Australian Open action for 2008 gets underway on January 14th and continues through January 27th when the Men’s Final will be played. 500 of the world’s best players will be playing in the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia and that should provide great tennis betting action.
Australian Open action in January will have players competing for the largest prize pool in the tournament’s history, $20.6 million. The men’s and women’s singles winners will take home $1.37 million each. Prize money from the round of 16 onwards has increased by seven per cent since last year. In US dollars, Australian Open prize money has increased by more than 18 per cent. “The Australian Open is renowned for being one of the world’s most player-friendly tournaments and we’re looking to further build this reputation in 2008,”
Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said. “Building on our already extensive player services offering, this plan goes even further to ensure the players have the best possible experience during their time here in Melbourne and at the Australian Open, from the time they step off the plane until they step back on again.”
The tennis betting favorite on the men’s side of the Australian Open will be Roger Federer. He has dominated tennis in recent years and is always a prohibitive tennis betting favorite. The only other players with a realistic chance to upset Federer are Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and David Nalbandian. The women’s side should be much more competitive with as many as five or six women having a realistic chance to win for fans of tennis betting. Justine Henin will be the favorite but Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Jelena Jankovic, Amelie Mauresmo and Ana Ivanovic may have a chance to win.
One thing to keep in mind about the 2008 Australian Open is that the tournament will have a new surface for the first time as the Rebound Ace playing surface is out in favor of a new acrylic composition. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said the speed of the courts would continue to play in the medium to medium-fast range but the heat retention would be lower. Tiley said the new surface would also have more consistent pace and bounce. The new surface is expected to help players with the heat. Last year there were several players that had to retire from the Australian Open because of the hot conditions.