Federer marches on to Aussie Open semi sending Murray crashing

Despite Andy Murray clawing a way back into his Australian Open quarter-final by taking a third-set tie break against Roger Federer, the Swiss genius still sent the Scot packing in four sets on Rod Laver Arena.

Reacting to Murray’s latest Aussie Open heartbreak, bookies Ladbrokes have called it an 8/11 shot that the Wimbledon champion never wins the first Grand Slam of the calendar year during his career.

Murray, who also won the 2012 US Open, has previously failed in the final Down Under on three occasions, but after being handed a master class from a rejuvenated Federer, he’ll get no such
chance again in 2014 – though even money says he will eventually nail down the title.

Meanwhile, Federer’s odds of winning Grand Slam title number 18 have been cut to 5/2, but he’ll have to make it past semi-final favourite Rafael Nadal (1/2) first.

At 32, and without a major triumph since 2012, many had written of Federer as a serious challenger to the new order of the men’s game, but since taking on Stephan Edberg on as a coach, Fed has looked reborn in Melbourne.

Ladbrokes offer 7/4 that the former world number one does indeed win at least one of tennis’ four major titles in 2014, while 10/1 can be taken on a pair.

Nevertheless, Nadal remains the 10/11 favourite to lift the title, with outsiders from the bottom half of the draw, Stanislas Wawrinka and Tomas Berdych, deemed 5/1 and 9/1 shots respectively.

Novak Djokovic’s conqueror, Wawrinka, is tagged as the lukewarm 4/5 fave to defeat his 6/5-rated Czech opponent.

In a year of shocks in both the men’s and women’s sides of the draw Down Under so far, we have thrown our weight behind Berdych’s chances of claiming a first ever Grandslam in Melbourne.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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