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With the first Grand Slam of the year barely underway, we take a look at the men’s draw in the 2015 Australian Open and what is to be expected from the tournament. Last year we had 2 of the 4 Grand Slam winners from outside of the traditional Top 4 and the big question for bettors and tennis fans is if an upset of this magnitude is likely to happen again in Melbourne.
My answer, also looking at the draw, would be NO.
Game on at the #AusOpen, with the men`s draw underway. pic.twitter.com/X7RLcPbuse
— Betdistrict (@betdistrict) January 19, 2015
Djokovic and Federer were the guys to beat late in 2014 and you just can’t underestimate the quality and Grand Slam experience the two have. There`s also the all important fact that the players who can make an upset are just not at the required level right now. Berdych has not played his top tennis in a long time, Ferrer started the year strong but he`s always a non-factor against the likes of Federer, Raonic will always be limited against the top guys, Nishikori or Gulbis are out of shape, with emphasys on the last one. Dimitrov was just demolished by Federer in Brisbane and he`s still some way off of challenging from Grand Slams in both experience and level of play. Cilic or Del Potro are out. Overall the guys who should be challenging do not look like they are able to do it right now, especially when the pressure on their shoulders will be bigger than usual.
As far as I`m concerned it will be up to Wawrinka to break the Djokovic – Federer dominance and defend his title. The Swiss started the year with a title at Chennai and surely has his chance, but he`s still way too inconsistent to be picked in a Grand Slam, especially now that his odds are so low. Murray improved last year and could be a factor, but seeing how he got beaten easily and regularly by the top guys, it`s hard to see him getting past a quarterfinal meeting with Federer. I don`t even think he will get there, with the in-form Goffin being a real threat. Nadal can never be counted out – he should grind it out towards the final stages with an accessible draw, but somehow you just can’t expect him to perform at the highest stage after such a long absence and getting beat by Berrer in his first match back.
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The bet to take here is a Djokovic – Federer final as far as I`m concerned. I reckon Djokovic will be able to win his favorite Grand Slam, but his odds are not worth the risk – my prediction would be a Djokovic – Federer final, where anything could happen.
Quarterfinals: Djokovic – Raonic, Wawrinka – Ferrer, Berdych – Nadal, Goffin – Federer
Semifinals: Djokovic – Wawrinka, Nadal – Federer
Final: Djokovic – Federer
Of course, Betdistrict will cover the Melbourne Grand Slam with daily tips and predictions from our editors and tipsters. You can watch live streaming of the Australian Open at Bet365.com as long as you have a funded account (available to customers worldwide except USA).
