2024 Australian Open Best Bets – Day 7
The 2023 tennis season feels like it ended just yesterday, but the 2024 Australian Open is here. There’s going to be tons of high-level action in Melbourne Park over the next few weeks, and that presents all sorts of opportunities for bettors. Throughout the course of the 2024 tennis season, VSiN will have you covered with daily best bet write-ups for some of the biggest events of the year. That starts with the 2024 Australian Open, and we’re tackling the action for January 19 and 20 here. Keep reading for all of my best bets and check back throughout the day. I’ll add some plays if I see some numbers I like later on.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts are betting!
2024 Record: 27-24 (+5.38 units)
Felix Auger Aliassime vs. Daniil Medvedev
Auger Aliassime blew a two-set lead against Medvedev at the 2022 Australian Open, and the Russian went on to lose to Rafael Nadal in the final that year. But that was a big-time performance from the Canadian, who went on to have a tremendous season. Auger Aliassime did struggle a bit to recapture that magic in 2023, but he looks a lot more comfortable to start the 2024 season. And he happens to be catching Medvedev at a great time, as the Russian is coming off of a five-set battle against Emil Ruusuvuori. That match lasted over four hours and kept Medvedev up until around 6:00 am local time. With that in mind, Medvedev is likely going to be extremely tired when he gets out there. That could end up being serious trouble for him, as he’s a player that relies on his legs to play world-class defense. Auger Aliassime also has a tremendous serve, so I like his chances of hanging around here. I’m laying the juice and taking him to win a set.
Bet: Auger Aliassime +2.5 Sets (-150 – 2 units)
Anna Kalinskaya vs. Sloane Stephens
It’s interesting to see that Stephens is in the third round of the Australian Open, as the American is coming off a year in which she went just 20-20. That was the first time that Stephens didn’t have a winning record in a year in which she played at least 25 matches. She’s just not the same player that she used to be, so Kalinskaya will be excited about this match-up. This run to the third round is Kalinskaya’s best performance at a major thus far, but I don’t think she’s done. Kalinskaya’s game is perfectly suited for the Australian Open, as her forehand is a dangerous weapon on these courts. Stephens has a good backhand and plays solid defense. But that might not be enough here. Kalinskaya will likely target the Stephens forehand often in this match. She beat Stephens at the 2019 US Open and played her close before retiring in Guadalajara in 2022. I just think Kalinskaya is just a much better player at this point. That makes this a great price.
Bet: Kalinskaya ML (-122)
Added Plays
Victoria Azarenka ML (+118 – 2 units) vs. Jelena Ostapenko
