Aussie Open upset on the cards as Simon plans unthinkable
Published:Round two of the Australian Open provides some intriguing ties, and while Roger Federer faces a tricky tie in Gilles Simon, the tie of the round is Janko Tipsarevic vs Fernando Verdasco.
Tipsarevic stuggled with form and injury last year, slipping down to 49 in the world rankings and for that reason the Serb is 5/4 to beat Verdasco.
The number nine seed Verdasco is 4/7 in the Australian Open betting to beat Tipsarevic, and while Verdasco beat Tipsarevic on the last occasion they met in 2009, the Serbian holds a 2-1 advantage in head-to-heads and beat Verdasco in the 2008 Australian Open.
On that occasion Tipsarevic won 3-0 and a repeat of that scoreline is priced at 6/1.
Both players breezed through their first round matches and the winner in ties between the two has always won in straight sets.
Based on seeding, Verdasco should come up trumps at 5/2 to win 3-0, but this may be one of the occasions where the punter should take on the favourite.
Despite Roger Federer looking back to his ominous best, he has never beaten Simon in two attempts including as recently as November 2010, and the Frenchman is a massive price at 8/1 to win.
The two players have never met in a Grand Slam tournament and Federer should have the class to pull through over the longer format of the game, but Simon can take a set off the world number two and the value is in betting on Roger Federer at 3/1 to win 3-1.
Another match that offers plenty of value is Mardy Fish vs Tommy Robredo and the Spaniard has emerged victorious in the two previous meetings against Fish.
At 10/11 to beat Fish, Robredo offers plenty of value and at 7/2 to beat Fish 3-1, Robredo is worth a punt.
A £25 stake on Tipsarevic and Robredo winning would return £107.25. New customers can sign up here for a free £25 bet.
