Day 5 of the Australian Open is here, and only the best of the best will make it into the 2nd week. This small 13-game slate is filled with some of games best players, but who will come out on top and move one step closer to the prestigious title?
The players listed below can be used in any contest, whether it’s for cash or GPP. I personally like to use the same lineup in both, since the goal is to pick players who are going to win their match. If you choose to go down the route of playing the “stars and scrubs” strategy, you might be forced to choose players who are bound to get crushed. This strategy is very risky as upsets happen quite often in tennis, and if one of your most expensive players gets beat you have a very low chance to cash. Lets get into my top 3 plays for the slate!
Note: Tennis is available on DraftKings ONLY. The Australian Open is best of 5 set scoring for men’s players, keep that in mind when picking players!
Petra Kvitova $9,500
Petra Kvitova is playing out of her mind right now. Kvitova has beaten some of the games best players over the last 2 weeks, and most of them have been no contest. Tonight she faces off against the world number 49, Belinda Bencic. Bencic has been playing well so far this tournament, but none of her wins have been convincing. She will have to play the game of her career to top Kvitova at her best. Belinda Bencic is a very poor server, averaging 11 break point’s and only being able to save half of them. Kvitova should win this match in straight sets.
Sloane Stephens $9,000
Sloane Stephens is one of the most inconsistent players on the tour; but when she’s on, she’s on. Stephens, current world number 5, had no sign of struggle in her first 2 rounds. She is averaging 20 break point chances, which is an absurd number for a best of 3 set match. Her return games are on fire, and she has only had her serve broken twice. Her 3rd round opponent is against Petra Martic, the world number 32 from Croatia. Martic is a solid player, but she wins very little points on her second serve and she will get beat down if that continues tonight. Petra Martic has very little top 10 wins on her resume as well, not winning a single one last season. With the form the Stephens is in, it will be tough for any player to beat her.
Aryna Sabalenka $8,700
Aryna Sabalenka at $8,700 is an absolute steal. Sabalenka is arguably the best player on the WTA tour, and I’m not sure that anyone can beat her at the moment. Tonight she has a meeting with the world number 87, Amanda Anisimova. Anisimova, a 22 year old from the United States, is going to be one of the games best players in the next few years. She has the talent to beat anyone, and she’s already beaten some top 10 players in her young career. She beat the world number 24, Lesia Tsurenko, in her last match 6-0 6-2. However, Sabalenka is a different task. With the experience that Sabalenka has and with the amount of power she brings to the court, I can’t see this match going past 2 sets.
Possible upset/punt plays:
Frances Tiafoe $7,400
Maria Sharapova $6,900
Roberto Bautista-Agut $6,300
Fernando Verdasco $5,300
Good luck!!
Written by: Caleb Alderman
Twitter: @CMGCaleb_
