Our tennis expert, Graham Ruthven, has picked out three tips for day one of the Australian open.
Venus Williams v Coco Gauff
Monday January 20, women’s singles first round
This was the standout tie of the first round, on either side, from the moment the draw was made. Of course, it was against Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon last year that Coco Gauff exploded on to the scene as the sport’s next big thing, marking the start of a sensational run to the round of 16 for the 15-year-old.
Only 11 ranking places separate the two players, with Williams still the higher ranked of the pair, but the veteran has pulled out of tournaments in both Adelaide and Brisbane with a hip injury leading into the 2020 Australian Open and so Gauff, who at least made the last 16 at the Auckland Open two weeks ago, looks to be in better shape.
1pt - 3 Total Sets 11/8
Steve Johnson v Roger Federer
Monday January 20, men’s singles first round
The ‘Big Three’ are still in place at the top of men’s tennis, with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer holding the top three places in the rankings, but a gap between the former two and the latter is starting to open up as the Swiss enters the twilight of his career and having not played an ATP event this year there is an element of the unknown around the 38-year-old coming into this first round tie.
Federer won the Australian Open last in 2018 and has been handed what should be a comfortable opening match, with Steve Johnson losing both of the matches he has previously played against the Swiss great. The most recent was a straight sets defeat at the 2017 Indian Wells and this should be a repeat of that.
1.5pt - Set Betting Roger Federer 3-0 4/11
Serena Williams v Anastasia Potapova
Monday January 20, women’s singles first round
Despite being arguably the greatest female tennis player in history, Serena Williams still has a point to prove coming into the Australian Open. The 23-time Grand Slam winner has lost her last four major finals leading to the suggestion that she now has something of a mental block when it comes to clearing the final hurdle.
However, Williams has enjoyed an extremely strong start to 2020, winning the Auckland Open, claiming all 10 sets she played. Anastasia Potapova is seen as a future star of the sport, but the 18-year-old’s lack of experience could be a factor here. This will be the first meeting between these two players and Williams should ease through given her early season form.
3pt - Serena Williams Set 1 Winner 2/15
