Australian open betting

A bettors dream Clijsters vs Henin at the Brisbane International

Going into the match you couldn't put much between them with Clijsters at 1.66 and Henin at 2.49.

Clijsters then wins the first set 6-3 and is matched at a low price of 1.01, whilst Henin matched at 75.0.

Henin rebounds and takes the second set 6-4 and gets matched as short as 1.06 (in from 75.0), with Clijsters hitting 8.2. Clijsters went on to win the match in a tiebreak.

Anyone looking to back and lay either player during the match would have found some serious trading value in the first 2 hours or so.

Recent form a great guide to success

The form late in 2009 generally proves to a good guide to the main chances for the Australian Open. Some pundits will already have it narrowed down to a clear and concise, perhaps even solitary figure. But pinpointing the main players and ignoring the myriad of legitimate contenders capable of producing an upset must be done at your own peril.

You would be forgiven for thinking it is a foregone conclusion. Here is how it should pan out - Roger Federer arrives in Australia, unpacks his bags, plays a bit of tennis and flies out with the silverware. This year, it doesn't seem that simple. Questions marks surrounding the world number one's form, and an ever increasing line of players queuing up take the year's first grand slam.

But just how good is the Roger Federer actually travelling? How much desire is left in the tank for the consummate gentleman of world tennis? A number of questions must be posed, and with a field of 128 highly skilled competitors to contest against, taking the shortish quote on offer may not be categorised as smart punting.

Federer was simply outclassed by his younger rival Rafael Nadal in last year's Australian Open final. Plain and simply outplayed by a vivacious and hungrier opponent, who certainly exuded more class on the day and arguably possesses a wider array of weaponry to take down his challengers.

The Swiss ace has amassed over $6m in prize-money in 2009 to date and has been victorious on 4 occasions. But his form in recent months is somewhat worrying, and hardly characteristic of Roger Federer. Defeat in the Paris Masters by lowly Frenchman Julienn Beneteau just a few weeks ago in the round of 32, followed an unusual loss in front of his adoring Swiss fans at the hands of Novak Djokovic.

He had sailed through uncontested against lowly ranked battlers before that clash with Djokovic. But when the game was there for the taking in the final set, Federer found nothing losing 2-6. In front of his home crowd, the master should have been able to find top gear for a home-town victory. It was very unlike the Fed Express we have come to know and love.

Federer's opponents always take to the court with' V' for value stamped across their forehead. For instance, this year's Wimbledon final when Andy Roddick was given no chance to even get within a bull's roar of the champion. The final went down in history with a tie break in the last set lasting to 16-14. Roddick, although not in top form is another proven to push Federer to the last shot.

If punters want value, they must overlook the world number one and the overwhelming favourite.

Juan Martin Del Potro must come into calculations after blasting his way past Federer to US Open glory back in August.

Del Potro's US Open display was nothing short of exceptional. He showcased the type of tennis required to take down the world number one. And although on paper it went to five sets, the two sets Federer was able to take ascendency in went to tie breaks. Del Potro well and truly had his measure.

The upcoming London Masters will reveal a little more on where each player is at, but as is often the case, sometimes lead-up form can be a misnomer. The majority of competitors at this year's Australian Open are good enough to overcome an average patch of form in the lead-up, and auspiciously time their peak to precision.