Federer heads 2017 Australian Open market after favourites tumble

January 23, 2017 2:24 pm.by Todd Davey

SEVENTEEN-time grand slam champion Roger Federer is the $3.40 favourite at Sportsbet.com.au to win the 2017 Australian Open after short-priced pair Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic were eliminated from the tournament before the second week.

Federer – who started this year’s Australian Open as a $13 outsider in the market – outlasted Kei Nishikori over five sets on Sunday night to advance through to the quarterfinals where he will meet Andy Murray’s conqueror, Mischa Zverev.

The 35-year-old Federer said the 3-hour and 23-minute victory over the fifth seed Nishikori could be one of most significant wins outside of a grand slam final of his career.

“This is a huge win for me in my career,” Federer said in the post-match press conference.

“I wasn’t playing badly (early), but was maybe not serving to spots well or he was reading my serve well. It’s a quick court and things can happen fast,”

“It was about staying calm. I was almost going down 6-0, so I thought, ‘It’s not going to get any worse from there’.

“It was hard not to win the first set after all that effort, but it did pay off in the end. I trained as hard as I possibly could in the off-season and that’s what you tell yourself.

“I know he has a great five-set record — he’s a tough customer — so it’s a huge win for me.”

Second in the men’s title market is the Canadian heavy-hitter Milos Raonic at the $4.33 quote.

The world number three is yet to win a grand slam title, but the opportunity is now in front of him and the 26-year-old is playing the kind of tennis that wins big tournaments.

Roanic has dropped just one set on his way to the second week of the Australian Open, but he battled flu-like symptoms in his four set tussle against Giles Simon on Sunday.

Raonic said he spent his day off prior to the match in bed recovering, but still felt the pinch against the Frenchman.

“I had a rough last 48 hours, but I got my energy up today much more,” the world number three said.

“I can sometimes get winded a little bit quicker, but that’s improving.”

2017 Australian Open men’s winner

Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au

R Federer $3.40

M Raonic $4.33

S Wawrinka $5

R Nadal $5.50

G Dimitrov $7

J-W Tsonga $19

G Monfils $26

D Thiem $26

D Goffin $34

M Zverev $34

R Bautista-Agut $67

D Istomin $81

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