Tennis Betting Advice - January 2022
Tuesday 18th January 2022
Welcome to your Australian Open daily email service – Day 3
The women’s Grand Slams are an intriguing puzzle. The all-conquering days of Serena & Venus Williams are now well behind us…
Last season, two of the four Major finals consisted entirely of players priced at 100/1+ in the pre-tournament Outright Winner markets. All four of those women were, at the time, making their debut in a Grand Slam final: Barbora Krejcikova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Emma Raducanu, and Leylah Fernandez.
In 2020, it was a similar story. With the unheralded Sofia Kenin taking the silverware at the Australian Open (50/1). And a teenage Iga Swiatek doing the same at Roland Garros (100/1).
A great deal of my Ones to Watch business is done in targeting players just like those (indeed, we backed a couple of them). Youngsters and newcomers are my go-to territory. But this isn’t the only area where we can obtain some expansive, worthwhile prices…
Old v New…
In Sunday’s Day 1 tournament preview, I ran through the former Grand Slam champions sitting at the top of the Australian Open 2022 betting…
As I write today, with the 1st round now complete, Ashleigh Barty is the 11/4 (3.75) favourite, followed by Naomi Osaka at 5/1. After those two, you won’t get much better than 10/1 for Swiatek, and 12/1 for Garbine Muguruza. Simona Halep is 14/1, and Krejcikova is 16/1 in general, with Raducanu trading at similar prices.
On the side of the first-timers, the leading pack for another new name on the trophy contains: Paula Badosa at 14/1, followed by Anett Kontaveit at 18/1, and then Elina Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka both at 20/1.
As for my latest Ones to Watch youngsters, teenagers Fernandez and Coco Gauff, and 21-year-old Ann Li, will all have to wait a while longer for their next shot at a first Grand Slam title. Heading into the second round, we have:
Women:
Amanda Anisimova 100/1
Clara Tauson 100/1
Men:
Jannik Sinner 25/1
Carlos Alcaraz 33/1
Lorenzo Sonego 350/1
Denis Shapovalov 80/1
Five of those six picks are 22 or younger (Sonego is 26). Tauson and Alcaraz are teenagers. And none of that half-dozen have reached a Grand Slam final before.
A different angle at 33/1…
Sticking with the big prices, my thinking takes me to a different angle today. A former Grand Slam winner - a multiple Major champion, in fact. Age 32, and enjoying life on the tour as a working mother…
Victoria Azarenka is still playing the game because she wants to win more trophies. Her current second wind on the circuit is no victory lap of honour.
Vika demands respect here, both as a former World No.1 still capable of competing with the best (current ranking: No.25). And especially here in Melbourne, the scene of the Belarusian’s greatest triumphs:
Victoria has also made the semi finals or better at each of the other three Majors. Including most recently, finishing runner-up at the US Open in 2020, where she went off as a 22/1 shot.
Azarenka ended last season in excellent form, taking a then 23-year-old Paula Badosa all the way to a deciding tiebreaker in the prestigious Indian Wells final. That 7-6, 2-6, 7-6 thriller was one of the best matches of 2021.
Starting 2022 on her beloved hard courts once again, Vika exacted some revenge over Badosa in the 1st round in Adelaide this month. Defeating the fast-rising Spaniard, who is now up to No.6 in the world.
A routine 2-0 win in the 1st round back at Melbourne this week franked what I had in my pre-tournament notes: that Azarenka has the potential to go well as a 33/1 outsider this fortnight. Ahead of tonight’s 2nd round, a couple of firms still have that price available, with 28/1 & 25/1 elsewhere.
If Vika beats Jil Teichmann tonight, a potential big-name opponent coming up next would be Elina Svitolina. Azarenka owns that career head-to-head, 4-0.
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Ones to Watch picks:
Australian Open 2022 – Women’s
Outright Winner – Each Way:
Each Way terms: 1/2 odds 1-2 places
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Play starts from Midnight, UK time.
I’ll be back by 5pm tomorrow with your Day 4 email.
P.S
If you’d like to get in touch during the tournament, you can email me at: tom.wilson@oxonpress.co.uk
Enjoy the tennis…
Best wishes,
Tom Wilson