Eaton Thatcher
Well, that was a nice trip down memory lane!
The Australian Open ended with a bizarre callback to the 2000s, leaving us with two finals straight out of the previous decade.
The favorites in the men’s draw, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, flamed out in the early rounds, leaving the door open for a 2000s-themed final between Rafael Nadal (9) and Roger Federer (17). Federer clinched it in five sets, earning him his fifth Australian Open title.
The women’s singles featured another rivalry from the same era, with Serena Williams (2) and sister Venus (13) duking it out in the finals. The fact that Serena made the finals was no surprise to anyone, but the 36-year-old Venus defied expectations by making it so far. She couldn’t take it all the way, though, losing in straight sets to her younger sister.
So where does that leave us for the French Open? Should we expect another nostalgic throwback or will the current stars reclaim their place on top?
Here are the odds!
Odds to Win 2017 Men’s French Open
Novak Djokovic: 7/3
Rafael Nadal: 4/1
Andy Murray: 4/1
Stan Wawrinka: 23/2
Roger Federer: 20/1
The biggest mover since we last updated the odds in late December is Rafael Nadal. In his prime, Nadal dominated the clay courts of the French Open, winning nine out of the ten tournaments between 2005 and 2014. He currently sits just below Novak Djokovic in the odds.
Despite winning the Australian Open, Roger Federer’s odds for the French Open have not improved much. Historically, he isn’t at his best on clay. He’ll have a much better chance at Wimbledon.
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are still high in the odds. Don’t expect the wacky Aussie Open to signal a broad trend for the entire 2017 season. The 2016 French Open finalists and world no. 1 and 2 are in great standing despite a rocky start.
Odds to Win 2017 Women’s French Open
Serena Williams: 11/5
Garbine Muguruza: 22/3
Simona Halep: 13/1
Angelique Kerber: 24/1
Maria Sharapova: 25/1
No surprises here. Serena is a deserving favorite after winning in Melbourne. The rest of the top contenders were upset in Australia, but the pecking order is expected to be restored for the French Open. As seen from the odds we gave in late December, the women’s singles seems pretty stable… at least for now.
Garbine Muguruza was ousted in the quarterfinals of the Aussie Open by upstart American Coco Vandeweghe. Despite a checkered major resume, she remains the second favorite, largely thanks to her win at Roland Garros last year.
The dark horse in the race is Maria Sharapova. The Russian star was banned early last year for using a banned substance but will be back in time for the French Open. The two-time Roland Garros winner will be looking to make a smooth transition back into tennis.
Photo credit: “Rafael Nadal” by Yann Caradec, CC BY-SA 2.0 [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0], via Flickr.
