The Australian Open is the first major tennis event of the calendar year and is always a tremendous spectacle. It is one of my favourite sporting events of the year and is also a very big betting event for many people, including myself.

Where and When?

The Australian Open is held in Melbourne at the City’s Tennis Complex and the Rod Laver Arena, which stages the final of the event can hold up to 15,000 spectators.

It is held during the final two weeks of January and is one of the only major sporting events to take place at this time of year.

Why is the Australian Open so Popular?

Aside from the Australian Open being the first Grand Slam of the year, it is also popular because of its position in the sporting calendar. Tennis players take a break between mid-November and the beginning of January and tennis enthusiasts like myself are often left bereft of action during this two month period. The Australian Open signals the beginning of a new season and whets the appetite for ten months of tour level action.

I also see it as an opportunity to see which players have kept themselves in shape during the festive period and it can also provide a chance for aficionados to analyse which players will breakthrough during the course of the season.

A large portion of the season’s match-ups are played on the hard courts and there are always plenty form-lines to analyse for bettors. That is also part of the reason for its popularity with punters.

What Betting Opportunities are Available?

The short answer is: Plenty!

It’s the first Grand Slam of the season and one of the most popular betting events on the tennis calendar. I always enjoy a pre-tournament ante-post bet on the Australian Open but there are also daily opportunities to wager on players to win their matches or cover the handicap. Daily accumulators are also very popular with 20-30 matches taking place per day during the early rounds of the competition.

Popular Betting Markets

Ante-Post – Tournament outright betting is very popular ahead of the Australian Open. This market is available with every single one of the top UK bookmakers and they will often be priced up months in advance. Players such as Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are always placed towards the top of the betting and the pair are once again the favourites for the 2019 staging of the Grand Slam.

I often look further down the market and tend to pick out players who have previously competed well at the tournament or those who have been making decent progress over the last 12 months. Unlike the US Open, this tournament doesn’t tend to throw up too many surprises and sticking with the first ten players in the betting is often the best way to approach this market.

Daily Accumulators: I always enjoy placing a daily accumulator on the Australian Open. It’s possible to keep across all of the game although during the first couple of days, many of them are going off at the same time!

The Australian Open always throws up a couple of shocks but generally it goes to form in the first couple of rounds and it’s a good chance to win big for smaller stakes. I also often look towards players who are traditionally slow-starters to the year to be knocked out during the early stages of the competition. There were a number of shocks in 2018 with seeds exiting left, right and centre and this is often down to the fitness edge.

I always look for players who have won or competed in tournaments prior to the Australian. Although it is the first Grand Slam of the year, there are a number of events held in the likes of Hobart and Brisbane which allow players to enjoy some competitive action down under. Not only will this help them to increase their levels of fitness but it will also help them acclimatise to the climate which can often be stifling.

Do not include any players in your accumulators who are yet to play a competitive match!

Correct Score Betting

Tennis tournaments can often throw up a number of short-priced selections and betting on the correct score markets is one of my favourite ways of finding value. I always look for short-priced favourites such as Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, Serena Williams and Wozniacki and aim to back them to win in straight sets.

On the men’s side of the draw, betting on a 3-0 correct score is often a good way of increasing your returns whilst in the women’s game, a 2-0 correct score is less precarious and offers less value but is still a good way of betting during the opening couple of rounds.

In terms of correct score betting for each set, I often like to back reliable operators like Federer to win 6-3 or 6-4 as the Swiss maestro will often only need one break of serve to clinch the set. These are often decent prices and fairly frequently, prices such as 7/2 or 9/2 are available on these score-lines. A little research will help you dig out the players who regularly win sets by the smallest of margins.

Tie-Breaks

Big serving players are common these days and I always find joy in backing the likes of Sam Querrey, Kevin Anderson and John Isner to have sets involving tie-breaks. They are rarely troubled on their own serve but don’t necessarily have the energy to get around the court in order to break the opposition’s serve.

At the Australian Open, this is particular prevalent as the energy-sapping conditions of Melbourne lead to less explosive games and fewer players wanting to expend energy during the early stages. One of my favourite bets is backing the first set to go to a tie-break in games involved these players and you can find this market with all of the best UK bookmakers.

Bobby’s Betting Tips

Whether you’re backing the player to win their match as a single bet or you are considering placing them into a lucky 15 or 31, there are always things to look for ahead of the Australian Open.

• Record in the Southern Hemisphere/Australia – This is important as the climate down under can often be sweltering and players have been known to feel dizzy or faint during matches at this tournament. Always check how they have previously fared at this tournament/Australian events
• Tournament Build-Up – Many tennis players will not be back in action until the Australian Open. These players will have practiced but they can often lack match experience. If a player has been working hard at the warm-up tournaments, they are more likely to prevail
• Slow/Fast Starters – Always consider how a player starts the season. Some competitors regularly take a couple of months to find their stride whilst other start quickly but often tire themselves out by mid-June.
• Injuries – This isn’t an easy tournament and any player who is carrying an injury should be avoided. Some players will simply come to collect their prize money and hope for an easy first round draw but the conditions do not tend to allow half-fit players to progress

How to watch the Australian Open on TV in the UK

Most online UK bookmakers will stream every single game from the tournament and this is a great way of following your favourite players. These streams are completely free.

The matches generally don’t take place at sociable hours for UK viewers but highlights can be seen on the BBC each evening and Eurosport 1 and 2 will offer full coverage throughout the morning.

Betting on the Australia Open

If you’re thinking of having a wager on the Australian Open ahead of January, make sure you take advantage of the many betting bonuses currently available including Acca Insurance, which is handy for daily parlays on the tournament!