This year’s Australian Open has thrown up a handful of shocks, but some of the biggest names still remain in the men and women’s draws as the Grand Slam reaches the quarter-final stage.
Simona Halep and Aryna Sabalenka were the latest top players to be sent packing, but the last eight line-up in both draws still contains plenty of quality and a number of potential champions.
Medvedev Needs to Stay Cool
Men’s second seed Daniil Medvedev booked his place in the last eight with victory over Maxime Cressy, but the Russian did not have an easy time of it against the American, whose serve-and-volley approach at least saw him snatch a set.
Medvedev won 6-2 7-6 6-7 7-5 in the end and remains 10/11 favourite to lift the trophy in Melbourne, but he reached boiling point against Cressy, labelling his opponent’s style as “boring” and he will be cautious of ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in his next match.
Auger-Aliassime knocked out Dan Evans and Marin Cilic earlier in the tournament and is 19/4 to beat Medvedev, who is 1/7 to win their quarter-final encounter.
Shapovalov to Test Nadal
Elsewhere in the men’s draw, Rafael Nadal has recovered well from the foot injury which kept him out for much of 2021 and booked his spot in the quarter-finals with a straight-sets win over Adrian Mannarino.
Nadal came out on top in the Melbourne Summer Set earlier this month and has dropped only one set in the first Grand Slam of the year.
He is 4/11 to beat quarter-final opponent Denis Shapovalov, who is one of two Canadians through to the last eight and is 9/4 to make the semi-finals.
Wimbledon 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini, meanwhile, is 20/33 to defeat veteran Frenchman Gael Monfils, who is 29/20 to win and who is yet to drop a set in the Australian Open.
The final quarter-final tie sees Stefanos Tsitsipas take on Jannik Sinner, after the former survived a five-set thriller against American Taylor Fritz.
Barty Aiming for Home Success
As for the women’s draw, home talent Ashleigh Barty remains on course to win her first ever Australian Open after making light work of Naomi Osaka’s conqueror Amanda Anisimova 6-4 6-3 in the last-16.
Barty is 20/33 favourite for the title and well-fancied to make the last four, having been priced at 2/13 to beat American Jessica Pegula, who knocked out Maria Sakkari in the previous round and who is 19/4 to progress again.
Fourth seed Barbora Krejcikova is also making steady progress following her run to the final of the Sydney International earlier in January.
The Czech star has claimed the scalps of Victoria Azarenka and Jelena Ostapenko already in this tournament and is 5/6 in her next match with Madison Keys, who can count Sofia Kenin and Paula Badosa among her victims in Melbourne.
Collins and Cornet Collide
And there will also be a surprise name in the draw for the women’s semi-finals as 27th seed Danielle Collins and the unseeded Alize Cornet clash in the last eight.
Collins, who is 4/13 to come out on top in the match, fought back from a set down to beat Elise Mertens in the previous round, while Cornet stunned Simona Halep 6-4 3-6 6-4 after having also dumped out experienced Garbine Muguruza and 29th seed Tamara Zidansek.
The final quarter-final match sees Iga Swiatek take on the conqueror of Sabalenka, Kaia Kanepi.
*All odds correct at time of writing
