by Renee Israel
Tennis fans are in for a treat this weekend when the reigning Australian Open
champion, the "invincible" Serbian Novak Djokovic meets the Frenchman Nicolas
Mahut at Melbourne Park tomorrow (Saturday, January 21).
The two will meet in the third round of the 2012 Australian Open, and
bookmakers are offering odds of 1/100 that Djokovic will beat his rival.
Djokovic is having an incredible year so far, and there is no doubt that he
will go far in the Australian Open. Out of the six sets he's played in this
year's Aussie Open, he's only dropped eight games.
His superb form follows on from 2011, a year in which Djokovic only lost six
matches, in a continuation of a spectacular career that has seen him win chalk
up a whopping 248 wins and only 65 losses.
But with so much going for him, Djokovic is still keeping his feet firmly on
the ground, as he is aware that competition takes on a whole new meaning from
the third round of a tennis grand slam tournament.
"First of all, I don't think anybody is invincible," said Djokovic. "It's a
matter of the confidence that you have, self-belief on the court, qualities as a
player, being out there physically, mentally fit, being able to perform your
best on a day-to-day basis."
Commenting on his rival, Mahut's play, Djokovic said of the Frenchman: "He
has a nice one-handed backhand. He's somebody that prefers, I think, faster
courts and surfaces. He plays very nice on grass and had that epic match with
John Isner. He has really nice precision and is one of the rare serve-and-volley
players nowadays."
Djokovic-Mahut Australian Open Odds
Online bookmakers, including the popular Irish land and online
bookie, Paddy Power are offering odds on the Djokovic-Mahut Australian Open
tennis match to take place on Saturday, January 21st.
Some of the markets being offered by Paddy Power sports
betting site on the Djokovic-Mahut Aussie Open match as follows:
Match Betting
Djokovic 1/100 Mahut 14/1
Set Betting
Djokovic 3-0 1/8
Djokovic 3-1 5/1
Djokovic 3-2 25/1
Mahut 3-0 75/1
Mahut 3-1 70/1
Mahut 3-2 90/1
To Win 1st Set
Djokovic 1/25 Mahut 15/2
Total Match Games
Under (26.5) 8/11 Over (26.5) evens
Total Sets
Under (3.5) 1/7 Over (3.5) 4/1
Set Handicap
Djokovic (-2.5) 1/8 Mahut (+2.5) 7/2
