Day nine of the Australian Open is upon us and the quarterfinal action begins.
Novak Djokovic continues to add to his already illustrious Australian Open record but we think his run might come to an end tonight!
Check out the previews and best bets below.
#10 S.WILLIAMS V #2 S.HALEP
rod laver arena 7:00pm
World number two Simona Halep meets the might and power of 39-year-old champion Serena Williams in the quarter finals of the women’s Australian Open.
It will be the 12th time these two meet in their careers with Williams dominating the head to head record nine wins compared to Halep’s two.
When they last met on the hardcourt it was the fourth round of this tournament back in 2019 with Williams starting the $1.30 favourite and being able to grind out a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 victory.
The pair bring in similar formlines to this battle with Williams only dropping a set in the tournament thus far and Halep dropping two.
Aryna Sabalenka posed a genuine threat to Williams in the fourth round and it took the 23-time grand slam champion three sets to prevail over the seventh seed while Halep came back from one set down against Iga Swiatek to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Williams has the superior power on the baseline in contrast to Halep and that is what will likely prove the difference between the two but the Romanian has her own bag of tricks.
She is one of the most effective players on the tour especially on serve where she has landed 67% of first serves in the tournament compared to that of Williams who has landed 59%.
This game will likely go to three sets but with the experience and form of Williams, as well as getting double the price compared to last time she beat Halep at this event, we have to side with the American champion.
Suggested Bet: Serena Williams head to head at $1.75
#1 N.DJOKOVIC V #6 A.ZVEREV
ROD LAVER ARENA 8:15PM
Master v Apprentice.
Novak Djokovic vying for his 18th grand slam meets 22-year-old German ace Alex Zverez who is chasing his elusive first major title.
Having met seven times already, this would have to be the match where Zverev finds Djokovic at his most vulnerable even.
The Serbian world number one battled gamefully to bring up his 300th grand slam victory with a four set win over Milos Raonic but did show some signs of discomfort with an injury that Djokovic himself is yet to disclose.
Djokovic leads the head to head tally against Zverev with five wins, but it was the young world number seven and sixth rank seed who pushed his rival all the way in the ATC Cup earlier this month.
That bout ended up being a three set 6-7, 6-2, 7-5 success in favour of Djokovic but it highlighted Zverez’s ability to steal points and sets as well as match it with the 17-time grand slam winner.
Having only dropped a set at Melbourne Park this year, Zverez has gradually improved every time he has competed in the Australian Open throughout his career. His semi final finish last year being his best performance to date.
This will be the most stern test Djokovic has to face in this grand slam thus far with the hitting power and court coverage of Zverev a massive threat.
Zverev will look to utilize his booming service which landed at 72% in the fourth round win over Dusan Lajovic.
He increased his ace tally in the tournament to 65 following the 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 victory against Lajovic which now ranks him fourth for total aces in 2021 Australian Open.
Djokovic’s wall of defence will need hold fort if he is to continue his hunt to chase down Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s reign atop of the grand slam tally but the $2.70 on offer for Zverez is too tempting to pass.
Suggested Bet: Alexander Zverez head to head at $2.70
S.HSIEH V #3 N.OSAKA
rod laver arena 12:30PM
Women’s Australian Open favourite Naomi Osaka and tournament bolter Hsieh Su-wei are looking to book a spot in the semi final as the pair clash in their quarterfinal match at Rod Laver Arena today.
World number three Osaka got through her toughest assignment of the tournament after withstanding spanish 14th seed Garbine Muguruza in the fourth round to come away with a three set 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 win.
Meanwhile, Taiwanese veterean Su-wei continues to send shockwaves through her side of the draw after she toppled 19th seed Marketa Vondrousova with a sweeping 6-4, 6-2 straight sets win.
The 35-year-old would have been forgiven for putting more of a focus on the women’s doubles Australian Open given she is ranked number one in the world, but she was knocked out on Saturday and now has her sights set on singles glory.
Osaka poses a different challenge to any of the opponents faced by Su-wei thus far.
Already a three-time grand slam champion, Osaka is without a doubt the best player Su-wei will face in this tournament to date and it is the Japanese starlet that leads their prior encounters with four wins from five games.
The most recent of those was on the hardcourt at the Cincinnati Masters back in 2019 when Osaka prevailed 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 after starting the $1.40 favourite.
The $1.09 on offer for Osaka seems hopelessly under the odds with Su-wei proving her adept qualities on the hardcourt.
Osaka will likely progress through but it won’t be as easy the market is suggesting.
Suggested Bet: Osaka to win 2 sets to 1 at $4.50
