Can Djokovic win his third consecutive Grand Slam?
The first Grand Slam of the year begins in Melbourne on Monday and whilst you’d have hoped that the vast array of players would all turn up ready and raring to go there are a lot of doubts surrounding many of the top players.
It’s good to see Rafael Nadal make the tournament and if he turns up in rude health then there is no doubting his ability can take him all the way and at 9/1 he is a juicy enough price. However, the proceeding stat is extremely alarming. Nadal has only completed one of his last seventeen hard court tournaments. You can trust his ability, but you just can’t trust his body on this surface.
Alexander Zverev is another name I’ve toyed with, especially after his impressive perfromances in the ATP World Tour Finals, where he dispatched both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in comfortable fashion. Of course, the ATP Finals aren’t anywhere near the same level and as the younger man, at the end of a long season, he was always going to have the advantage. Without his recent injury scare I may have chanced my arm at 12/1, but he will be a major player this year for sure.
As much as I'd always try to look away from the short price favourite, I think Novak Djokovic is an extremely solid favourite at 5/4. Djokovic is a nightmare to play against for any opponent even when he is not playing well. You have to hit at least more than one 'winner' to claim the point as he is so good defensively. When you add his world-class defence to an on-song attack then he really is the complete player. There are too many question marks over those who can stop him as I've mentioned above, and when Novak is at the top of his game, as he is now, I can't see any of this field matching him.
Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about six-time winner here, Roger Federer. Despite his advancing years, he is still going strong on tour and it’s remarkable he is arriving at Melbourne Park going for his third in a row. The draw has been kind to Roger (as it usually is…) and at 37-years of age, it is important for him to come into tournaments fresh. He dusted off any cobwebs with a win in the mixed doubles event, the Hopman Cup, and looking at his possible routes, I’d expect him to make the final. 15/8 on him making it is a solid bet, but 7/2 on him inevitably meeting Djokovic in the final is the way I’m going.
The Quarter Winner is where some of the best value can be found in the Slams and I believe I’ve found it in the form of Stan Wawrinka. Last season was a bit of a write off for Stanimal, but previous to that he had reached the semi-finals three times out of four. If the triple Grand Slam winner is back firing the 10/1 available now will prove extremely generous.
