This year’s edition of the Australian Open brought many exciting and thrilling matches in both the women’s and men’s competitions. Tennis fans in Melbourne had the opportunity to enjoy high-quality performances on the court, and those following the tournament through Merkur XTip had plenty of opportunities to place bets on some incredible matchups. The first Grand Slam of the season is often seen as a warm-up for the challenges ahead, but this year, every participant showed top form and a strong determination to claim the season’s first major title.
Sabalenka as the Leading Seed
In the women’s draw, all the top-ranked players competed in the tournament. Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus was seeded first, followed by Poland’s Iga Świątek as the second seed and American Coco Gauff as the third. Jasmine Paolini was the fourth seed, while Qinwen Zheng and Elena Rybakina took the fifth and sixth spots, respectively. The seventh and eighth seeds were Americans Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro. Ninth seed Daria Kasatkina and tenth seed Danielle Collins rounded out the top ten. Other notable players included Victoria Azarenka as the 21st seed, Elina Svitolina as the 28th, and Maria Sakkari as the 31st seed in this year’s draw.
Sinner as the Leading Seed in the Men’s Draw
The men’s tournament was led by world number one Jannik Sinner as the top seed. Alexander Zverev was seeded second, while Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz was third. American Taylor Fritz held the fourth seed, followed by Daniil Medvedev in fifth. Casper Ruud was seeded sixth, while Novak Djokovic, a seven-time Australian Open champion, was seeded seventh.
Home favorite Alex de Minaur was eighth, followed by Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov completing the top ten.
A Major Success for Olga Danilović
Olga Danilović matched her best Grand Slam result by reaching the fourth round at this year’s Australian Open. The Serbian player delivered strong performances, which undoubtedly boosted her confidence for upcoming tournaments. Sports betting platforms, including Merkur XTip, reflected her impressive form with shifting odds throughout the tournament.
Danilović defeated Arantxa Rus in the first round with a solid 6-4, 6-4 win. In the second round, she outplayed Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in dominant fashion, winning 6-1, 6-2. However, the third round presented a tougher challenge, as she faced seventh seed Jessica Pegula. Although Pegula was the clear favorite, Danilović took the first set in a tiebreak and continued her momentum in the second, winning 6-1. That victory secured her a spot in the fourth round, where she faced Spain’s Paula Badosa, the 11th seed.
First Grand Slam Title for Madison Keys
The latter stages of the women’s tournament were filled with close and unpredictable matches. Many expected Sabalenka or Świątek to dominate, while Coco Gauff aimed for her second Grand Slam title after winning the US Open two years ago.
In the quarterfinals, Aryna Sabalenka defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, while Iga Świątek cruised past Emma Navarro 6-1, 6-2. Paula Badosa upset Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-4, while Madison Keys overcame Elina Svitolina after dropping the first set, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
In a dramatic semifinal, Madison Keys faced Iga Świątek in what many considered the real final. Live betting odds fluctuated throughout the match as Keys recovered from losing the first set 5-7, dominated the second 6-1, and won the super tiebreak 10-8 in the third. In the other semifinal, Sabalenka dispatched Badosa 6-4, 6-2.
The final saw Madison Keys take on Aryna Sabalenka. The American won the first set 6-3, but Sabalenka responded by claiming the second 6-2.
The deciding set was a tense battle, but Keys prevailed 7-5, securing her first Grand Slam title.
Sinner Defends His Title
In the men’s draw, the quarterfinals featured Jannik Sinner against Alex de Minaur, with the Italian winning comfortably 6-3, 6-2, 6-1. Ben Shelton overcame Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6, while Novak Djokovic battled Carlos Alcaraz in a highly anticipated matchup. Despite Alcaraz taking the first set 6-4, Djokovic turned things around with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win to reach yet another Australian Open semifinal. In the last quarterfinal, Alexander Zverev defeated Tommy Paul 7-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1.
In the semifinals, Sinner made quick work of Shelton, winning 7-6, 6-2, 6-2. The second semifinal between Zverev and Djokovic was an intense battle, with Zverev claiming the first set 7-6. However, Djokovic suffered a muscle injury at the end of the set and was forced to retire, sending Zverev into the final.
The championship match between Sinner and Zverev had little suspense, as the Italian dominated, winning 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 to successfully defend his Australian Open title.
