It was a far from a routine start to the 2018 Australian Open with the women’s seed walking out of the door. Venus Williams was ousted by Belinda Bencic which means no Williams in the 2nd round of the Australian Open since 1997 – over 20 years ago!
On Day 2 it will be defending champion Roger Federer who steals the show while the local teenager Alex de Minaur will get the chance to prove himself against Tomas Berdych on the biggest stage of them all.
Day 2 – Men’s Feature Match Previews
Roberto Bautista-Agut v Fernando Verdasco (11:00am)
Verdasco has had the better of it in the past winning 3 of the 4 meetings but it hasn’t been easy with all 4 encounters going the distance. The key to Verdasco’s success has been his ability to win a significantly higher percentage of 2nd serve points compared to his fellow countryman. Despite his record he will start a substantial outsider as Bautista-Agut is coming off a title winning run in Auckland. He beat Del-Potro in the final while Verdasco was less than impressive in his loss to De Minaur in Sydney. Nevertheless, with all of their encounters going the distance we will be backing the Overs.
Best Bet: Over 38.5 games ($1.83)
Value Bet: Verdasco WIN ($2.90)
Verdasco has had the better of it in the past winning 3 of the 4 meetings but it hasn’t been easy with all 4 encounters going the distance. The key to Verdasco’s success has been his ability to win a significantly higher percentage of 2nd serve points compared to his fellow countryman. Despite his record he will start a substantial outsider as Bautista-Agut is coming off a title winning run in Auckland. He beat Del-Potro in the final while Verdasco was less than impressive in his loss to De Minaur in Sydney. Nevertheless, with all of their encounters going the distance we will be backing the Overs.
Best Bet: Over 38.5 games ($1.83)
Value Bet: Verdasco WIN ($2.90)
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) v Daniil Medvedev (3:00pm)
The public support has been coming thick and fast in the market for Kokkinakis but The Wolf says that the market is moving in the wrong direction. Medvedev was brilliant in Sydney last week beating the likes of Kohlschreiber, Donaldson and Fognini before a come from behind win over De Minaur in the final. He is also 2-0 lifetime against Kokkinakis winning both of their meetings last year in straight sets. He has form and history on his side and should be starting favourite!!!
Best Bet: Medvedev WIN ($2.08)
Value Bet: Sets Medvedev 3-1 ($5.50)
The public support has been coming thick and fast in the market for Kokkinakis but The Wolf says that the market is moving in the wrong direction. Medvedev was brilliant in Sydney last week beating the likes of Kohlschreiber, Donaldson and Fognini before a come from behind win over De Minaur in the final. He is also 2-0 lifetime against Kokkinakis winning both of their meetings last year in straight sets. He has form and history on his side and should be starting favourite!!!
Best Bet: Medvedev WIN ($2.08)
Value Bet: Sets Medvedev 3-1 ($5.50)
Tomas Berdych v Alex De Minaur (6:45pm)In case you missed it… there is a 18 year old Australian teenager who is taking the tennis world by storm! Alex de Minaur has started the 2018 season on fire. He made the semi’s in Brisbane (beating Raonic and Johnson) and went one better the following week in Sydney losing in the final to Medvedev. Meanwhile Berdych has lost 5 of his last 7 matches on tour dating back to Cincinnati last year and taking out the tiebreak 10’s doesn’t exactly carry any weight in The Wolf’s book. He loves the matchup for the Aussie here. He has shown that he can handle big servers and loves the ball coming onto the racquet. A classic counter puncher, The Wolf has him pushing Berdych all the way.
Best Bet: De Minaur +4.5 ($1.91)
Value Bet: Number of Sets – 5 Sets ($3.20)
Best Bet: De Minaur +4.5 ($1.91)
Value Bet: Number of Sets – 5 Sets ($3.20)
Aljaz Bedene v Roger Federer (7:05pm)
His title winning run a year ago will go down in tennis folklore but a year on he comes into the tournament as the red hot favourite. He has had the ideal preparation and unlike many of his biggest rivals there are no injury concerns to speak of. Just like 2017 he made his way to Melbourne via the Hopman Cup and he will look to do the double again. Bedene is a bit of a late bloomer with his 19 wins a career high but he lacks the tools necessary to challenge Roger. Consistency and power is his game with limited power. He does well when given time but that is something that Federer takes away from all of his opponents. A vintage Riger display is on the way.
Best Bet: Under 29.5 games ($1.80)
Value Bet: 1st Set Score After 2 games Federer 2-0 ($2.85)
His title winning run a year ago will go down in tennis folklore but a year on he comes into the tournament as the red hot favourite. He has had the ideal preparation and unlike many of his biggest rivals there are no injury concerns to speak of. Just like 2017 he made his way to Melbourne via the Hopman Cup and he will look to do the double again. Bedene is a bit of a late bloomer with his 19 wins a career high but he lacks the tools necessary to challenge Roger. Consistency and power is his game with limited power. He does well when given time but that is something that Federer takes away from all of his opponents. A vintage Riger display is on the way.
Best Bet: Under 29.5 games ($1.80)
Value Bet: 1st Set Score After 2 games Federer 2-0 ($2.85)
Frances Tiafoe v Juan Martin Del Potro (8:30pm)
Tiafoe is best remembered for pushing Federer to 5 sets at the US Open last year but the American teenager has failed to go on with it from that point on. He looked lost against Ebden in Brisbane with the Aussie jumping all over his second serve. He has raw power and a lot of it but he is yet to add the control element to his game. Del Potro on the other hand brings the complete package with him the Melbourne Park. He has made the final in 3 of the last 4 tournaments he has contested including Auckland last week. He will hold serve with ease and The Wolf believes that the American will get very frustrated. It will result in him trying to hit Del Potro off the court and that will lead to a large amount of unforced errors. Del Potro to post a comfortable win.
Best Bet: Del Potro -6.5 ($1.80)
Value Bet: Sets Del Potro 3-0 ($2.00)
Tiafoe is best remembered for pushing Federer to 5 sets at the US Open last year but the American teenager has failed to go on with it from that point on. He looked lost against Ebden in Brisbane with the Aussie jumping all over his second serve. He has raw power and a lot of it but he is yet to add the control element to his game. Del Potro on the other hand brings the complete package with him the Melbourne Park. He has made the final in 3 of the last 4 tournaments he has contested including Auckland last week. He will hold serve with ease and The Wolf believes that the American will get very frustrated. It will result in him trying to hit Del Potro off the court and that will lead to a large amount of unforced errors. Del Potro to post a comfortable win.
Best Bet: Del Potro -6.5 ($1.80)
Value Bet: Sets Del Potro 3-0 ($2.00)
Day 2 – All Men’s Tips
| Match (Time AEDT) | Tips |
| (11:00) Bautista-Agut v Verdasco | Best Bet: Over 38.5 games ($1.83) Value Bet: Verdasco WIN ($2.90) |
| (11:00) Benneteau v Daniel | Best Bet: Over 37.5 games ($1.83) Value Bet: Daniel WIN ($2.35) |
| (11:00) Lacko v Raonic | Best Bet: Over 37.5 games ($1.91) Value Bet: 1st Set Correct Score 7-6 ($2.35) |
| (11:00) Stebe v Marterer | Best Bet: Marterer WIN ($1.57) Value Bet: Sets Marterer 3-1 ($3.90) |
| (11:00) Kicker v Thompson (AUS) | Best Bet: Kicker +6.5 ($2.00) Value Bet: Kicker WIN ($4.50) |
| (13:00) Berrettini v Mannarino | Best Bet: Mannarino WIN ($1.29) Value Bet: Mannarino -5.5 ($2.00) |
| (13:00) Safranek v Vesely | Best Bet: Under 37.5 games ($1.83) Value Bet: Sets Vesely 3-0 ($2.35) |
| (13:00) Querrey v Lopez | Best Bet: Over 41.5 games ($1.91) Value Bet: 1st Set Scorecast Querrey 7-6 ($4.20) |
| (13:00) Kukushkin v Gojowczyk | Best Bet: Gojowczyk WIN ($1.56) Value Bet: Sets Total – 5 Sets ($3.50) |
| (13:00) Fabbiano v A.Zverev | Best Bet: Over 28.5 games ($2.10) Value Bet: To Win A Set – Fabbiano ($2.75) |
| (13:00) Goffin v Bachinger | Best Bet: Goffin -8.5 ($1.67) Value Bet: 2nd Set Score After 2 games 2-0 ($2.50) |
| (13:00) Djokovic v Young | Best Bet: Over 31.5 games ($1.83) Value Bet: Young WIN ($7.00) |
| (15:00) Chardy v Sandgren | Best Bet: Chardy WIN ($1.61) Value Bet: 1st Set Scorecast Chardy 7-6 ($5.75) |
| (15:00) Berankis v Wawrinka | Best Bet: Wawrinka WIN ($1.52) Value Bet: Sets Total – 4 Sets ($2.35) |
| (15:00) Gasquet v Kavcic | Best Bet: Sets Gasquet 3-0 ($1.40) Value Bet: Gasquet -8.5 ($1.91) |
| (15:00) Kokkinakis (AUS) v Medvedev | Best Bet: Medvedev WIN ($2.08) Value Bet: Sets Medvedev 3-1 ($5.50) |
| (15:00) Zeballos v Fognini | Best Bet: Zeballos +6.5 ($1.73) Value Bet: Sets total – 5 Sets ($4.50) |
| (15:00) Donaldson v Ramos-Vinolas | Best Bet: Donaldson WIN ($1.72) Value Bet: Sets Donaldson 3-0 ($4.00) |
| (15:00) Johnson v Kudla | Best Bet: Kudla +5.5 ($2.00) Value Bet: Kudla WIN ($3.70) |
| (16:00) Smyczek v Popyrin (AUS) | Best Bet: Smyczek WIN ($1.28) Value Bet: Sets Smyczek 3-0 ($2.35) |
| (16:00) Monfils v Munar | Best Bet: Over 29.5 games ($1.83) Value Bet: To Win a Set – Minaur ($2.60) |
| (16:00) M.Zverev v Chung | Best Bet: Over 36.5 games ($1.91) Value Bet: M.Zverev WIN ($3.60) |
| (16:00) Thiem v Pella | Best Bet: Pella +5.5 ($1.80) Value Bet: Pella WIN ($3.60) |
| (16:00) Garcia-Lopez v Paire | Best Bet: Parie WIN ($1.38) Value Bet: Sets Paire 3-1 ($3.70) |
| (16:00) Khachanov v Polansky | Best Bet: Khachanov WIN ($1.25) Value Bet: Over 37.5 games ($2.00) |
| (18:45) Berdych v De Minaur | Best Bet: De Minaur +4.5 ($1.91) Value Bet: Number of Sets – 5 Sets ($3.20) |
| (19:05) Bedene v Federer | Best Bet: Under 29.5 games ($1.80) Value Bet: 1st Set Score After 2 games Federer 2-0 ($2.85) |
| (20:30) Tiafoe v Del Potro | Best Bet: Del Potro -6.5 ($1.80) Value Bet: Sets Del Potro 3-0 ($2.00) |
Day 2 – Women’s Feature Match Previews
Kristyna Pliskova v Agnieszka Radwanska (4:30pm)
There is some margin between Kristyna and sister Karolina in the ranking and The Wolf says not to confuse the. They are easy to distinguish as Kristyna is a lefty. One thing they do have in common though is a booming serve. Kristyna set a WTA record at the 2016 Australian Open with 31 aces in a single match. she is not the best move on tour but if allowed to dominate, Radwanska will be doing a lot of running. It is something she has built her game around but The Wolf says there are flaws in her game – starting with her second serve. Pliskova will attack at every opportunity and is every chance of scoring a upset win.
Best Bet: Pliskova +4.5 ($2.00)
There is some margin between Kristyna and sister Karolina in the ranking and The Wolf says not to confuse the. They are easy to distinguish as Kristyna is a lefty. One thing they do have in common though is a booming serve. Kristyna set a WTA record at the 2016 Australian Open with 31 aces in a single match. she is not the best move on tour but if allowed to dominate, Radwanska will be doing a lot of running. It is something she has built her game around but The Wolf says there are flaws in her game – starting with her second serve. Pliskova will attack at every opportunity and is every chance of scoring a upset win.
Best Bet: Pliskova +4.5 ($2.00)
Garbine Muguruza v Jessika Ponchet (7:05pm)
We saw Muguruza go down with severe cramps in the lead in to this tournament. She retired hurt in that match against Krunic and then failed to take the court against Gavrilova in Sydney. One positive for her is that her opponent is making her debut on the main tour. The margin between the lesser events and the slams is considerable and then there is even more distance between the women ranked inside the top few hundred and the top 5. If Muguruza is fit she will roll Ponchet.
Best Bet: Muguruza -6.5 ($1.73)
We saw Muguruza go down with severe cramps in the lead in to this tournament. She retired hurt in that match against Krunic and then failed to take the court against Gavrilova in Sydney. One positive for her is that her opponent is making her debut on the main tour. The margin between the lesser events and the slams is considerable and then there is even more distance between the women ranked inside the top few hundred and the top 5. If Muguruza is fit she will roll Ponchet.
Best Bet: Muguruza -6.5 ($1.73)
Ashleigh Barty v Aryna Sabalenka (9:00pm)
Just how far can the Australian contingent go in 2018… Ash Barty will be the last Australian in either draw to take the court but she is a genuine chance of having the deepest run of them all. She played great tennis in Sydney – losing to Kerber in the final and should go right on with it here. Fast hard courts really suit here game and we saw her make the 3rd round at the both the Australian and US Open in 2017. Sabalenka’s loss to Halep in Shenzhen last year will provide a good gauge for this one. She had trouble dealing with Halep’s power and Barty has just as much, if not more. The Aussie flags will be flying high in a straight sets win.
Best Bet: Sets Barty 2-0 ($1.83)
Just how far can the Australian contingent go in 2018… Ash Barty will be the last Australian in either draw to take the court but she is a genuine chance of having the deepest run of them all. She played great tennis in Sydney – losing to Kerber in the final and should go right on with it here. Fast hard courts really suit here game and we saw her make the 3rd round at the both the Australian and US Open in 2017. Sabalenka’s loss to Halep in Shenzhen last year will provide a good gauge for this one. She had trouble dealing with Halep’s power and Barty has just as much, if not more. The Aussie flags will be flying high in a straight sets win.
Best Bet: Sets Barty 2-0 ($1.83)
Day 2 – All Women’s Tips
| Match | Tips |
| Konta v Brengle | Over 18.5 games ($1.83) |
| Kerber v Friedsman | Sets Kerber 2-1 ($4.40) |
| Bouchard v Dodin | Dodin +4.5 ($1.83) |
| Halep v Aiava | Under 17.5 games ($1.80) |
| Pliskova v Radwanska | Pliskova +4.5 ($2.00) |
| Muguruza v Ponchet | Muguruza -6.5 ($1.73) |
| Barty v Sabalenka | Sets Barty 2-0 ($1.83) |
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