Australian Open Betting 
/ Ben Caudell / 24 January 2012 / Leave a Comment 
Hair today, out of the Australian Open by tomorrow.
"As always, Sharapova has a pretty high rate of double faults so far at this event (16) and is stark contrast, Makarova has won far more second serve points than her opponent and moreover, holds superior stats on her second serve return winning (79)."
Two huge upsets could be on the cards according to the stats, says Ben Caudell. Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova backers beware...
Five Reasons to Back Ferrer +7.5 Games @ [2.24] and @ 8.80 to win match against Novak Djokovic (Small Bet)
David Ferrer is no mug, and the [8.80] inflated odds on the Spaniard pre-match looks to represent great value for the purpose of trading out at a shorter price. Even though Djokovic is close to near perfection as a tennis player, he is human after all, and therefore, as he did against Lleyton Hewitt, the Serbian can at times have the odd lapse in concentration. Not to mention a little nervous tension that can often go against him. Ferrer on other hand remains the same throughout; he is a dogged performer who grinds out result after result, a true gritty player and someone who will never give up. Therefore he is always worth backing irrespective of who he is playing and whenever he is priced as a massive underdog.
•Excluding any exhibition event, Ferrer has a decent record against Djokovic, having defeated the world number one on five occasions. Djokovic leads the head-to-head series 6-5; however Ferrer was triumphant in their most recent competitive match - 6-3 6-2 - at the World Tour Finals in London, November 2011.
•Ferrer, who is now an established top ten ranked player at number five in the world, already has a tournament title to his name in 2012, the Auckland Open hard-court event. With his confidence at an all-time high, having also compiled wins over four top ten ranked players within the last three months - Rafael Nadal, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray - David Ferrer will come into this match-up with real optimism and self belief knowing that this could be his best ever Grand Slam result.
•The Spanish number two has a great record at the Australian Open; He reached the semi-final stage in 2011 and has won 90% of his last ten matches, and 72% since January 2000. Ferrer also comes into this match-up having won eight matches in a row, four in a row in Australia, eight in a row on hard-courts, and six in a row in five set matches.
•Although Djokovic has lost only seven matches from his last fifty, it is important to note that six of these have come in the last five months with the majority during November and December 2011. During these months Djokovic has lost to Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Potro, Kei Nishikori, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Janko Tipsarevic and David Ferrer.
•Interestingly, today's quarter-final match with Djokovic will be only the second time Ferrer has been priced at +6.0 and above in a Grand Slam event. The Spanish grinder's SP when he defeated fellow countryman Rafael Nadal at the quarter final stage 6-4 6-2 6-3 of the 2011 Australian Open was [7.50]. His opening odds against Robin Soderling at Wimbledon 2010 was 6.52. However, even though Ferrer managed to lose in an epic five set battle, his price would have dropped from that starting price quite considerably.
Four Reasons to Back Ekaterina Makarova @ [4.30] to defeat Maria Sharapova
•Fellow Russians Makarova and Sharapova face each other for the third time in their contrasting careers with Maria leading the head-to-head series 2-0; Makarova did however manage to take a set off Sharapova in May of last year on the clay courts of Madrid and will be buoyed by her sensational form at this year's Australian Open.
•Who'd have thought Ekaterina Makarova would be facing Maria Sharapova for a place in the semi-finals when the draw for the 2012 Aus Open was made over a week ago? Having dropped just the one set to Tamarine Tanasugarn in the first round, the 23 year-old has gone on to defeat three seeded players in a row and all three in straight sets......She dispatched of one of the pre-tournament favourites, Kaia Kanepi 6-2 7-5, seventh seed Vera Zvonareva 7-6 6-1, and the biggest upset of her career, Serena Williams 6-2 6-3. These four wins has meant that Makarova's earnings ROI (return on investment) is at an incredible 180% from her last ten matches. In total disparity, Sharapova has a ROI of -16.3% from her last ten.
•As always, Sharapova has a pretty high rate of double faults so far at this event (16) and is stark contrast, Makarova has won far more second serve points than her opponent and moreover, holds superior stats on her second serve return winning (79). Only Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka are ahead in the leaders' table for this stat. If the weather forecasts wind, make sure you double your stake on Makarova because Sharapova struggles with her high ball toss and massive back swing on her ground strokes. She hates blustery weather..
•Make sure you back Makarova pre-match as a good start may see her price drop heavily, especially if conditions are tough.
If you haven't bet on the Open - or any event in Australia and New Zealand - before, there are a few things you need to know. For example, you have to move funds into your 'Australian Wallet' before placing a bet. We've put together a handy guide to how it all works, including short video clips.
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