Both the men and women’s draws at this year’s Australian Open have reached the semi-final phase and there are still some big names in contention.
Medvedev and Tsitsipas Could Play Out Another Thriller
Men’s second seed Daniil Medvedev was put under the microscope in his clash with Felix Auger-Aliassime, becoming the first player in Melbourne this year to fight back and win from two sets down with a 6-7 3-6 7-6 7-5 6-4 victory over the Canadian.
Medvedev remains title favourite at 10/11 in the men’s but, having now dropped sets in three of his last five matches, he should be wary of opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last four.
Tsitsipas not long ago had elbow surgery and there were doubts surrounding the Greek coming into this tournament after poor showings at the ATP Cup and ATP World Tour Finals.
But he has claimed some big scalps on his way to the semi-finals, defeating Taylor Fritz in a five-set quarter-final marathon before a victory against promising Italian Jannik Sinner. His match with Medvedev could be another which goes the distance.
Nadal Has Started 2022 on the Front Foot
In the other men’s semi-final, last year’s Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini is 8/5 to beat veteran Rafael Nadal, who is 20/39.
Nadal only has one Australian Open title to his name – coming in 2009 – and missed much of 2021 with a foot injury but he has come out fighting this year with wins over Karen Khachanov, Adrian Mannarino and Denis Shapovalov among others in the Grand Slam after winning the Melbourne Summer Set earlier in the month.
He will be hoping to count on his experience against Berrettini, who dispatched Spanish duo Carlos Alcaraz and Pablo Carreno Busta before edging Gael Monfils in the quarter-finals.
Barty Looks Unstoppable
Looking to become the first Australian to win the Melbourne Grand Slam since 1978, Ashleigh Barty is a woman on a mission and is yet to drop a set in the tournament.
She blitzed past Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals in only 63 minutes, winning 6-2 6-0, and she has lost only 17 games across her five matches.
American Madison Keys has been solid, progressing from outside the top 80 to 51st in the WTA rankings but she could have her work cut out against home talent Barty, who is 4/19 to win the semi-final, with her opponent 18/5.
And in the other women’s semi-final, young Pole Iga Swiatek is looking to advance to only her second ever Grand Slam final but is sure to face some resistance from Danielle Collins, who looks a nice price at 7/5 to progress.
Collins has won 31 of her 38 matches since July last year, winning titles in Palermo and San Jose as part of that run.
A rest period leading up to the first Grand Slam of the year seems to have done her some good with Collins seeing off Clara Tauson, Elise Mertens and Alize Cornet in the earlier rounds and she could come out on top against Swiatek, who is 5/8 favourite to win this match.
Barty is 1/2 outright favourite with Swiatek next in the betting at 7/2. Keys is 13/2 and Collins is 7/1.
*All odds correct at time of writing.
