2012 Men’s Australian Open Tennis Preview

2012 Men’s Australian Open Tennis Championship
Melbourne Park – Melbourne, Australia
Playing Surface: Plexicushion
Sunday, January 15, 2012-Saturday, January 28, 2012
Defending Champion: Novak Djokovic
All odds courtesy of Bookmaker

Novak Djokovic is the favorite to win his second straight Australian Open.

On the women’s side of the Australian Open any of 15-20 women have a legitimate shot of winning the tournament. That really isn’t the case on the men’s side as four players are dominant and on another level than the rest of the field. Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal have all separated themselves with their incredible play. Now, we will take a look at those four and some potential dark horses if any of the Big four falter. All odds are courtesy of bookmaker.

Novak Djokovic (+125)

Djokovic had one of the best years in history last year. He won 3 Grand Slams and was 71-6 on the season.The 24 year old Serb won 10 titles last season. Four of Djokovic’s losses came late in the season after the U.S. Open when he battled several nagging injuries. He hasn’t played yet in 2012, but he has won twice at the Australian Open including last year. When healthy, he has supplanted Nadal and Federer as the best player in the world. He has a potential matchup with Andy Roddick in the fourth round, but that shouldn’t be too difficult. He could face a challenge in the quarterfinals with either Janko Tipsarevic, Richard Gasquet, Juan Ignacio Chela, or David Ferrer. Djokovic and Murray are on the same side of the bracket and could meet in the semifinals after meeting in the final last year. If he is healthy, Djokovic should win the tournament. All reports say that he is. He took some time off late in the year last year to recuperate and rest up after a grueling year.

Roger Federer (7/2)

The 30 year old Federer from Switzerland is nearing the end of a brilliant career. He won 4 titles last year. Federer made it to the semifinals in Qatar, but withdrew prior to his match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga with a back injury. He says it was mainly just a precautionary measure, and he is fine for the Australian Open. Federer has won here 4 times and made it at least to the semifinals every year since 2004. If healthy, he will certainly contend. He shouldn’t be challenged until the quarters when he could face either Mardy Fish or Juan Martin Del Potro. A potential showdown with arch-rival Nadal awaits in the semifinals. I like Federer to make it to the finals.

Andy Murray (9/2)

Murray has the unfortunate distinction of being the fourth best player in an era with two players widely considered to be among the best in history and another who is rapidly approaching those lofty heights. The 24 year old Scotsman won 5 titles last year and won at Brisbane this year in his only tournament so far. He has finished second here the last two years. Murray will eventually break through the Nadal-Federer-Djokovic strangle hold on grand slam titles, and this could be the year he does. Murray might be the healthiest of the Big Four right now. Murray could be challenged in the fourth round by Viktor Troicki or Gael Monfils and in the quarters by Tsonga or Gilles Simon. He could play Djokovic in the semifinals. I am going to pick Murray to finally get the monkey off his back and win his first major title.

Rafael Nadal (5/1)

Nadal won 3 titles last year including the French Open. He was the runner up to Djokovic at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Nadal lost in the semifinals at Qatar in his first event of 2012. Like Djokovic and Federer he battled some health issues last year. He says he is healthy this year and the passion has returned for the 25 year old from Spain. Nadal won this event in 2009 Nadal could face John Isner or Feliciano Lopez in the fourth round and Tomas Berdych or Nicolas Almagro in the quarters. He should make it to the semifinals against Federer with relative ease. The hard/plexicushion courts are Nadal’s weakest surfaces.

Juan Martin Del Potro (13/2)

Del Potro won the 2009 U.S. Open, the only Grand Slam event won by someone other than Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic since the 2004 French Open. The 23 year old from Argentina battled health problems for much of 2010. He was still recovering last year and won 2 events. He made it to the quarters here in 2009, but has never advanced further than that. Last year he lost in the second round. Del Potro lost in the semifinals at Sydney in his first event this year.  He should beat Mardy Fish in the fourth round, but then must face Federer. Del Potro can challenge Federer in that quarterfinal showdown.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (15/2)

Tsonga was the runner-up here in 2008. The 26 year old Frenchman (who bears an uncanny resemblance to NBA star Blake Griffin) lost in the 3rd round last year. He won the event at Doha, Qatar earlier this season and won 2 events last year. If Tsonga survives Gilles Simon in the fourth round, a potential showdown with Murray awaits in the quarters.

Tomas Berdych (17/2)

Berdych is making his 2012 debut. He won one tournament in 2011. He made tot eh quarters here last year, the first time he had ever advanced past the fourth round. Berdych is in the same section of the draw as Nadal but might not even survive his fourth round match-up with  Nicolas Almagro.

David Ferrer (10/1)

Ferrer won the event in Auckland earlier this year. He won 2 events last year. Ferrer made it to the semifinals here last year. He is in the same section as Djokovic so it will be difficult for him to advance.

Here is a link to the full odds for all the players. Please note: Robin Soderling withdrew from the tournament.

It should be a great tournament and we will have match previews for the semifinals and championship matches for both the men’s and women’s sides.

Posted by Ken Langston on Jan 15 2012. Filed under Headlines, Tennis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.