Eaton Thatcher
It’s shaping up to be quite an interesting year for tennis. It was essentially a two-horse race between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic in 2016, as the two ran neck-and-neck for the number one spot. Much of the same was expected in 2017, but we’ve seen the two fall short multiple times already, allowing other players to bask in the limelight.
What we have seen this year is a resurgence in the careers of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, along with some more exposure for the likes of Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori. Both Djokovic and Murray, along with many other favorites, have been eliminated from the ATP Paribas Open, opening the door to others.
The Open is in the middle of the quarter-finals as I type, but here are the odds as it stands right now.
Odds to win the Men’s ATP Paribas Open
Roger Federer: 2/1
The rivalry between Federer and Nadal is back! After beating Nadal in the hard-fought final of the Australian Open, the two faced off again in the fourth round of ATP Paribas Open. This time, Federer won in straight sets.
The tennis legend was the ninth seed coming into the competition, but along with Stan Wawrinka, he’s now one of the favorites to win.
Stan Wawrinka: 2/1
With Djokovic and Murray out of the way, Wawrinka has a great shot at the ATP Paribas Open. He’s currently the equal favorite alongside fellow countrymen Federer. Of the 22 times the two Swiss players have faced, Federer has won 19 times. Still, Wawrinka was tough to beat in the Australian Open and has looked good all season.
Kei Nishikori: 5/1
Nishikori hasn’t had a great season so far, but he is still the fifth-ranked player in the world. Of the remaining contenders, only Wawrinka stands above him in the rankings. And as far as head to heads go, they’re very evenly matched with four wins each.
Pablo Carreno Busta: 14/1
Pablo Carreno Busta is ranked 23rd in the world and has done very well to make it this far in the tournament. He’ll face Wawrinka in the semis, and a win would be a landmark victory for him. He’s not quite at the same level as the other contenders, but he’s quickly rising through the ranks.
Photo credit: “Federer” by Carrine06 CC BY-SA 2.0 [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0], via Flickr.
