Wild card
Justine Henin is making a comeback to the women's tour and was granted a wild card to the Open
About Australian Open
During the 2009 Australian Open, get the latest open news and views at Betting@Betfair, including the best tips available and all the betting information you need.
Is it anyones tournament?
Swiss world number one Roger Federer comes into the Australian Open as a red-hot favourite, rightly or wrongly on reputation and talent alone. But it seems his counterparts are slowly finding ways to ease his once dominating grip on world tennis, and the coveted grand slam titles.
Powerful Serb Novak Djokovic is a proven Australian Open competitor. His form in 2009 has been patchy, but has shown enough to retain the number three ranking behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He may be finding form at the right time of year too, just last week he was able to breeze past Rafael Nadal in the semi final of the Paris Masters, before holding off Frenchman Gael Monfils in the final.
Djokovic boasts one of the more useful head-to-head records against Federer, with a 5-9 win loss record against the Swiss champ. A record that includes his emphatic straight sets victory over the world number one in the 2008 Australian Open semi finals.
In his title defence in 2009, Djokovic was forced to retire after succumbing to the sweltering heat and the poor scheduling of his quarter final clash with Andy Roddick. Renowned for his somewhat bewildering retirements, it may be wise for punters to keep an eye on the weather forecast.
Djokovic remains one of the classiest competitors on tour, but when faced with adversity his intestinal fortitude and temperament can be questionable. Nonetheless, he represents great value for a player who is more than capable of toppling the two stars above him in the world rankings.
The Serb is more than adept on the hard-court of Melbourne Park, or any hard surface for that matter. In 2007, Djokovic was no match for a Roger Federer well and truly in the midst of his prime, losing in the round of 16. However, his past three performances indicate his price which currently stands around $8 is sure to give punters a big sight.
The upcoming London Masters will shape the draw for the opening Grand Slam of the season, with the number one spot up for grabs. Either way, Djokovic looks certain to advance to at least the semi finals which should open up the opportunity for punters to lay off come the latter stages of the tournament.
Upcoming Events
