jani (6-1 6-1) and former US Open champ Bianca Andreescu (6-2 6-4) in authoritative style.

The 14th seed’s next opponent is another phenom who made her name at Flushing Meadows. Fernandez came from nowhere to reach last year’s US Open final and has climbed into the world’s top 20.

The 19-year-old won the Monterrey Open in March but was eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open and her clay swing has been modest. But Fernandez has made short work of a couple of handy French Open opponents in Kristina Mladenovic (6-0 7-5) and Katerina Siniakova (6-3 6-2).

Fernandez’s big-match experience is a huge plus and she’s looked very strong so far. But recent Charleston Open winner Bencic is a top-shelf performer with a lethal backhand who seems primed for a watershed run at Roland Garros.

A doozy of a third-round showdown between a pair of top-20 seeds. Dimitrov has dropped just 10 games in demolishing Marcos Giron and Borna Coric in straight sets. A former semi-finalist at the other three slams, the 31-year-old’s best French Open performance was a fourth-round run in 2020.

Schwartzman, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2020, beat Andrey Kuznetsov in a first round four-setter before clawing back from two sets down against Jaume Munar to win in five.

Dimitrov boasts a 3-1 head-to-head advantage over Schwartzman – including a 6-0 6-3 drubbing of the Argentine at the recent Madrid Open. Schwartzman is touted as one of the game’s outstanding returners but he failed to break Dimitrov’s serve.

Incredibly, the Bulgarian has only offered up three break point opportunities in holding serve throughout his opening two matches.

Alcaraz remains second favourite to win the French Open in just his sixth grand slam appearance. But the Spanish 19-year-old wunderkind survived a scare against veteran compatriot Albert Ramos Vinolas in the second round, eventually rallying to win 6-1 6-7 5-7 7-6 6-4.

After winning three tournaments from four starts prior to this campaign, that strenuous test from an unexpected source should provide Alcaraz with the platform to refocus on the unfamiliar road ahead on the big stage.

Korda, the son of former French Open champ Petr, has been very impressive in eliminating tour stalwarts John Millman and Richard Gasquet in straight sets. The 27th seed is also the last player to beat Alcaraz, upsetting him in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters last month.

Expect Alcaraz to find a way through to the Round of 16 – but he will pushed hard again by $5 underdog Korda, who shapes as a value option with a big start.

World No.1 Świątek’s winning streak stretched to an eye-watering 29 matches courtesy of a 6-2 6-0 demolition of Lesia Tsurenko in the opening round. The 20-year-old is the short-priced favourite to clinch her second French Open title after winning five straight tournaments and dominating all comers on clay in Stuttgart and Rome.

Next in the firing line is American veteran Alison Riske. The world No.43 carved out an impressive 6-3 6-3 victory over Dayana Yastremska in the opening round. A Wimbledon quarter-finalist in 2019, Riske has never been beyond the second round at Roland Garros and had a modest clay swing build-up to this tilt.

Riske was obliterated 6-1 6-1 in the pair’s only completed match to date, at the 2021 Madrid Open. Świątek is untouchable at present and it’s hard to envisage her losing even a handful of games at this stage, let alone a set or a match.

It’s an all-American showdown in the second round with ninth seed Collins and world No.50 Rogers both notching first-up straight-sets wins. Collins overwhelmed lucky loser Viktoriya Tomova 6-0 6-4, while Rogers accounted for 54th-ranked Tereza Martincova 6-4 6-3.

The Australian Open runner-up in January and a French Open quarter-finalist in 2020, Collins’ clay-court highlight in the lead-up to this Roland Garros campaign was a win over Simona Halep in Rome. Rogers arrived in Paris on a four-match losing streak but did make the last eight at the 2016 French Open.

The career head-to-head is 1-all after a pair of hard-court clashes in 2021. Neither are particularly suited to clay but Collins’ vastly superior form on all surfaces over the past 12 months makes her the clear pick in what should be an entertaining and unpredictable match.

Tiafoe, the 24th seed, finally broke his French Open first-round hoodoo with a straight-sets win over Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi. It was a much-needed boost for the 24-year-old, who was bundled out in the first round of the Madrid and Italian Opens after reaching the final of Estoril Open in early-May.

Next up is Belgian veteran Goffin, the injury-prone world No.48 who reached the French Open quarters in 2016. He broke a four-match grand slam losing streak with a four-set victory over Jiri Lehecka in the opening round.

Goffin sparked Roland Garros dark-horse buzz with a gallant fourth-round loss to Rafael Nadal in Madrid and a win over Hubert Hurkacz in Rome earlier this month after winning the Grand Prix Hassan II in April.

The 31-year-old boasts a 3-1 head-to-head advantage over Tiafoe, but the American won the most recent clash at the 2019 Miami Open and his powerful serve should provide a decisive edge in this intriguing match-up.

Ranked 132nd in the world, clay-court specialist Cecchinato will cause headaches for French Open seeds who bring less than their best to the red surface. The former top-20 player has never won a grand slam match outside the French Open, but he reached the semis at Roland Garros in 2019 and the third round in 2020-21.

Cecchinato came from two sets down to beat Spain’s Pablo Andujar 4-6 4-6 6-0 7-5 6-0 in the first round. His second-round opponent, 12th seed Hurkacz, disposed of Guilio Zeppieri in straight sets.

Hurkacz rocketed to prominence with a semi-final run at Wimbledon last year, eliminating Roger Federer along the way. But the big-serving 25-year-old is yet to make it past the second round at the other three majors. He did make the quarters of the recent Monte-Carlo and Madrid Masters, though, and is strongly favoured to advance.

Cecchinato, a $6 underdog here, has had an ordinary season but is finding some rhythm – and it would surprise to see this decided in three sets.

Spanish veteran Ramos Vinolas disposed of big-serving Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis in four sets in the first round – but a second-round brick wall awaits in the form of teenaged compatriot Carlos Alcaraz.

On the second line of betting for the French Open title despite only playing in the tournament once previously and exiting in the third round, Alcaraz has taken the tour by storm with five ATP titles in the past 10 months – including the Barcelona and Madrid Opens in recent weeks.

The sixth-seeded sensation accounted for Juan Ignacio Londero 6-4 6-2 6-0 in the opening round, holding serve throughout and winning 80 percent of his first-serve points. The 34-year-old Ramos Vinolas has not been beyond the second round of a major since 2018 and will be weary after his tough win over Kokkinakis.

Arguably the least heralded Aussie in the men’s draw, qualifier Kubler was the only one to progress to the second round. The 29-year-old is ranked 160th in the world but has earned some recent titles on the ITF circuit and made the Zagreb Open semis, before upsetting Dennis Kudla 7-6 7-6 7-6 in the first round at Roland Garros.

Kubler blasted down 10 aces and unleashed his mighty forehand to record just his second win in only his fifth grand slam main draw appearance. But he’s a $7.50 outsider to topple 10th seed Norrie. The Brit arrived in Paris on the back of winning the Lyon Open as the top seed – his fourth ATP title in the past 10 months.

Norrie comfortably accounted for Manuel Guinard 7-5 6-2 6-0 in the first round and is destined to prove too much of a step up in class for Kubler. But he’ll have to work for it and Kubler shapes as a value option with a big start.

The blockbuster of the women’s second round with both players ranked in the top five in recent years. Bencic, the 14th seed, won Olympic gold last year but has made it to the third round at Roland Garros just once. The 25-year-old obliterated lucky loser Reka Luca Jani 6-1 6-1 in the first round.

Andreescu had a far tougher time with qualifier Ysaline Bonnaventure, forced to come from a set down to win 3-6 7-5 6-0. The 21-year-old has only recent returned from a seven-month break but has impressed during the European spring, making the Italian Open quarters before being halted by all-conquering Iga Świątek.

The pair’s only previous meeting was in the 2019 US Open semis, which Andreescu won on her way to a stunning slam triumph. Bencic is the favourite here after a smoother first-round ride but powerhouse Andreescu did finish strong and is every chance. Expect an entertaining struggle, likely a three-setter.

Aussie wildcard Saville wiped the court with qualifier Valentini Grammatikopoulou 6-1 6-2 in the first round. The comprehensive result represented the 28-year-old’s first win on the clay swing, after some impressive performances at Indian Wells and the Miami Open in March.

Currently ranked 127th, Saville has ventured past the second round just four times in 24 grand slams – most recently her third-round appearance at the 2018 French Open. Two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2012 and ’20, shapes as a massive obstacle to reaching that stage again.

The 32nd seed has also struggled for form since a quarter-final run in Miami but overcame a rocky start to put away aggressive Anna Bondar 7-6 6-1 in the opening round on Monday.

A three-time Madrid Open winner, Kvitova is an accomplished clay-court performer. Saville surprisingly boasts a 3-2 head-to-head advantage in the rivalry, but Kvitova’s baseline power should be the decisive factor in the pair’s first meeting in four years.

Seeded 19th, Australia’s top male player de Minaur is a hot $1.18 favourite to account for out-of-form Frenchman Gaston and move in the second round at Roland Garros for the third time in four years.

The highlight of de Minaur’s clay swing so far was reaching the Barcelona Open semis, where he took the first set off teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz in a hard-fought loss. The Sydney-born terrier also produced some handy form in in making the Lyon Open semis last week.

Gaston is on his preferred surface and got to the Round of 16 at the 2020 French Open – at 239th, the lowest-ranked player to do so in 18 years. The 21-year-old is the current world No.68 but has won just one of six matches on this clay swing.

De Minaur has won 10 of his last 13 grand slam first-round matches and it would take a significant form reversal from both players for him to get rolled here.

A pair of genuine clay specialists lock horns in the first round with the market finding it hard to split 2018 French Open semi-finalist Cecchinato and 36-year-old stalwart Andujar.

Cecchinato boasts three ATP 250 titles on clay but the former world No.16 has slipped out of the top 100. The highlight of any otherwise poor European spring campaign has been a win over struggling 2018-19 Roland Garros finalist Dominic Thiem at the Geneva Open. The Italian reached the French Open Round of 32 in 2020-21.

Andujar’s career-high ranking of 32 came back in 2015, the year he made the French Open third round for the first time. But the three-time winner of the Grand Prix Hassan II (where he upset second seed Dan Evans this year) is inside the top 100 and is a dogged competitor.

The 29-year-old Cecchinato may be going through a lean patch but is the more talented player and shapes as a value option as the slight underdog – but expect this one to go to four or five sets.

Jelena Ostapenko has dipped out in the first round in three of the four French Opens since winning the tournament as an unseeded teenager in 2017. But the Latvian has enjoyed a resurgence over the past year after sliding into obscurity.

Back to 13th in the WTA rankings, Ostapenko picked up the Eastbourne International title in 2021 and the Dubai Championships trophy in February, before notching some big scalps on her way to the Qatar Open semis. The clay swing has been less auspicious but the 24-year-old is a dark horse for a deep run in Paris.

World No.73 Bronzetti is on French Open debut after making the Australian Open second round (losing to Ash Barty), her first grand slam. The 23-year-old has a swag of ITF final appearances on clay to her name, made the Miami Open fourth round in March and got to the Morocco Open semis last week.

Ostapenko fits firmly into the enigmatic category and is facing a tricky first-up assignment against a player on the rise, but being back at the scene of her greatest triumph should inspire a statement performance.

World No.30 Giorgi carved out the biggest win of her career last year by taking out the Canadian Masters, but she has been in a serious slump since going down to Ash Barty in the third round of the Australian Open.

The 30-year-old, a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, arrives in Paris on a seven-match losing streak – most recently retiring during what was looming as a comprehensive first-round loss to Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic at the Italian Open.

Zhang, ranked 41st, has hardly set the court on fire during the clay swing but is enjoying a far better 2022 campaign, taking out the Lyon Open in March. The 33-year-old is an Australian Open and Wimbledon quarter-finalist and made the French Open fourth round in 2020.

The powerful Giorgi is more dynamic player but her form slide has to be a concern. Zhang, the underdog here, should be able to play the percentages and book a second-round berth.

A year after her dramatic withdrawal prior to the second round in Paris, Osaka returns to the French Open – and faces a tough first-up assignment against 27th seed Anisimova. Four-time slam winner Osaka, currently ranked 38th, has never made it past the third round at Roland Garros and has not reached a WTA final on clay.

Anisimova burst to prominence in 2019 when, as a 17-year-old, she beat the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Simona Halep to reach the French Open semis. The American is yet to scale those heights since but she eliminated Osaka on her way to the fourth round of the Australian Open in January after winning the Melbourne Summer Set title.

Anisimova’s 2022 clay swing has featured several deep runs and high-profile scalps (including two more wins over Sabalenka), while Osaka’s has consisted of a second-round loss in Madrid before pulling out of the Italian Open. Anisimova is the deserving favourite on her best surface and should subdue Osaka, who is on her worst.

Ash Barty’s retirement leaves world No.42 Tomljanovic as Australia’s top-ranked woman’s player. The 29-year-old, who earned a breakout Round of 16 berth at the 2014 French Open but is 2-6 at Roland Garros since, has drawn a short straw in the shape of fifth seed Kontaveit.

Tomljanovic reached a maiden slam quarter-final at Wimbledon last year and had been in reasonable form on the clay swing but pulled out of Morocco Open quarter last week with an injury concern.

Estonian 26-year-old Kontaveit has won eight of her last 10 first-round matches at majors and reached the third round at last year’s French Open before going down to clay-court powerhouse Iga Świątek. A limited

build-up to this tournament included a win over Angelique Kerber in Stuttgart and a first-round loss in Rome to Petra Martic.

Kontaveit won both previous encounters with Tomljanovic – at the Miami and US Opens in 2019 – but both were lengthy three-setters. A similarly seesawing showdown is on the cards here.

Beloved Aussie journeyman Millman heads into the first round as a $6 outsider against 27th seed Korda. The 32-year-old Queenslander’s clay swing includes an upset of two-time French Open finalist Dominic Thiem but has been otherwise underwhelming.

A US Open quarter-finalist, world No.93 Millman’s biggest bogey is the fact he has never won a French Open match. He has a remarkable habit of receiving difficult Roland Garros draws – all five of his previous first-round fixtures were against players seeded 24th or higher.

That trend has continued courtesy of a first-up clash with this 21-year-old, the son of 1992 French Open champ Petr Korda. Sebastian reached the fourth round in Paris on grand slam debut in 2020 and is the only player to beat Carlos Alcaraz on clay this year, doing so at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

The opportunity to face the ‘King of Clay’ at Roland Garros is a highlight for any player – but 82nd-ranked Aussie would ideally be taking on one of grand slam tennis’ greatest challenges later in the tournament. The 28-year-old has a 3-6 French Open record, making it to the third round in 2019 before consecutive first-round exits.

Thompson’s clay-court form during the European spring does not inspire a great deal of confidence. He took Albert Ramos Vinolas to three sets at the Estoril Open but lost his second match as the top seed at a Challenger tournament in Tunisia last week.

Nadal, the 13-time French Open champ, comes into the tournament under a cloud with a foot complaint impacting his clay swing build-up soon after returning from a rib injury layoff. He started 2022 in stunning form, winning the Australian Open and Mexico Open.

The incomparable Rafa has lost just two first-round slam matches in his glittering career and should be far too strong for $19 outsider Thompson, even if he is less than 100 percent fit.

Australia’s Sharma is ranked 144th in the world but reached the second round at the 2020 and ’21 French Opens, and returns to Paris on the back of some encouraging displays – including a quarter-final appearance at last week’s Morocco Open.

The 21-year-old Gracheva has broken into the top-75 in recent months and continued her strong 2022 season at the Madrid Open, where she upset Alize Cornet and pushed Ons Jabeur in a three-setter. She reached the third round at last year’s French Open after a shock win over Camila Giorgi.

Both are rising stars with solid results on the clay swing – and both will undoubtedly be eyeing this draw as a favourable one. Sharma is getting a sizeable start here but is more than capable of progressing.

Former world No.1 and 2016 French Open champ Muguruza is a perennial slam contender, but she arrives in Paris in a worrying slump. The 10th seed has made a string of early exits on the European clay swing and has been dealt a tough draw as she aims to avoid a repeat of last year’s first-round loss at Roland Garros.

The 36-year-old Kanepi enjoyed a fairytale return to prominence courtesy of a giant-killing quarter-final run at the Australian Open and is back inside the top-50 after maintaining that form – including a semi-final appearance at a Paris warm-up tournament last week.

Muguruza won the pair’s only previous clash, but that was back at the 2014 Australian Open and big-hitting Kanepi should be able to parlay her recent performances into a minor upset.

Another showdown between an in-form Aussie upstart and a seasoned veteran. Kokkinakis has picked up some big scalps – along with a maiden ATP title in Adelaide – in his return to the top-100 in 2022, including wins over Fabio Fognini and Federico Delbonis in Geneva this week.

Ramos-Vinolas is ranked 42nd and made the French Open quarters in 2016 but has won only two of his last 14 grand slam first-round matches. Since making the Estoril Open semis earlier this month, the 34-year-old has lost three straight matches.

Kokkinakis is lining up in just his fifth major in four years, and while the clay courts blunt his powerful serve and forehand somewhat, the flamboyant 26-year-old’s recent formline suggests he’ll get the job done as the narrow favourite.

Aussie 22-year-old Popyrin is 7-5 in first-round grand slam matches but has won just one French Open fixture, back in 2019. The world No.103 did, however, warm up for this tilt with an impressive Challenger tournament win in Bordeaux, beating the higher-ranked likes of Carlos Taberner, Jaume Munar and Quentin Halys.

Veteran Fognini’s recent efforts include a semi-final run at the Serbia Open and a win over battling two-time French Open finalist Dominic Thiem in Rome, but he was bounced out in the first round in Geneva by Thanasi Kokkinakis this week.

The 34-year-old, currently ranked 60th, made the quarters at Roland Garros in 2011 and has advanced past the first round in 10 of his last 12 visits. This has the makings of a lengthy and absorbing encounter, but the durable Fognini’s vast slam experience provides a crucial edge.

2022 DAILY AUSTRALIAN OPEN TIPS

Australian Open Day 14 – Sunday, 30th January

I don’t think that there is as much between Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal as the current market suggests.

Their hold/break percentage on hardcourts over the past 12 months is virtually identical and Nadal has won three of their four previous meetings.

I’ve got this clash rated as a genuine coin toss and that means that the $2.45 available for a Nadal victory represents serious value.

Australian Open Day 13 – Saturday, 29th January

I think that this will be a tighter clash than the current market suggests.

Ash Barty has been nothing short of dominant during the Australian Open to date, but Danielle Collins will not be overawed by this occasion and she is playing excellent tennis in her own right.

Barty may have won three of the four meetings between the two players, but Collins won their most recent meeting and three of their four clashes have gone to three sets.

I expect Barty to get the job done, but I expect her to really have to work for it.

Australian Open Day 12 – Friday, 28th January

Rafael Nadal survived a serious scare against Denis Shapovalov and it doesn’t get any easier for him against a firing Matteo Berrettini.

I still think that Nadal’s class and his incredible Grand Slam experience will prove too much for the Italian.

Nadal hold/break percentage on hardcourt over the past 12 months is clearly superior to that of Berrettini and he won their only previous meeting comfortably.

Berrettini is playing well enough to win a set, but the relentless pressure of Nadal will prove too much.

This is a rematch of last year’s Australian Open Semi Final.

Daniil Medvedev was nothing short of dominant in that clash and he has historically had the upper hand over Stefanos Tsitsipas – he has won five of their six previous meetings on hardcourt.

Medvedev wasn’t at his best against Felix Auger Aliassime, but he still found a way to get the job done and he will prove too good for Tsitsipas over five sets.

Australian Open Day 10 – Thursday, 27th January

Madison Keys has played some excellent tennis at the Australian Open, but Ash Barty is in supreme form and looks a genuine class above.

Barty has developed a ruthless streak that has previously been missing from her game and she is a superior player to Keys on just about every metric.

Barty can cruise into her first Australian Open Final with another straight sets victory.

Danielle Collins continues to be underrated by the market and I have her marked as a clear favourite to beat Iga Swiatek in this Australian Open Semi Final.

Collins’ record on hardcourts over the past 12 months is superior to that of Swiatek and there is no doubt that she is playing in close to career best form.

Swiatek hasn’t been overly impressive in the second week of the tournament and Collins represents a different level of competiton.

Australian Open Day 10 – Wednesday, 26th January

There really isn’t much between Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas and this should be another classic.

Tsitsipas had to work hard to get the job done against Taylor Fritz and the fitness concerns remain, but he still represents a touch of value at his current quote of $2.20.

Tsitsipas has more experience at this stage of a Grand Slam event and Sinner still doesn’t have a great record against top ten players.

Iga Swiatek is deserving of her status as a dominant favourite for this Australian Open Quarter Final clash with Kaia Kanepi.

Kanepi has had a fairly soft draw to reach this stage of the tournament and I’m not sure that she has the class to compete with a firing Swiatek.

Switaek has an average winning margin of 6.5 games over the past 12 months and it would not surprise to see her record a dominant victory.

Australian Open Day 9 – Tuesday, 25th January

Both Barbora Krejcikova and Madison Keys have been in outstanding form during the Australian Summer Of Tennis to date and this should be a match of the highest quality.

Krejcikova has been something of a revelation on the WTA Tour over the past 12 months and her record on hardcourts is right up there with some of the best players in the world.

I think that she might just have too much class for Keys and she is deserving of her status as a clear favourite.

Australian Open Day 8 – Monday, 24th January

Danielle Collins survived a danger game against Clara Tauson in the fourth round and I think she can continue her winning ways against Elise Mertens.

Collins’ hardcourt stats over the past 12 months are clearly superior to that of Mertens and she comfortably won their only meeting last year.

Taylor Fritz is a player that I have had a big opinion of for a long time and he has an excellent chance to score an upset win over Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Tsitsipas has not looked at his best during the Australian Open to date and he still has some fitness concerns, while Fritz looks fitter than ever.

Fritz’s serve looks to have gone to another level and that can lead up to a win at a nice price.

Australian Open Day 7 – Sunday, 23^rd January

The fourth round gets underway on Sunday and there are some very short-priced favourites in the men’s bracket.

No. 17 seed Gael Monfils takes on Miomir Kecmanovic in the late afternoon time slot hoping to advance to the Australian Open Quarterfinals for the first time since 2016.

The Frenchman has dominated right up until this point, and the stats suggest he’s in for another convincing performance.

Monfils has won the first set in each of his last eight matches at the Australian Open, while his last 10 matches on hard courts have all gone Under the Match Games Line.

After last year’s disappointment, anything short of a dominant win would be a surprise.

This might be Ash Barty’s best opportunity to win her home Grand Slam, but she can’t afford to overlook Amanda Anisimova on Sunday night.

The American is coming off an upset win over defending champion Naomi Osaka on Sunday night, and she’ll likely have some revenge in mind after losing to Barty at Roland Garros back in 2019.

Anisimova is a dangerous opponent, and although she ultimately lost that day at the French Open, she did manage to put a scare into Barty with a first set win.

The support of the home crowd will be tough to overcome, but it’s reasonable to think Anisimova can make Barty earn it here.

Australian Open Day 6 – Saturday, 22nd January

This is as much of a toss up as you will find at the 2022 Australian Open as the 15^th seeded Spaniard takes on the 20^th seeded American.

Bautista has taken five of the six head to head meetings between the two but they have only faced off once in the last two and a half years and have not played on a hard court since August 2017.

Fritz has only dropped one set thus far while Agut was pushed to four sets in the first round before a sweep of Kohlschreiber in the second round.

I’m expecting this match to go the distance as these two players look to be very evenly matched.

Inglis has impressed with her run to the third round thus far and I like her chances of taking a set of the Estonian veteran Kanepi.

Playing in front of a supportive home crowd will provide an extra boost for the 24-year-old Aussie and it should keep her in a match that when played under different circumstances might be a walkover.

Kanepi has not dropped a set in the tournament to date and is an experienced campaigner, but I’ll back the story of Inglis to get something from the match.

Australian Open Day 5 – Friday, 21st January

Sebastian Korda has been outstanding at the 2022 Australian Open, and I am tipping him to pull off another upset today over nineteenth seed Pable Carreno-Busta.

The sporting blueblood stamped himself as one to watch at Melbourne Park with a dominant straight sets win over twelfth seed Cameron Norrie, and he weathered a tough Corentin Moutet in the second round to win in five.

Carreno-Busta has returned two typically good performances to defeat qualifiers in the first and second rounds, but he faces quite a step up in class here, and he’ll need to be at his best to win.

We’re set for a thrilling contest between the competitive Karen Khachanov and Rafael Nadal at Melbourne Park tonight, but the latter will take a power of beating.

Nadal is one of the sport’s best ever players, and in the twilight of his career, without the likes of Djokovic and Nadal engaged, this does look his best opportunity to win another Slam.

Khachanov was pushed to four sets by American Denis Kudla in the first round, but he breezed by Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in the second round, hardly ever appearing troubled.

I think that Nadal will win, but Khachanov is good enough for a set.

Australian Open Day 3 – Wednesday, 19th January

14^th seed Denis Shapovalov is a clear favourite to defeat Soon Woo Kwon in the second round today, and I am confident that he can record another comfortable win.

The twenty-two-year-old Canadian has continued to improve with each season on tour, and won through to the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year, most notably.

He required four sets to eliminate Laslo Dere, but I am confident that match will have brought him right on.

Soon Woo Kwon was pushed to five sets by Denmark’s Holger Rune in the first round, and I think that he has probably now played his final.

Aussie cult hero Johnny Millman is in action again tonight, and he’ll need to go to another level against third seed and Olympic gold medallist Alexander Zverev.

Millmania was in full flight on Day 1, and he recorded an impressive four-set win over Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez.

There is obviously no doubt that he faces an enormous rise in class tonight, but we know how good Millman can be at his best, and he has made a habit of defeating huge names at Grand Slams throughout his career.

Zverev cruised past countryman Daneil Altmaier in the first round, and he is a fitting favourite in match betting.

I think that Zverev will prove far too strong, but I think that Millman can take a set.

Australian Open Day 2 – Tuesday, 18th January

While he may have only played 15 singles matches during 2021, and the fact he’s lost his past five matches, one cannot simply go past Nick Kyrigos at the Australian Open.

Especially when he takes to John Cain Arena and the atmosphere the home support on what they dub “The peoples court” provides, it just can’t be beat.

But can Kyrigos be beaten in the first Round?

His opponent, the UK’s Liam Broady struggled in the qualifying rounds but managed to scrape through.

You never know what you’re going to get when Nick Kyrigos is playing, but there’s always going to be an entertaining contest on our hands.

Kyrigos has won eight of his past nine first round ATP games on home soil, and you’d expect that trend might continue tonight.

Take Kyrigos 3-1 for a bit of value.

We have a first round blockbuster on our hands in the Womens tonight with two US Open champions going head-to-head.

Despite winning last years US Open womens singles, Raducanu has struggled to get back into form losing her past two tour matches, including being drubbed 6-0, 6-1 to Elena Rybakina in Sydney and facing Sloane Stevens will not be the easy start she was looking for to get her Aussie Open campaign underway.

2017 US Open winner, Sloane Stevens will be looking to make it to the second round of a Grand Slam for the fourth time in arow and has a reputation for slaying champions in the first round, such as beating Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon and Madison Keys at the US Open.

This should be a beauty, and the punters can’t really split them.

Back it to go the full three sets.

2021:

Australian Open Men’s Singles Final Tips

There is a very simple rule in Tennis betting.

You don’t bet against Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.

His record at the tournament is nothing short of outstanding and he simply finds a way to win.

Daniil Medvedev has won his past 20 matches and he has been in incredible form at the Australian Open to date.

He also has an excellent head-to-head record against Djokovic and his stats over the past 12 months on hardcourts are superior.

But you don’t bet against Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open – as much as you don’t like him!

Australian Open Women’s Singles Final Tips

Naomi Osaka is deserving of her status as favourite for the Australian Open Women’s Singles Final, but I don’t think that she will be as dominant as the market suggests.

Jennifer Brady has been the most improved player on the WTA Tour over the past 12 months and she took a set off Osaka when they met in the semi finals on the 2020 US Open.

Brady has won at least one set in her last 17 matches on hardcourt, while the past three Australian Open Finals have gone to three sets.

Australian Open Day 12 Tips

I don’t think that there is as much between Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas as the current market suggests.

Medvedev has won five of the past six matches played between the duo, but the majority of their meetings have been very close and Tsitsipas won their most recent meeting.

It would not shock to see this clash go to five sets.

Australian Open Day 11 Tips

This is a very difficult clash to handicap as we know so little about Aslan Karatsev.

His run at the Australian Open has been nothing short of incredible and he has upstaged a number of big names to qualify for this stage of the tournament.

Can he continue this run against Novak Djokovic?

I have my doubts.

Djokovic represents a completely different challenge for Karatsev and the Serbian’s class should prevail in this contest.

It doesn’t get much bigger on the WTA Tour than Naomi Osaka against Serena Williams and this should be a battle for the ages.

There is plenty of hype building around Williams, but I am know of the belief that Osaka is clearly the best player on hardcourts on the WTA.

She has won two of her three previous meetings with Williams, including her famous win in the 2018 US Open Final, and I think she will edge out what should be a very tight match.

Australian Open Day 10 Tips

This is an intriguing clash between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rafael Nadal.

Nadal has won his past 11 Grand Slam matches in straight sets, but I don’t think that this will be a walk in the park for the Spainard.

Nadal has won the past three matches played between the pair, but Tsitsipas has won at least one set in their past two matches on hard court.

Daniil Medvedev is deserving of his status as a clear favourite, but I don’t think that there is as much between the two players as the current market suggests.

Medvedev has a great head-to-head record against Rublev, but there is no doubt that that Rublev has made some serious strides in the past 12 months and he is capable of giving his compatriot a genuine scare.

Jennifer Brady has been in stunning form during the Australian Open to date and she should prove too strong for Jessica Pegula.

Brady has covered the game handicap in ten of her past 11 Grand Slam matches and can maintain that record in this clash.

Australian Open Day 9 Tips

There are still plenty of unknowns surrounding the condition of Novak Djokovic, but he should still prove too strong for Alexander Zverev in this Australian Open Quarter Final clash.

Djokovic has a simply outstanding record at the Australian Open and he has won his past 18 matches at the tournament, while Zverev has won at least a set in his past 26 Grand Slam matches.

The $4 available for Djokovic to win in four sets is over the odds.

Su Wei Hsieh has given Naomi Osaka plenty of issues in the past and I don’t think this will be as easy for Osaka as the current market suggests.

Su Wei Hsieh has won two of her four previous meetings with Osaka and their three previous meetings on hardcourts have gone to three sets

Simona Halep beat Serena Williams when they last met in the Wimbledon Final of 2019, but Williams has an excellent overall record against Halep.

Williams has won her last six hardcourt matches against Halep, while she has won nine of their overall meetings.

Australian Open Day 8 Tips

Andrey Rublev goes into this match as a deserving favourite, but there is not as much between him and Casper Ruud as the current market suggests.

Ruud continues to make excellent strides as a player and he has taken a set off Rublev in the past.

The Norwegian can give his rival a scare and is great value to win at least one set.

I have been impressed by the tennis produced by Matteo Berrettini to date and he is capable of upsetting Stefanos Tsitsipas in this Australian Open 4th round clash.

This is a rematch of an Australian Open clash between the pair in 2019, which was close, and there is no doubt that Berrettini has improved significantly since then.

Elina Svitolina recorded a comfortable win over Jessica Pegula when they met in Abu Dhabi earlier this year and a similar result is a good bet in this contest.

Pegula has played some excellent tennis to date at the Australian Open, but Svitolina represents a completely different challenge.

Australian Open Day 6 Tips

I don’t think that there is as much between Karen Khachanov and Matteo Berrettini as the current market and their head-to-head record suggests.

Khachanov didn’t have a great 2020, but he is a player with plenty of upside and Berrettini is still a work in progress on hardcourts.

Kaia Kanepi comes into this clash on the back of a big win over Sofia Kenin, but I think that the market has overreacted to that victory.

Vekic has won the only previous meeting between the two sides and Kanepi doesn’t have a great overall record at the Grand Slams.

Elise Mertens is playing in simply outstanding form, but it is very tough to get her as short as her current price for this clash with Belinda Bencic.

Bencic is capable of a big effort on her day and it really would not surprise if this clash turned into a genuine epic.

Australian Open Day 5 Tips

There really isn’t anything between Grigor Dimitrov and Pablo Carreno-Busta, which means that the Spaniard represents genuine value at his current quote.

The two players have split their six previous meetings with three victories each and Carreno-Busta won their only previous clash at a Grand Slam.

This is set to be a fascinating clash between two young Canadians and I don’t think that there is as much between them as the current market suggests.

Their hold/break percentages on hardcourts over the past 12 months are virtually identical and Auger Aliassime has been Shapovalov in the past.

Adrian Mannarino has played some good tennis at the Australian Open to date and he is more than capable of taking a set off Alexander Zverev.

Mannarino has won at least one set in his past three matches against Zverev and the German makes a habit of dropping sets in matches exactly like this one.

Australian Open Day 4 Tips

Salvatore Caruso is a better player than his ranking suggests and I think he is more than capable of upsetting his compatriot Fabio Fognini.

Caruso has a better hold/break percentage on hardcourts than Fognini over the past 12 months and he is a much stronger player on serve.

Alexei Popyrin comes into this tournament on the back of a huge win over David Goffin and he finds himself in a winnable contest against Lloyd Harris.

Popyrin clearly goes to another level at the Australian Open, he has qualified for the third round two years in a row, while Harris has never made it past the second round of a Grand Slam.

There isn’t much between Casper Ruud and Tommy Paul and this match has five set epic written all over it.

The two played out a five-setter at the French Open last year and their meeting before that also went to the maximum amount of sets.

$3.60 for this match to go the distance is well and truly over the odds.

Australian Open Day 3 Tips

I think that the market has this match the wrong way around and Adrian Mannarino should be favourite.

Mannarino has a superior hold/break percentage on hardcourt than Kecmanovic over the past 12 months and he won their only meeting last year.

He should prove too good for his rival.

Iga Swiatek won the French Open last year and she is an elite player on clay, but her hard court form is nowhere near that level.

Giorgi has reached the third round of the Australian Open two years on the trot and she beat Swiatek at this tournament in 2019.

$4.20 is a huge price and the best bet of the tournament to date.

Bianca Andreescu is my selection to win the Australian Open and I think we can expect her to improve as the tournament progresses.

She was clearly rusty in her opening round win, but she should take good improvement from that match and her best form gives her a clear edge over Su-Wei Hsieh.

Andreescu won their previous meeting in straight sets and looks like a safe bet to get the job done.

Australian Open Day 2 Tips

Sam Querrey is a player that is past his best and I am more than happy to take him on in this contest.

Lorenzo Sonego has a hold/break percentage that is clearly superior to that of Querrey over the past 12 months and there is no doubt that he has gone to another level.

There is no doubt that Viktor Troicki is past his best, but he is still good value to upstage Michael Mmoh in this opening round Australian Open clash.

Mmoh does not have much of a Grand Slam pedigree and Troicki played some pretty good tennis in qualifying to earn his place in the main draw.

$2.15 is over the odds.

There is nowhere near as much between Daniel Evans and Cameron Norrie as the current market suggests.

Norrie is a better player than his ranking suggests and you can make the argument that the reverse is the same of Evans.

Evans has a lacklustre record at the Grand Slams and Norrie has the talent to score an upset win.

Australian Open Day 1 Tips

There are some concerns over the fitness of Gael Monfils and his recent form has been fairly poor, but he still looks like good value in this clash with Emil Ruusuvuori.

The young Finn has very little Grand Slam experience and it is tough to get him anywhere near as short as his current quote for this clash.

This is one of the most interesting matches in the first round of the Australian Open and it wouldn’t surprise to see it go either way.

Three of the six previous matches played between these two players have had a first set tie break and the $3.70 for the first set to go the distance in this clash is simply outstanding value.

I don’t think that there is as much between Denis Shapovalov and Jannik Sinner as the current market suggests.

Sinner comes into the Australian Open on the back of a win in the Great Ocean Road Open and his hold/break percentage on hardcourt over the past 12 months is superior to that of Shapovalov.

Shapovalov has a fairly lacklustre record at the Australian Open and I am keen to take him on.

French Open Final Tips

Iga Swiatek has been nothing short of outstanding during the French Open to date, but I think that it is Sofia Kenin that represents the value in this clash.

This is a huge occasion for Swiatek, she has never been past the fourth round of a major before, and Kenin is a proven performer at this level having won the Australian Open earlier this year.

The $2.40 available for a Kenin is well and truly over the odds.

French Open Semi Final Tips

It is very tough to bet against Rafael Nadal at the French Open, but I think that this match will be tighter than the current market suggests.

Schwartzman beat Nadal at the Italian Open in the lead-up to the French Open and there is an argument to be made that she is racing in career best form.

The Argentine has covered the Games Handicap in seven of his eight meetings with Nadal and he is capable of winning a set in this French Open semi-final.

Novak Djokovic will obviously be very tough to beat in this contest, but it would not surprise if Stefanos Tsitsipas gave him a genuine scare.

Tsitsipas has won two of his five previous meetings with Djokovic and he has played some outstanding tennis during the French Open to date.

He can ensure that this match covers the 39.5 games line.

French Open Quarter Final Tips

Diego Schwartzman is playing in career best form and he has an excellent chance to beat Dominic Thiem in this French Open clash.

Schwartzman has beaten Thiem on clay in the past and he knocked off Rafael Nadal in the Italian Open a couple of weeks ago.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has been in excellent form at the French Open to date, but he faces a tough assignment against Andrey Rublev in this quarter final clash.

Rublev has won his two previous meetings with Tsitsipas and his hold/break percentage on clay over the past 12 months has been superior to that of his rival.

French Open 3rd Round Tips

Alexander Zverev has not looked good at the French Open to date and the heavy surface at the moment is far from ideal for him.

Marco Cecchinato made it to the semi finals of the French Open in 2018 and he goes to another level on clay.

There is nowhere near as much between these two players on clay as the current market suggests.

This French Open clash could get very ugly for Stefano Travalia.

Rafael Nadal has looked nothing short of outstanding during the French Open to date and he is deserving of his status as an unbackable favourite.

The games handicap line of 10.5 points doesn’t look like anywhere enough.

French Open 2nd Round Tips

There is nowhere near as much between Marton Fucsovics and Albert Ramos-Vinolas as the current market suggests.

Ramos-Vinolas has a hold/break percentage on clay over the past 12 months that is superior to that of Fucsovics and the Hungarian has never been past the second round of the French Open.

Ramos-Vinolas is great value at $2.90.

There is no doubt that Kevin Anderson is not at his best on clay, but I still think he is great value to upset Dusan Lajovic in this French Open contest.

Anderson has won the two previous matches between the pair and he won their only meeting on clay.

The $2.50 available for an Anderson victory is well and truly over the odds.

This is a match that Stefanos Tsitsipas should win very comfortably.

Tsitsipas has won the three previous meetings with Pablo Cuevas in straight sets and there is no reason why he can’t maintain that record.

The $1.91 for him to win in straight sets is well and truly over the odds.

There is not as much between Radu Albot and Taylor Fritz as the current market suggests.

I am confident that Fritz is the superior player to Albot, but Fritz is yet to prove himself on clay and Albot has a better hold/break percentage on the surface.

The $2.70 currently available is excellent value.

Alexander Bublik scored an impressive win over Gael Monfils in the first round of the French Open and he should be a dominant favourite for this clash with Lorenzo Sonego.

Bublik has a hold/break percentage that is superior to that of Sonego on clay over the past 12 months and I think that he is a safe bet to cruise to a comfortable win.

It has been an up and down year to date for Benoit Paire, highlighted by being ruled out of the US Open after testing positive to COVID-19, and that may have influenced his price for this clash with Federico Coria.

Coria is a genuine journeyman that is playing in a Grand Slam for the first time and Paire should be much shorter than this current price of $1.80.

Roberto Bautista-Agut deserves to be favourite for this clash with Richard Gasquet, but I don’t think that there is as much between them as the current market suggests.

Clay is statistically Bautista-Agut’s worst surface and Gasquet still has the ability to pull out a big performance at a Grand Slam.

The $4.60 on offer is well and truly over the odds.

This is a clash that I think the market has the wrong way around.

Joao Sousa has a hold/break percentage on clay that is superior to that of Andrej Martin and the Portuguese has far more experience at this level than his rival.

Gilles Simon is always a very tricky opponent and I think that he could cause Denis Shapovalov some genuine issues in this clash.

Shapovalov has never been past the second round at the French Open and his overall record on clay is poor.

Simon has made it to at least the third round of the French Open in eight of his past ten appearances at the tournament and he is simply outstanding value at the current price of $6.

French Open 1st Round Tips

I am surprised that Gael Monfils is not a dominant favourite for this clash with Alexander Bublik.

Monfils has a hold/break percentage that is clearly superior to that of Bublik and Bublik has won only two of his six career matches on clay on the ATP Tour.

Salvatore Caruso has been playing some strong tennis in recent weeks and he is more than capable of upsetting Guido Pella.

Caruso has a hold/break percentage on clay over the past 12 months that is clearly superior to that of Pella and the Argentine has won only two of his past seven matches on clay.

This is a match that I think the market has completely wrong.

Cameron Norrie might not be at his best on clay, but his record on the surface is still fair and he should have far too much quality for lucky loser Daniel Elahi Galan.

If Norrie produces anything like his best tennis, the $1.91 currently available is an absolute steal.

Italian Open Final Tips

I don’t think that there will be as much between Novak Djokovic and Diego Schwartzman as the current market suggests.

They have met on clay on two previous occasions and Schwartzman has won a set on both occasions.

Schwartzman beat Rafael Nadal earlier this week and he is clearly playing in outstanding form.

Italian Open 3rd Round Tips

Grigor Dimitrov looked very impressive against Yoshihito Nishioka and it is a surprise that he has come up as the outsider for this clash with Jannik Sinner.

The market has overreacted to Sinner’s win over Stefanos Tsitsipas and I am keen to take him on in this contest.

I am a big fan of Casper Ruud, but I am keen to take him on in this contest with Marin Cilic.

Cilic is far from the most consistent player in the world, but he is a serious talent on his day and he has produced some quality tennis during the tournament to date.

Rafael Nadal looks in simply outstanding form and he should prove too strong for Dusan Lajovic in this contest.

Lajovic won just four games across three sets when they met at the French Open and another comfortable Nadal victory is very much on the cards.

Italian Open 2nd Round Tips

Aussie John Millman is great value to upset Diego Schwartzman in this Italian Open clash.

Millman won the only previous meeting between the duo and their hold/break percentages on clay over the past 18 months are almost identical.

This is a clash that I think that the market has the wrong way around.

Fabio Fognini is far from the most consistent player in the world, but his overall record on clay is strong and is clearly superior to that of Ugo Humbert.

Fognini should be favourite and he is outstanding value at his current quote of $2.20.

Lorenzo Musetti has played some excellent tennis to reach this stage of the tournament, but I think that the market has overreacted to his recent form.

There is no doubt that Kei Nishikori is the superior player and the $1.91 on offer for him to win this match is an absolute gift.

Stefano Travaglia did the job for us in the opening round of this tournament, but he faces a much tougher assignment against Borna Coric.

Coric continues to improve on clay and his hold/break percentage on clay over the past 18 months is clearly superior to that of Travaglia.

Jannik Sinner is a player that I have a high opinion of, but I don’t think that he will be any match for Stefanos Tsitsipas in this clash.

Tsitsipas scored a dominant win over Sinner when they met at this same tournament 12 months ago and I am confident that the Greek star will be able to cruise to another comfortable win.

This is a brutal draw for US Open Semi-Finalist Pablo Carreno-Busta.

Rafael Nadal and Pablo Carreno-Busta have met on five previous occasions and Carreno-Busta has not won a single set.

It would be a shock if Nadal was unable to record a dominant win.

Italian Open 1st Round Tips

Tennys Sandgren has generally struggled on clay throughout his career, he has won only seven of his 21 matches on the surface at ATP Tour level, and I am keen to take him on whenever I get an opportunity.

Salvatore Caruso has a hold/break percentage on clay that is clearly superior to that of his rival and I think that he should be a clear favourite for this clash.

This is a match that the market has completely wrong.

Alejando Davidovich Fokina has plenty of potential and played well to qualify for this tournament, but he is yet to really prove himself on the ATP Tour.

Lajovic has a positive career record on clay and his hold/break percentage is clearly superior to that of the young Spaniard.

Pedro Martinez is another Spanish qualifier that has been overrated ahead of this clash at the Italian Open.

Martinez has won only six of his 16 matches on the ATP Tour, although he obviously has talent, and this is the type of clash that Sam Querrey generally performs in.

The American is great value at his current price of $2.63.

This is a clash that I think the market has the wrong way around.

Borna Coric is coming off a good run at the US Open and I am confident that he is a superior player to Cristian Garin.

Coric has a hold/break percentage clearly superior to that of Garin and he is great value to win this clash at $2.

Daniel Evans is not the most consistent player in the world, but he is capable of pulling off an upset on his day.

Hubert Hurkacz does struggle for consistency on clay and I am always happy to take him on when he is playing on this surface.

It would not surprise to see Italian wildcard Stefano Travaglia make a fairly deep run at the Italian Open.

Taylor Fritz is a better player on clay than his overall record suggests, but Travaglia still has a hold/break percentage on the surface that is clearly superior to that of his rival.

US Open Final Tips

There is not as much between Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev as the current US Open Final market suggests.

Zverev has not played particularly good tennis during the US Open to date, but he has still found a way to get the job done and his best tennis is good enough to beat Thiem.

Thiem deserves to be favourite, but I can’t get him anywhere near as short as his current odds.

US Open Semi Final Tips

Backing Pablo Carreno-Busta at the US Open has been a highly profitable betting play and I think that he is capable of recording another upset win against Alexander Zverev.

There isn’t a huge amount between Zverev and Carreno-Busta in their hold/break percentages on hard courts over the past 12 months and Zverev is yet to really prove himself in a pressure situation.

The $3.10 available for Carreno-Busta to claim an upset win is over the odds.

Naomi Osaka is a deserving favourite for this US Open clash with Jennifer Brady, but the American does represent genuine value at her current quote.

No player has produced better tennis since the WTA Tour restarted than Brady and she has some serious fire power.

I don’t think there is as much between them as the current market suggests and Brady is over the odds at $2.75.

Daniil Medvedev is the player to beat for the 2020 US Open and I think that he should have too much fire-power for Dominic Thiem.

Thiem has won two of their past three meetings, but there is no doubt that Medvedev has gone to another level over the past 12 months and he is the superior player on this surface.

US Open Quarter Final Tips

I am always happy to take on Alexander Zverev at a Grand Slam and Borna Coric represents genuine value at his current quote of $2.90.

Coric has won three of the four meetings between the duo and he beat the German at the 2017 edition of the US Open.

Zverev struggles on the big stage and I’m not sure that he can take advantage of the opportunity presented by Novak Djokovic’s disqualification.

Pablo Carreno-Busta was the big beneficiary of Novak Djokovic’s brain-snap and he is a genuine chance of winning this US Open Quarter Final clash with Denis Shapovalov.

Carreno-Busta has made it to the US Open Semi Finals in the past and he has won three of his four previous meetings with Shapovalov – including all three of their games on hardcourt.

The $2.50 available for a Carreno-Busta win is well and truly over the odds.

There is not as much between Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev as the current market suggests.

Rublev has a hold/break percentage on hard courts over the past 12 months that is superior to that of Medvedev and there is no doubt that he has the talent to beat him on his day.

The $3.40 currently available is well and truly over the odds.

I have been really impressed with the tennis that Alex De Minaur has produced at the US Open and I think that he is a genuine chance of upsetting Dominic Thiem.

There isn’t a huge amount between them statistically on hard courts over the past 12 months and De Minaur may have made a leap at this tournament.

Thiem is a deserving favourite, but De Minaur should not be as long as $4.33.

US Open 4th Round Tips

This is a US Open betting market that I think is completely wrong.

Andrey Rublev should be a clear favourite for this clash with Matteo Berrettini.

Berrettini has won three of their past four meetings, but I am confident that Rublev is the superior player and his hold/break percentage over the past 12 months is much better than than of his rival.

Daniil Medvedev is a deserving favourite for this clash with Frances Tiafoe, but I don’t think that he should be as short as his current quote.

Tiafoe is in excellent form and he was able to take a set off Medvedev when they met at the Australian Open earlier this year.

$2.25 is outstanding value for Tiafoe to take a set.

Tsvetana Pironkova has played some excellent tennis during the US Open to date, but I still think that Alize Cornet is clearly the player to beat in this clash.

It is incredible that Pironkova has made such a deep run in what is her first tournament since 2017, but her winning run can come to an end against Cornet.

Cornet has the game to travel Pironkova and she should be a shorter-priced favourite.

I don’t think that there is as much between Borna Coric and Jordan Thompson as the current market suggests.

Thompson has clearly taken a liking to the quicker courts at the US Open this year and he is a player that has always produced his best form on the quickest surfaces.

Coric is coming off a huge win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, but that mental energy is sure to have taken plenty out of him.

Thompson is worth a gamble at his current quote of $2.50.

David Goffin is a player that is often underrated by the market and I think he should be a firm favourite for this clash with Denis Shapovalov.

Shapovalov rode his luck to beat Taylor Harry Fritz in the third round and Goffin has the type of game that can frustrate the young Canadian.

Goffin won the only previous meeting between the duo and he can replicate that effort at the US Open.

This looks like the biggest mismatch in the fourth round of the 2020 US Open.

Petra Kvitova has a far superior record than that of Shelby Rogers and she has looked very impressive during the US Open to date.

I would be surprised if Kvitova is not able to cruise to a comfortable win and the $1.80 available for a straight sets victory is outstanding value.

US Open 3rd Round Tips

I don’t think that there is as much between Pablo Carreno-Busta and Ricardas Berankis as the current market suggests.

Berankis comes into this clash on the back of a strong win over Steve Johnson and his hold/break percentage on hard court over the past 12 months is only slightly inferior to that of his rival.

The $3.60 currently available is well and truly over the odds.

I would love to see Jordan Thompson qualify for the fourth round of the US Open, but I can’t get him as short as his current quote for this clash with Mikhail Kukushkin.

There is very little between the hold/break percentage of the two players and Kukushkin won their only previous meeting.

There is no way that he should be at $2.80.

It is a surprise that Filip Krajinovic is a clear favourite for this clash with David Goffin.

There is very little between the two players statistically and Goffin has a much better Grand Slam pedigree.

This is the first time that Krajinovic  has ever won a match at a Grand Slam and I am keen to take him on.

US Open 2nd Round Tips

This is an interesting clash between two of the best young players in the game.

There is plenty of hype around Emil Ruusuvuori, but I am not entirely convinced and Casper Ruud is a player that is often underrated by the market.

Ruud has a hold/break percentage that is superior to that of Ruusuvuori and he is great value at his current quote.

This clash between Frances Tiafoe and John Millman has five sets written all over it.

The two previous meetings between this duo have been genuine grinds and there is no reason why this clash will be any different.

The Over 38.5 games is an extremely safe bet.

Taking on Felix Auger Alassime at Grand Slams has been a profitable betting play and Andy Murray is capable of upsetting the young Canadian.

Murray showed his trademark fight to come back from two sets to love down against Yoshihito Nishioka and he played some excellent tennis in the process.

His recovery is a concern, but I can’t let Murray got around at this price without having something on.

I think that this is a clash that the market has wrong and Mikhail Kukushkin deserves to be favourite.

I am still not convinced about Garin as a hardcourt player and Kukushkin has a hold/break percentage on this surface that is clearly superior to that of his rival.

There is not as much between these two players as the current market suggests.

Not only has Simon won the only previous meeting between the pair, but his hold/break percentage on hardcourts over the past 12 months is superior to that of Taylor Fritz.

The $3.25 available for a Simon victory is well and truly over the odds.

I think that the market has overreacted to Steve Johnson’s win over Ricardas Berankis.

Johnson has struggled badly for consistency over the past 18 months and it is Berankis that actually has a superior hold/break percentage over that period.

Berankis won the only previous meeting between the duo and he is good value to replicate that result.

US Open 1st Round Tips

I think that this is a clash that the market has wrong and Egor Gerasimov deserves to go into this clash as favourite.

Gerasimov’s form over the past 12 months has been superior to that of Dusan Lajovic and his hold/break percentage on hardcourts during that period is much better than his rival.

Taking on Jack Sock has proven to be a profitable betting play for punters over the past 18 months and it is incredible that he is a clear favourite for this clash with Pablo Cuevas.

Cuevas has won the only two meetings between the pair, including a straight sets victory at the US Open, and he has clearly progressed past Sock at this stage of their careers.

The $2.38 currently available is outstanding value.

This is a very tough first round draw for David Goffin and I think that Reilly Opelka has an excellent chance to claim an upset win.

Opelka beat Goffin when they faced off at Basel last year and he took Goffin to five sets when they met at the 2017 Australian Open.

Opelka’s hold/break percentage over the past 12 months on hardcourts is superior to that of Goffin and he produced some excellent tennis during the Cincinnati Masters.

This is one of the most interesting games in the opening round of the US Open.

Tommy Paul beat Grigor Dimitrov at the Australian Open earlier this year and Dimitrov hasn’t had an ideal preparation for the US Open – having tested positive to COVID-19.

Paul is a young player with upside and he is more than capable of upsetting Dimitrov once again.

I am surprised that Aljaz Bedene is not a shorter-priced favourite for this clash with Emil Ruusuvuori.

Bedene has a clear statistical edge over his rival ahead of this US Open clash and far more Grand Slam experience.

Ruusuvuori is a young player with plenty of upside, but this is his Grand Slam debut and an enormous occasion for him.

There is not as much between Jannik Sinner and Karen Khachanov as the current market suggests.

Over the past 12 months there is very little between these two teams statistically and Khachanov has a poor 3-4 record at the US Open.

Sinner is a much better player than his current ranking suggests and he is great value to win this contest.

Dubai Duty Free Championships 1st Round Tips

There is no doubt that Richard Gasquet’s best days are behind him and he takes on a promising up-and-comer in the form of Lloyd Harris. Harris actually has a superior hold/break percentage to that of Gasquet over the past 12 months and he is great value to start his campaign with an upset victory.

Gael Monfils has made an outstanding start to the 2020 season and there is no reason that he can’t continue his winning ways at this tournament. He should have far too much firepower for Marton Fucsovics, who has struggled during 2020 to date, and the $1.95 available for Monfils to win in straight sets is outstanding value.

Alexander Bublik made a deep run at the Open 13 in France and it will be interesting to see how he bounces back from that campaign. Hubert Hurkacz is a better player than his recent form suggests and his hold/break percentage is clearly superior to that of Bublik.

The rivalry between Marin Cilic and Benoit Paire is an interesting one. Cilic has won five of their six previous meetings, but there has traditionally not been a huge amount between the pair and their match at the Australian Open was very tight. Another close affair looks likely in this contest.

Open 13 Quarter Final Tips

Denis Shapovalov has played some excellent tennis during this tournament to date and he should have too much overall quality for Alexander Bublik. Shapovalov has a hold/break percentage that is clearly superior to that of his rival and the better than even money available for him to win in straight sets is great value.

I don’t think that there is as much between these two players as the current market suggests and Vasek Pospisil is capable of giving Stefanos Tsitsipas a genuine scare. Breaks of serve will be at a premium in this clash and the $1.95 for Over 23.5 games is a great bet.

Open 13 Day 4 Tips

Aljaz Bedene has made some good strides over the past 12 months and he should prove far too strong for Gilles Simon. Bedene has won the three previous matches between the duo and his hold/break percentage is superior to that of his rival.

Maric Cilic has shown some serious signs of regression over the past 12 months and this is a match that Denis Shapovalov should be able to win. Shapovalov has a hold/break percentage that is clearly superior to that of his rival and he comfortably beat Cilic when they met at Indian Wells last year.

Open 13 Day 2 Tips

There is not as much between Aljaz Bedene and Karen Khachanov as the current market suggests. Khachanov has won their three previous meetings, but they have all gone to three sets and their isn’t much between their hold/break percentages on hardcourts over the past 12 months.

Delray Beach Open Day 2 Tips

Kyle Edmund comes into the Delray Beach Open on the back of a deep run at the New York Open, but I still expect him to be too strong for Ugo Humbert. Edmund has a hold/break percentage that is clearly superior than that of his rival and he won their only previous meeting in straight sets.

Cameron Norrie is a player that is consistently underrated by the market and that is the case again in this clash at the Delray Beach Open. Norrie has a slightly superior hold/break percentage to that of Fritz on hardcourts over the past 12 months and he has beaten his rival on this surface in the past.

Open 13 Day 1 Tips

This is a very interesting clash between one of the most exciting young players on tour and an experienced veteran that is still capable of getting the job done. Ymer has a hold/break percentage that is superior to that of Gasquet on hardcourts over the past 12 months and he clearly has more upside at this stage of his career.

The market is struggling to seperate these two Frenchmen. Gregoire Barrere has been in good form in recent weeks, but Benoit Paire has a superior hold/break percentage to his rival and simply has more experience at this level.

2020 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament Semi Final Tips

Pablo Carreno-Busta has been underrated by the market once again and he is simply outstanding value to beat Felix Auger Aliassime in this clash at Rotterdam. Carreno-Busta has a hold/break percentage that is clearly superior to that of Aliassime over the past 12 months and he has played some excellent tennis during this tournament to date.

2020 New York Open Quarter Final Tips

I am shocked that Miomir Kecmanovic is the outsider for this clash with Ugo Humbert. Kecmanovic won their two previous meetings in 2019 and his hold/break percentage on hardcourts is clearly superior to that of his rival. He is outstanding value at his current quote of $2.05.

2020 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament Quarter Final Tips

Jannik Sinner has played some excellent tennis during this tournament to date, but I still think that Pablo Carreno-Busta is the player to beat. Carreno-Busta has a superior hold/break percentage on hardcourts over the past 12 months and he is a player that is consistently underrated by the market.

I don’t think that there is as much between Felix Auger Aliassime and Aljaz Bedene as the current market suggests. Bedene comes into this clash on the back of an upset win over Stefanos Tsitsipas and he actually has a superior hold/break percentage on hardcourts over the past 12 months.

2020 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament Day 4 Tips

Both Aljaz Bedene and Stefanos Tsitsipas have a strong record on serve and I think that breaks will be at a premium in this contest. I expect Tsitsipas to come away with the victory, but it will be a tighter match than the current market suggests.

2020 New York Open Day 4 Tips

There is a fair amount of hype surrounding Jason Jung at the moment and that hype has made him under the odds for this clash with Cameron Norrie. Norrie is a player that is still on the rise and his hold/break percentage on hardcourts is clearly superior to that of Jung over the past 12 months.

Jordan Thompson is more than capable of giving John Isner a scare in this New York Open clash. Isner has won their three previous meetings, but all three of them have been close and there is an argument to be made that Isner has regressed over the past 12 months.

2020 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament Day 3 Tips

Jannik Sinner is one of the most exciting young players on the ATP Tour, but consistency is still an issue and he is well and truly under the odds in this clash. There isn’t much difference between their hold/break percentages and the $3.10 available for a Radu Albot victory is well and truly over the odds.

These Davis Cup teammates have a fairly interesting rivalry and I don’t think that this clash will be as one-sided as the current market suggests. Pablo Carreno-Busta has beaten Roberto Bautista-Agut in the past and neither of Bautista-Agut’s victories have been in straight sets. The $1.95 on offer for Over 22.5 Games is well and truly over the odds.

Gael Monfils should have far too much quality for this clash with Joao Sousa. Monfils has won three of their four meetings and all three of those wins have been in straight sets. Another straight sets win for the Frenchmen is a safe bet.

2020 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament Day 2 Tips

I am surprised that Gregoire Barrere will start this clash with Alexander Bublik as favourite. Barrere did win their only previous meeting at Wimbledon last year, but Bublik has a hold/break percentage on hardcourts that is clearly superior than his rivals.

The rivalry between Aljaz Bedene and Benoit Paire is a very interesting one. They have played on seven occasions, with Paire winning four matches and Bedene three, and all but one of their meetings has gone to three sets. A repeat of that happening in this clash is great value.

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Chengdu Open Day 2 Tips

Alexei Popyrin is a player that is often overrated by the market and I think that Fernando Verdasco should be a shorter-priced favourite for this clash. Verdasco has a hold/break percentage of 108.1% on hardcourts, while Popyrin’s is less than 100% over the past 12 months.

Zhuhai Championships Day 2 Tips

Steve Johnson has regressed somewhat over the past 12 months and the market still hasn’t caught up. There is very little between the hold/break percentage of both players on hardcourts and Pablo Andujar does offer genuine value at $2.25.

Neither of these players has a particularly good record on hardcourts, but it is a surprise that Damir Dzumhur is such a short-priced favourite. Marco Cecchinato has a hold/break percentage that is superior to his rival and is great value at $2.80.

Chengdu Open Day 1 Tips

I am surprised that Kyle Edmund is not a shorter price favourite for this Chengdu Open clash. Edmund has a hold/break percentage of 105% on hardcourts and that is clearly superior to the 86.3% of Garin.

Marton Fucsovics is not in the same form that he was earlier this year, but he should still prove too strong for Kamil Majchrazk. Fucsovics has a hold/break percentage that is clearly superior to that of Majchrazk and I am surprised that he is not a shorter-priced favourite.

Zhuhai Championships Day 1 Tips

Backing Cameron Norrie has been a profitable play all season long on the ATP Tour and he should prove too strong for Peter Gojowczyk. Norrie has a hold/break percentage that is clearly superior to that of Gojowczyk and should cruise to victory.

I was keen to take on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga yesterday, but he won in impressive fashion and should prove too strong for Lucas Pouille. A deep run to the semi-finals of the Australian Open has carried what has been a fairly average year for Pouille and his hold/break percentage is clearly superior to that of Tsonga.

St Petersburg Open Quarter Final Tips

This is an interesting clash between two very in-form Russian players. Daniil Medvedev has gone to another level over the past couple of months and he should prove too strong for Andrey Rublev. Medvedev has a hold/break percentage that is clearly superior to that of his rival and he won their meeting last month in straight sets.

Joao Sousa comes into this clash on the back of an upset win over Karen Khachanov, but I am not sure that he will be able to replicate that against Mikhail Kukushkin. Kukushkin has a hold/break percentage that is superior to that of Sousa and he is value at his current odds at $1.91.

Mossele Open Quarter-Final Tips

There isn’t as much between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Nikoloz Basilashvili as the current betting market suggests. Their hold/break percentages on hardcourts over the past 12 months are basically identical and Basilashvili was able to beat Tsonga when they met in Lyon earlier this year.

St Petersburg Open Day 3 Tips

Andrey Rublev is playing the best tennis of his career and he will be keen to impress in front of his home fans. His hold/break percentage on hardcourts is clearly superior to that of Ricardas Berankis and he should prove far too good for his rival.

Mossele Open Day 3 Tips

There is not as much between David Goffin and Pablo Carreno-Busta as the current betting market suggests. There is very little between their hold/break percentages on hardcourts over the past 12 months and they have split their two previous meetings one win apiece.

St Petersburg Open Day 2 Tips

Damir Dzumhur has won three of his four meetings with Mikhail Kukushkin, but his record form has been poor. Kukushkin beat Dzumhur comfortably when they met earlier this year and his hold/break percentage over the past 12 months is clearly superior.

I really don’t think that there is a great deal between Egor Gerasimov and Adrian Mannarino and I expect this match to go three sets.There really isn’t a great deal between these two players statistically and three very tight sets seems likely.

Moselle Open Day 2 Tips

I think that the market has gotten this battle between these two French wildcards incorrect. Antoine Hoang has a hold/break percentage that is superior to that of his rival and is well and truly over the odds at the current price of $2.25.

St Petersburg Open Day 1 Tips

Alexander Bublik will go into this clash as a narrow favourite and I think that he will be extremely tough to beat. His hold/break percentage on hardcourt over the past 12 months is clearly superior to that of Ruud and Ruud’s struggles on serve will make this tough for him.

Neither of these players are at their best on hardcourts, but it is Martin Klizan that does have a superior hold/break percentage on this surface. Roberto Carballes Baena has won only six of their past 16 matches on hardcourts and it is tough to back him with confidence on this surface.

Moselle Open Day 1 Tips

Peter Gojowczyk comfortably Filip Krajinovic when they met at the Doha Open 12 months ago and I don’t think that he should really be underdog for this clash. Outside of their head-to-head record, there really isn’t much between the two sides and that means Gojowczyk does represent a touch of value at the current odds.

Zhengzhou Women’s Tennis Open Day 4 Tips

I am surprised that Kiki Bertens isn’t a short-priced favourite for this Zhengzhou Women’s Tennis Open clash with Alja Tomljanovic. Bertens should have too much class for her rival and the $2.10 that is currently available is over the odds.

There is not as much between these players as the current betting market suggests. Saisai Zheng beat Alison Riske when they met at the Japan Women’s Open last year and Riske has been an inconsistent player from a betting perspective over the past 12 months.

Zhengzhou Women’s Tennis Open Day 3 Tips

It is always buyers beware when you back Sam Stosur, especially at this stage of her career, but she does represent value in this clash against Nina Stojanovic. Stojanovic is playing well, but Stosur does represent a serious challenge.

Lin Zhu has had a fairly rotten year on the WTA Tour, but she has shown some signs of life in recent weeks. She has won four of her past five matches, including a win at the US Open, and she did win her most recent meeting with Shuai Zhang.

Zhengzhou Women’s Tennis Open Day 2 Tips

Petra Martic should have far too much class for Fiona Ferro at the Zhengzhou Women’s Tennis Open and I am surprised that she is not a shorter-priced favourite. The $1.83 available for a straight sets win is well and truly over the odds.

I don’t think that there is as much between Alize Cornet and Sofia Kenin as the current betting market suggests. Kenin was able to beat Cornet when they met at Hobart earlier this year, but she was much longer than her current price for this clash.

Kristina Mladenovic beat Caroline Garcia earlier this year, but I think that Garcia is better suited to this match on hardcourts. Garcia generally does get the job done as favourite and Mladenovic has been a losing betting play as an underdog.

Japan Women’s Open Day 1 Tips

Christina McHale has not been in particularly good form over the past few months and she has won only one of her past five matches on the WTA Tour. Greet Minnen has some upside and is good value at her current quote.

Zoe Hives has played some outstanding tennis to qualify for the Japan Women’s Open and I think that she goes into this match with a genuine chance. Anastasia Potapova is not the most consistent player in the world and I am happy to take her on.

US Open Men’s Final Tip

US Open Men’s Final Tip

The big occasion doesn’t seem to bother Daniil Medvedev and I think that he is capable of upsetting Rafael Nadal in the 2019 US Open Final. Medvedev has been nothing short of outstanding during the US Open Series and he has shown that he can match it with the very best players in the world. Nadal deserves to be favourite, but $5 is over the odds.

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Cincinnati Masters Tips

Roberto Bautista-Agut has recorded four wins from his five previous meetings with Richard Gasquet and he has won their three most recent clashes in straight sets. He recorded a comfortable straight set win over Gasquet in at the Canadian Open last weekend and I think that we will see a repeat in this clash.

Yoshihito Nishioka has been nothing short of outstanding during this tournament to date and he comes into this clash on the back of big wins over Kei Nishikori and Alex De Minaur. He beat David Goffin when they met at the Washington Open a few weeks ago and there isn’t much between their hold/break percentages.

Andrey Rublev pulled off one of the biggest performances of his career to beat Roger Federer, but I’m not sure that he can replicate that performance against Daniil Medvedev. Medvedev has a hold/break percentage on hard courts that is clearly superior to that of Rublev and I think that he will be too strong for the Russian.

Miomir Kecmanović is playing some of the best tennis of his career and he is capable of upsetting Roberto Bautista-Agut at his current price of $3. There is very little between their hold/break percentages on hard courts over the past 12 months and Bautista Agut didn’t look at his best against Francis Tiafoe.

Karen Khachanov showed a huge amount of composure to beat Nick Kyrgios in a highly controversial match yesterday and I think that he is great value to score a comfortable win over Lucas Pouille. Khachanov has a hold/break percentage on hard courts that is clearly superior to that of Pouille and the $2.60 for him to win in straight sets is outstanding value.

Ash Barty has returned to her brilliant best and she was nothing short of dominant against Maria Sharapova. I don’t think that Anett Kontaveit will prove any tougher and Barty should be able to cruise to a straight sets win.

I am a big fan of Reilly Opelka, but I don’t really understand why he is favourite for this Cincinnati Masters clash with Borna Coric. Opelka has one of the best serves on the ATP Tour, but his hold/break percentage on hardcourts is still inferior to that of Coric. Coric should be favourite and is great value at $2.

Gael Monfils is coming off a withdrawal due to an ankle injury at the Rogers Cup in Canada, but I still think that he is value for this clash with Frances Tiafoe. Monfils played some excellent tennis before his withdrawal and his hold/break percentage on hard courts is clearly superior to that of his rival.

He is always tough to trust from a betting perspective, but Fernando Verdasco does represent genuine value at his current quote. His hold/break percentage on hard courts is clearly superior to that of Benoit Paire and, on his day, he is clearly a the superior player.

Canadian Open Day 5 Tips

This should be an outstanding game of tennis and I would be surprised if this match did not go to three sets. Their previous meeting on hardcourts went to three sets and their respective levels suggest that this will be another very tight encounter.

Betting against Alexander Zverev has been a strong betting play this season and Karen Khachanov is a good bet to upstage the German. Khachanov has a hold/break percentage on hard court that is slightly superior to that of his rival and I believe that he has gone to another level in the past couple of months.

Gael Monfils did the job for us against Hubert Hurkacz yesterday and he could hardly have been more impressive. When he is firing, he is capable of mixing it with the very best players in the world and his hold/break percentage on hard courts is clearly superior to that of Roberto Bautista-Agut.

Canadian Open Day 4 Tips

Hubert Hurkacz has played some excellent tennis in recent weeks, but I still don’t think that he should be favourite for this clash with Gael Monfils. Monfils has a hold/break percentage on hard courts over the past 12 months that is clearly superior to that of Hurkacz and he is great value at $2.15.

Roberto Bautista-Agut has an excellent record against Richard Gasquet and he deserves to go into this clash as a clear favourite. Bautista-Agut has won three of their four previous meetings in straight sets and the Under has saluted in all three of these clashes. The Spaniard should be able to cruise to a comfortable win.

Backing Belinda Bencic has been a profitable betting play in the WTA Tour all season long and she should prove too strong for Elina Svitolina. Bencic has won the two previous meetings between the pair and her recent form has been superior to that of Svitolina.

Canadian Open Day 3 Tips

Karen Khachanov should be favourite for this clash with Stan Wawrinka. Wawrinka may have won the past two meetings between the duo, but Khachanov does have a superior hold/break percentage over the past 12 months and he generally does play well at this level.