Any chance you will be doing a write up of each quarter for the Aussie Open again this year? I've always enjoyed reading them and they very insightful. Best of luck to you over the next few weeks 
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Just posted on my blog. Appreciate anyone who wants to take the time to look. @tennispig on Twitter to find it - always careful about posting address of other websites even when it makes me no money or anything like that on SBR as they don't tend to like that.Comment -
Cool. I'll definitely check it out. Thanks.Comment -
Here's one of the quarter previews as an appetizer for you guys. Trying to grow the blog the best I can, so I appreciate the traffic if you see fit.
DJOKOVIC QUARTER
Djokovic has to be pleased with his set-up in this quarter. #8 seed Milos Raonic leads the charge at the bottom of the draw, but the rest of this quarter does not look to pose a major threat to Djokovic. If seeds hold, he would see #31 Fernando Verdasco in the 3rd round and #13 Roberto Bautista-Agut in the 4th. That's a pretty tame road to a quarterfinal. Raonic might have a little bit more on his plate to get to that point, but still looks the class of the bottom half of the quarter. There are some decent players here; 12th seeded Felicano Lopez, 17th seeded Gael Monfils and everyone's favorite Aussie, Lleyton Hewitt. Considering that Lopez has only made it to the 4th round once here, he's not likely to pose a big problem even if he does make it that far. Lopez lost his only prep match in Chennai to Aljaz Bedene. Monfils is as usual, a wild card. He has no match play prep so far, withdrawing from Auckland due to unspecified personal reasons. Not much information has circulated about him since, but it's hard to predict that someone who may not be focused on the task at-hand will be able to put it altogether quickly. It is Monfils though, which means a show is always possible.
As for the appetizers before the main course of the quarterfinal that looks likely to be Djokovic-Raonic, look to these matches for entertainment:
R1: Soeda v. Ymer
The young Swede worked through qualis to earn his first main draw at a Grans Slam, decimating former Top 25 player Benoit Paire along the way. Ymer is only 18, but has been receiving a lot of press as a guy to watch. He's in a weaker part of the draw with James Ward or Verdasco as a potential 2nd round oppponent. The 1st Slam win is the toughest, but this kid could make some noise if he gets past Soeda.
R1: Bautista-Agut v. Thiem
Thiem is already on everyone's radar after a solid 2014. RBA had his coming out party at the Australian Open last year with a 4th round run that included a famous five set win over Del Potro in the 2nd round. RBA has not looked great to start the season, losing to Bedene in Chennai and pulling out of Auckland mid-match due to illness. Big opportunity for Thiem to pull an upset here and possibly make a run.
R2: Benneteau v. Hewitt
If both get by their first round opponents, no gimmes at their ages, tennis fans could be witness to a real nice grinder of a math between two quality veterans. The Aussies will obviously back Hewitt who will be happy to get out of the 1st round after failing to complete that feat in two straight years.
QUARTER #1 PREDICTION -----> Djokovic
It's difficult as usual to see anyone unseating Novak Djokovic before the semifinals. That being said, it's not a given that he'll be there. I think there is one player on their best day that can win and that is Milos Raonic. Yes, Raonic does not have a complete package to compete pound for pound with Djokovic, but what he has is an A++ serve that can make him damn near unbeatable. Ask Kei Nishikori about it from Brisbane. That's the weapon. That's the way. If Raonic can channel one of those mightier than thou serving days and sustain it for a best of five, then he has a chance. It may be minimal, but he has a chance in that scenario.Comment -
BOLD BLACK = Risking 0.5 unit on dogs/To Win 0.5 unit on favorites
BOLD GOLD = Risking 1.0 units on dogs/To win 1.0 units on favorites
Day 1: AusOpen
WTA: Safarova-Shvedova o20 @ -120
WTA: Wang +180
WTA: Foretz +103
WTA: Sanders +1.5 Sets @ -120
ATP: Kokkinakis +155
ATP: Thompson +120
ATP: Russell +2.5 Sets @ +140
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It's begun !
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Well at least I won't snag the 0-fer. Russell wins a set. All else failed so far. Typical opening day for me in Grand Slams truth be told. Usually feel good to win a couple and survive to Day 2.Comment -
AusOpen: +0.36
2015 Profit Margin: +3.66
2015 Futures: -0.75
I will most definitely take that for Day 1. Very often the first day is a blood bath. Looked bleak for a while, but the late matches really rescued me for the day. Hitting the biggest bet was huge and the Kokkinakis win was icing on the cake. Remember boys, this is a marathon of two weeks to make your profits - so keep your head up, one losing day isn't a killer.Comment -
FYI came across this on Thiem's Facebook, says he is not fully fitComment -
i just took a look at that and some of his posts. he seems afraid of RBA. But RBA has recently
lost badly to Mannarino and even to Bedene, although not badly there. Thiem has barely played
in months except for losing to Struff. can get RBA as low as -172. Would have to hope recent
RBA performance was looking ahead to AO.. otherwise he's in bad shape too.Comment -
Bedene played well that week. The Mannarino loss he had some illness because RBA retired. Would not bet on either guy currently.Comment -
Day 2: AusOpen
ATP: Rola +2.5 Sets & Ward +2.5 Sets @ +150
WTA: Muguruza-Erakovic Over 19.5 @ -117
Adding more later, just getting these in for the 1st matches of the day.Comment -
Ymer seems to be the universal pick tonight. Hope you guys win who have him, but yikes it's a super majority pick of lots of tippers around the interwebs.Comment -
I didn't know a lot of people were on him, damn.. I took him this morning at +100, I see now he is -111.. I didn't get to you earlier EP, but I did want to take a second to wish you luck this year on the wagers.. I also heard you got married recently, I wish you the best on that as well. Thanks..Comment -
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Nice 2nd set Erakovic. Two games was all you had to win and you're getting bageled.
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Screwed by the emotional rollercoaster of the wta again.You dont/do like the way a bet is going..just wait five minutes..Comment -
Add...
ATP: Carreno Busta-Muller Over 39 @ -120
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Rola might as well have been sponsored by the WTA today. 3-0 lead in the 1st and serving for the set in the TB and he blows it and never recovers to sniff a set after the 1st. And of course Ward looks like he's going to take the 1st set against Verdasco. Slow start to the night. And to boot, I had Gonzalez ML today, but left it off at the last moment against Fognini. So uh, yeah one of those days so far.Comment -
Add...
WTA: Hogenkamp +7.5 @ +105
ATP: Lajovic +160
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Don't think Carreno Busta is going to get the one set I need for this over either. So a smashingly good Day 2 so far.
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Let's call the break. Carreno Busta has blown a truple break opp + another break opp in the current service game as it goes to 2-2 with Muller close to holding. CB gets broken next game 9 times out of 10, or at least mentally weak fukks do.Comment -
what do you think about querrey tonight as a dog eaglesphan?Comment -
Well he holds, still doubtful he'll get a set. Had his shot last game damn da damn damn.Comment -
Not a fan, but that is a difficult match to call. If both play reasonably close to their best - Pospisil is a better mover, but both have big serves and Querrey could stay in the match solely on-serve if he's got that A+ weapon working. I think Pospisil probably wins, but obviously no result in this one should shock as they are fairly even.Comment -
What about hewitt? Easy ml winner..add it to another play for bigger winningsComment -
I sense an 0-fer for me today. Magnet every Slam there is one of those days. This is it. Total shit.Comment -
And yet again Carreno Busta gets the mini-break early and then gives it up and then some right away. Wish I would have taken the +4 now. Flipped a coin and it comes up FML today in tennis.Comment -
Yes! Avoiding the shut out. Hogenkamp loses by 7 to cover the big spread still.Comment -
And Add...
WTA: Kudryavtseva +110
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L. Mayer and Kolschreiber as dogs tonight - do they win?Comment -
Well that was a terrible Day 2 for me. Hopefully that's my one blood bath day. Sheesh.Comment -
I already experienced mine Eagle on the first day - Good luckComment
