Tennis

World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty takes on No. 14 Sophia Kenin in the semifinals of the 2020 Australian Open. History is on the line as well, as Barty is seeking to become the first female from Australia to win the Australian Open since Christine O’Neal (1978). This is the deepest she has ever advanced in this event and thus far she’s been able to fend off her challengers. She’s been pushed to three sets three times already, including in the first round against unranked Lesia Tsurenko.

Even so, oddsmakers list her as the favorite to advance to the finals, as she’s going off at -250 (risk $250 to win $100) in the latest Barty vs. Kenin odds. Kenin, a 23-year-old American who has never been beyond the second round in the Australian Open bracket until this year, is listed as a +205 underdog (risk $100 to win $205) in the latest 2020 Australian Open odds. Before making any Kenin vs. Barty picks, be sure to see the latest 2020 Australian Open predictions from elite tennis handicapper Gavin Mair. 

The famed international women’s tennis guru is coming off his third straight profitable season, and anyone who has followed his tennis picks during that time is up over $22,000. This is the same expert who called Andreescu winning the 2019 U.S. Open at 20-1, one year after calling Osaka to win that event at 32-1. In last year’s French Open, Mair recommended Marketa Vondrousova at 60-1 and she made a stunning run to the final. Anybody who has followed him as seen huge returns. 

Now, Mair has locked in on the 2020 Australian Open women’s semifinal matchup featuring Barty vs. Kenin and revealed his best bets. Head to SportsLine now to see them. 

Mair has considered that Barty is facing plenty of pressure in her home country, but has handled it relatively well thus far. “Barty has wrestled her nerves well and has at no stage in this tournament looked potentially susceptible to an upset,” Mair told SportsLine. “Prior to the start of the event, Barty was viewed as joint second favorite alongside Naomi Osaka, but she has been the outright favorite since Osaka and Serena Williams were eliminated during week one.”

Barty also has a strong track record against Kenin, posting a 4-1 head-to-head record. Three of those four wins were in straight sets as well, including a 6-3, 7-5 triumph at the 2019 Wuhan Tennis Open.

But the top seed isn’t necessarily the best value in the Barty vs. Kenin odds. Mair has also considered that Kenin, who has been one of the most impressive players in the tournament this week, could be in position to exploit one of Barty’s flaws. 

“This week, Barty has done a strong job at keeping her average first serve level at over 60 percent throughout her important matches, but her win percentage on second serve has been quite low,” Mair told SportsLine. “Kenin has won the third-highest number of second serve points of any player in the Australian Open.”

Mair is highly confident he knows the winner in this matchup and he’s recommending another bet that has a plus-money pay out. Be sure to see Mair’s picks and analysis over at SportsLine before locking in your Australian Open picks 2020 for the women’s semifinals.

Who wins Barty vs. Kenin in the Australian Open 2020 women’s semifinal? And what other pick could lead to a big return? Visit SportsLine now to see Gavin Mair’s best bets for Barty vs. Kenin, all from the acclaimed expert who has returned over $22,000 the past three years. 

There are four women remaining in the 2020 Australian Open bracket and on Wednesday night at 11:30 p.m. ET, No. 4-seeded Simona Halep will take on unseeded Garbine Muguruza in Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne for a shot to play for a Grand Slam title. Both players are past Grand Slam champions, with Halep winning the 2018 French Open and Wimbledon in 2019, while Muguruza won the 2016 French Open and Wimbledon in 2017.

Both players were ranked No. 1 in the world within a month span of each other in 2017 and they’ve gone head-to-head five times with Muguruza holding a 3-2 all-time edge. The latest Halep vs. Muguruza odds list Halep as the -152 favorite (risk $152 to win $100) to win the match outright. Muguruza is going off at +130 (risk $100 to win $130). There are a variety of other Halep vs. Muguruza picks on the board as well such as total match games, with the over-under set at 21.5. Before making any Muguruza vs. Halep picks, be sure to see the 2020 Australian Open predictions from elite tennis handicapper Gavin Mair. 

The famed international women’s tennis guru is coming off his third straight profitable season, and anyone who has followed his tennis picks during that time is up over $22,000. This is the same expert who called Bianca Andreescu winning the 2019 U.S. Open at 20-1, one year after calling Naomi Osaka to win that event at 32-1. In last year’s French Open, Mair recommended Marketa Vondrousova at 60-1 and she made a stunning run to the final. Anybody who has followed him as seen huge returns. 

Now, Mair has locked in on the 2020 Australian Open women’s semifinal matchup featuring Halep vs. Muguruza and revealed his best bets. Head to SportsLine now to see them. 

Mair knows that Halep is in better recent form as the current world No. 3 overall and the defending Wimbledon champion. She’s also looked like the most dominant player thus far at the 2020 Australian Open since starting slowly in the first set against Jennifer Brady. Halep came back to win that set and hasn’t dropped one yet on her way to the semifinals.

With the courts in Melbourne playing on the slower side, Halep’s balanced baseline playing style has lent itself well to a deep run at Rod Laver Arena. She’s moved seamlessly between defense and attack as needed and provoked player’s into errors that have cost them points.

However, Mair also knows that Muguruza deserves to be back on the game’s biggest stages. The Spanish and Venezuelan star went back to coach Conchita Martinez late last year, who coached her to the Wimbledon title in 2017, and she’s been playing much better tennis since the switch.

Muguruza is back up to No. 32 in the world and has now made her deepest run ever at the Australian Open. She’s a powerful player who has surprisingly fluid movement. Mair expects Muguruza to be a live contender for several big titles this year and the former No. 1 overall player could take a big step towards the top with a third Grand Slam title.

Mair is highly confident he knows the winner in this matchup. He’s also recommending another bet that has a plus-money pay out. Be sure to see Mair’s picks and analysis over at SportsLine before locking in your Australian Open picks 2020 for the women’s semifinals.

Who wins Halep vs. Muguruza in the Australian Open 2020 women’s semifinal? And what other pick could lead to a big return? Visit SportsLine now to see Gavin Mair’s best bets for Muguruza vs. Halep, all from the acclaimed expert who has returned over $22,000 the past three years. 

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are two of the top players in the history of tennis. Early Thursday morning, the two legends will go head-to-head yet again in the 2020 Australian Open semifinals. The match begins at 3:30 a.m. ET at Rod Laver Arena, and Djokovic was seeded No. 2 in the 2020 Australian Open bracket, while Federer came in as the No. 3 seed. The two powerhouses have combined to win 13 of the last 16 Australian Opens and are now going head-to-head for the 50th time in their careers.

Djokovic holds a 26-23 edge over Federer all-time, but the 38-year-old snapped a four-match Djokovic winning streak with a straight-set win at the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals. With Federer nursing a groin injury, Djokovic is installed as the -850 favorite (risk $850 to win $100), with Federer listed as a +600 underdog in the latest Djokovic vs. Federer odds. Selecting who wins outright is just one way to make Djokovic vs. Federer picks, so before making any 2020 Australian Open predictions, be sure to see the latest tennis predictions from SportsLine’s Sean Calvert. 

Calvert is the famed handicapper who called Stan Wawrinka winning the Australian Open at 60-1 in 2014, the last title won by someone other than Djokovic and Federer. Last year, Calvert took down a huge score on Thiem winning Indian Wells at 80-1, among many stunning calls. This is the same guru who’s racked up seven straight profitable seasons betting tennis. Anyone following his tennis picks is up nearly $20,000.

Now Calvert has locked in on the 2020 Australian Open men’s semifinal matchup featuring Federer vs. Djokovic and revealed his best bets. Head here to see them. 

Calvert has taken into account that Djokovic has rolled through the 2020 Australian Open field. Not only has he won in straight sets the last four matches, he’s only been pushed to the tiebreaker once during than span. He claimed that tiebreaker easily, 7-1, to finish off No. 32 Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals.

Already six years younger than Federer, Djokovic (32) appears to be in top physical form and has had a much easier path to this point. That gives him an edge in this matchup, leading to the substantial price oddsmakers have assigned him to win outright. Calvert also points out that the surface could play into Djokovic’s favor.

“Federer, even when fit, hasn’t beaten Djokovic on an outdoor hard court since 2015 in Cincinnati, and not over the best of five sets on this surface since way back in 2009 at the U.S. Open,” he told SportsLine. 

But the No. 2 seed isn’t necessarily the best value on the Federer vs. Djokovic money line. 

Calvert also knows that Federer’s groin injury has been a major factor in the 20-time Grand Slam champion being pushed to five sets in two of his last three matches. However, Federer has shown incredible fight to battle back from 4-8 down in a fifth-set tiebreaker against John Millman and then survive seven match points to earn the win in the quarterfinals over Tennys Sandgren. 

Federer has 103 career titles to his name and after winning just one Grand Slam (2012 Wimbledon) from 2011 to 2016, he managed to grab three more and has consistently put himself in contention. It’ll be a stretch to count Federer out despite all the circumstances working against his favor as he looks to tie Djokovic’s seven career Australian Open titles.

Calvert has studied this matchup from every angle and has found value on one side of the money line. He’s also found a prop bet he loves that pays out over 2-1. Be sure to see Calvert picks and analysis before locking in your Australian Open picks 2020 for the men’s semifinals. 

Who wins Djokovic vs. Federer in the Australian Open 2020 men’s semifinal? And what other pick could lead to a big return? Visit SportsLine now to see Sean Calvert’s best bets for Federer vs. Djokovic, all from the acclaimed expert who has returned over $22,000 the past three years. 

It’s a common occurrence to see athletes attempting to stay hydrated during a game or match. However, Canadian tennis player Vasek Pospisil had a strange beverage of choice over the weekend. During the Open Sud de France tournament on Sunday, Pospisil was facing No. 9 seed Gael Monfils and was caught by cameras sipping on maple syrup.

Pospisil casually was sipping on the maple syrup like it wasn’t a big deal. Pospisil hails from the British Columbia province of Canada, and it is a very popular item throughout the country.

“I mean if this doesn’t scream Canadian pride I don’t know what does,” he said, according to Metro.co.uk.

While it definitely is a strange beverage choice, maple syrup has antioxidants that give people a healthier immune system. In addition, it can prevent muscle cramping while someone is partaking in physical activities and contains potassium and sodium.

The Canadian tennis player ended up advancing all the way to the ATP Tour final for the first time since the 2014 season. Pospisil defeated No. 2 seed David Goffin in the process of advancing to face Monfils.

While Monfils and Pospisil were switching sides during the match, the cameras got a closer look of Pospisil sitting there and casually drinking the maple syrup. Monfils ultimately won the match 7-5, 6-3 following the maple syrup incident.

The 2020 Australian Open semifinals will feature a pair of talented youngsters making their first-ever appearance in the Final Four when No. 5 Dominic Thiem takes on No. 7 Alexander Zverev. Thiem, a 26-year-old Austrian, has made four Grand Slam semifinals, but they’ve all come at the French Open. Meanwhile, this is the first Grand Slam semifinal appearance for Zverev, a 22-year-old German who reached the quarterfinals the last two years at Roland Garros.

The two youngsters have combined for 27 career ATP titles in singles competition and are eager for a chance to win their first Grand Slam titles. Thiem is listed as a -220 favorite (risk $200 to win $100) over Zverev (+184) in the latest Thiem vs. Zverev odds. Selecting who wins outright is just one way to make Zverev vs. Thiem picks, so before making any 2020 Australian Open predictions, be sure to see the latest tennis predictions from SportsLine’s Sean Calvert. 

Calvert is the famed handicapper who called Stan Wawrinka winning the Australian Open at 60-1 in 2014, the last title won by someone other than Djokovic and Federer. Last year, Calvert took down a huge score on Thiem winning Indian Wells at 80-1, among many stunning calls. This is the same guru who’s racked up seven straight profitable seasons betting tennis. Anyone following his tennis picks is up nearly $20,000.

Now, Calvert has locked in on the 2020 Australian Open men’s semifinal matchup featuring Thiem vs. Zverev and revealed his best bets. Head here to see them. 

Calvert knows Thiem bested Zverev in straight sets in November at the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals by winning 72 percent of his service points and 36 percent of return points. In fact, Thiem now holds a 6-2 record all-time against Zverev head-to-head. The win at the Nitto ATP Finals was his second in a row over Zverev in straight sets after he beat him 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 in the 2018 French Open quarterfinals. 

So far in the 2020 Australian Open, Thiem is holding serve an impressive 91.8 percent of the time. He upset Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals by taking advantage of his ground game to score 50 forehand and backhand winners to Nadal’s 38. Thiem’s game is set up well for the slower playing conditions at Rod Laver Arena. 

But that doesn’t mean Thiem is the best value on the Thiem vs. Zverev money line.

Calvert also knows Zverev has been playing some of his best tennis so far at the Australian Open 2020. He’s holding serve 90 percent of the time, winning first-serve points 79.3 percent of the time, getting his first serve in 79 percent of the time and only committing 0.81 unforced errors per game.

This semifinal run is the deepest Zverev has ever gone into a Grand Slam, but he does have 10 career ATP titles. And even though he trails the all-time series against Thiem, he won 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 the only time that the two have played against each other in their careers on an outdoor hard surface, in Beijing in 2016.

Calvert has studied this matchup from every angle and has found value on one side of the money line. He’s also found a prop bet he loves that pays out over 3-1. Be sure to see Calvert picks and analysis before locking in your Australian Open picks 2020 for the men’s semifinals. 

Who wins Thiem vs. Zverev in the Australian Open 2020 men’s semifinal? And what other pick could lead to a big return? Visit SportsLine now to see Sean Calvert’s best bets for Zverev vs. Thiem, all from the acclaimed expert who has returned over $22,000 the past three years.