Number one seed to become first high-profile casualty
Published:It’s not been a good tournament for punters willing to take on the favourite in the women’s Australian Open betting, but all that could change when Caroline Wozniacki takes on Dominika Cibulkova.
The number one seed holds a 5-2 head-to-head record over her opponent and is 1/5 to beat Cibulkova, but the Slovakian world number 32 upset Wozniacki just nine days ago and holds all the value in the women’s Australian Open betting at 10/3 to beat Wozniacki.
Cibulkova went on to reach the quarter-final in last week’s Medibank International after defeating Wozniacki comfortable in the second round, and the confidence gained from that run will stand the Slovak in good stead in tomorrow’s match.
At 13/2 to beat Wozniacki 2-0 or 2-1, Cibulkova can provide the first real upset of the tournament and send the world number one and third favourite in the Australian Open winners betting crashing out.
Elena Baltacha’s conqueror Justine Henin is also in action and while on paper her match-up with her old adversary Svetlana Kuznetsova may look difficult, Henin holds a 16-2 head-to-head record over the Russian.
It will be hard for Kuznetsova to find the confidence to beat Henin having suffered so many defeats before, and while 1/3 may not look like a great price for Henin to win, in tennis terms it offers plenty of value.
Of the 18 matches between the two, only six of them have gone the distance and Henin is 10/11 to win 2-0.
While many continue to question Sharapova’s dedication to her sport, her critics mean that the Russian usually provides plenty of value in the tennis betting and punters should get on Sharapova to repeat her 2010 straight sets victory over Julia Goerges at 11/10.
Venus Williams also offers plenty of value at 5/6 to beat Anne Keothavong’s conqueror Andrea Petkovic.
A £25 stake on Cibulkova and Williams winning would return £198.50. New customers can sign up here for a free £25 bet.
