Australian Open Quarter-final action underway with one of our best bets featuring Ash Barty who looks set to book a Semi-final spot.
There looks to be a great bet in the Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas Quarter-final in the men’s draw.
Let’s get into Day 10 of the People’s Grand Slam.
#1 a.barty V #25 k.muchova
rod laver arena 11:00am
Number one seed Ashleigh Barty will try to continue her run in the 2021 Australian Open when she opposes No. 25 seed Karolina Muchova at Rod Laver Arena today.
Barty won the only previous meeting between the two players, which was in the 2018 US Open, but much has changed since that matchup.
The 24-year-old Australian has since gone on to win her first grand slam and, since being defeated in the semi finals here last year, will be aiming to go one better this time around.
Her opponent, Muchova, needed to pull out all stops in the fourth round against Elise Mertens after being down 0-4 and 2-5 in the first set.
Muchova showed why she has progressed so far into the tournament with a stunning come from behind effort to take home the first set and would ultimately go on to win 7-6, 7-5.
The 24-year-old Czech is yet to drop a set in the grand slam but it’s the unforced error count in her fourth round which would be the worry against Barty.
Muchova hit 31 unforced errors in the fourth win and bringing that type of approach against Barty with the form she’s in would nearly write her off here.
Having already defeated Muchova on the hardcourt in straight sets it will be the likely outcome here.
Barty will lob into the semi finals and hopefully she will be in front of a crowd to spur her on with fans likely to be welcomed back to Melbourne Park after covid protocols.
Suggested Bet: Ash Barty to win two sets to love at $1.55
#5 s.tsitsipas v #2 r.nadal
ROD LAVER ARENA 7:30PM
World number two Rafael Nadal faces off against world number six Stefanos Tsitsipas at Rod Laver Arena tonight with a spot in the semifinals up for grabs.
Nadal will attempt to continue his bid to become the only player in the moden Open Era to win multiple grand slams at all four majors while Tsitsipas continues to chase that elusive first grand slam of his career.
The pair have met seven times prior to this clash with the spanish champion winning all bar one.
It was at this tournament in 2019 when they last played in a grand slam against each other and it was Nadal who made all the play in a 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 demolition job of the then 20-year-old Tsitsipas.
Nadal has been in arguably career best form on the hardcourt of the Australian Open and is yet to drop a set leading into a quarter final clash whereas for Tsitsipas it has been somewhat of a mixed bag.
The 22-year-old from Athens needed five sets to overcome Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in a brutal match before trouncing Mikael Ymer in straight sets and then winning in a walkover in the fourth round with Italian ninth seed Matteo Berrettini pulling out with injury.
Meanwhile, Nadal only needed three sets to dispatch flamboyant Italian Fabio Fognini in a sign the back complaint he entered the grand slam with has been well and truly shaken off.
The big hitting forehand of Nadal will be too much for Tsitsipas to handle again, despite having the advantage of an extra day rest.
Suggested Bet: Rafael Nadal head to head at $1.48
#22 j.brady v j.pegula
rod laver arena 1:00PM
It is an all American affair in this quarter final as 22nd seed Jennifer Bradley takes on compatriot and tournament surprise packet Jessica Pegula.
The 27-year-old 61st ranked Pegula has been one of the biggest comeback stories in recent women’s tennis, having suffered serious hip and knee injuries which threatened to derail her career.
She’s since put that all behind her to make this her most successful run in a grand slam to date defeating the likes of 12th seed Viktoria Azarenka, grand slam winner Samantha Stosur and most recently a three set 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory over fifth seed Elina Svitolina.
It had been a fairly cruisy tournament for Pegula up until the fourth round while for Bradley, she has, on paper at least, had the easier of the draws and is yet to drop a set.
Both players are close friends and associates on the WTA tour but there will be no love lost here with a semi final spot up for grabs and a big pocket of prize money on offer.
The pair have already met once in their careers with Pegula taking home the chocolates on that occasion with a comprehensive 7-6, 6-4 straight sets victory in Cincinnati last year.
From a game style point of view the pair seem quite evenly matched but it’s Brady who holds the aces here.
Look for Brady to keep Pegula on defense as much as possible. Pegula does many things well, but constant defending is not one of them.
Brady has shown her edge this tournament by dispatching any slow, mid-court forehand approach with consummate ease.
She may not be the hardest hitter of the ball, an area Pegula has a slight advantage in, but Brady is accurate and works the angles of the court in a superior manner.
Pegula did start a sizable outsider that day at around the $3.10 quote with Brady expected to win that match when dished up as the $1.30 favourite.
We could be in for an epic three setter here but we’ll side with Brady at a nice price.
Suggested Bet: Jennifer Brady to win two sets to one at $3.50
