After so many dominant years by the ‘Big 4’ in men’s tennis, it looks like we may finally have some next generation stars who have the ability to make the jump to the pinnacle of the tennis world. After one-and-a-half weeks of exciting Australian Open action we are now down to the final 4. So join us here, where we preview the Semi Finals of the men’s 2018 Australian Open.
Marin Cilic (6) Vs Kyle Edmund
Marin Cilic, who is the current world number 6 in men’s tennis, has had a terrific run in this year’s Australian Open, en route to his second career Semi at the AO, with his only other coming way back in 2010. The 6’6 Croatian had his best win of the tournament in the Quarter Final, where he became victorious 2 games into the fifth set, due to Nadal’s forced retirement by injury. Cilic is a former US Open champion back in 2014 and made the final at Wimbledon in 2017, so it’s fair to say that he won’t be afraid of the moment.
Unlike Cilic, Kyle Edmund is a little bit of an unknown. He is a 23-year-old 6’2 Britt who is the current world number 49. It would be a massive understatement to say that we’re surprised that he’s made it to the final 4 of the AO this year. Prior to this Grand Slam, Edmund’s best result at a major was making the 4th Round of the US Open back in 2016, when he was a raw 21-year-old. He plays with a good serve and a big forehand and will seemingly match up well with Cilic on Thursday. Edmund’s best win of the AO so far came in the prior round, where he upset 3rd seed Grigor Dimitrov in 4 sets in an impressive and composed victory.
Prediction
Marin Cilic comes into this Semi Final matchup with a lot more experience than his opponent and we feel that this could prove to be the difference. Edmund is still fairly raw at 23-years-old and hasn’t had an opportunity like this so far in his short career. Cilic looked at the peak of his power in his Quarter-Final duel against Nadal and if he plays at that same level and intensity he should take care of Edmund fairly comfortably.
TIP: Marin Cilic Game Handicap (-5.0) - $2.07 at CrownBet
Roger Federer (2) Vs Hyeon Chung
Roger Federer just continues to amaze us and is through to yet another Grand Slam Semi Final. The 36-year-old Swiss maestro is rightfully regarded by most as the game’s greatest ever player and has only enhanced his claim with another deep run at this year’s AO. He is yet to drop a set and has looked as graceful as ever in his pursuit for his 20th Grand Slam title. If you were to tell him before the tournament started that he’d be playing an unseeded 21-year-old for a spot in the final he wouldn’t believe you in a million years, but that’s exactly the equation that’s in front of him.
Although unseeded and without experience in the second week of a Grand Slam, Hyeon Chung will head into this match with the G.O.A.T with a lot of confidence, which is totally deserved. He has emerged as a future (and present) superstar of men’s tennis with his unbelievable court coverage and defensive skills. The only worry for Chung is his lack of punch on his first serve, which may prove to be his downfall when facing possibly the greatest server of all time. Chung is the first Korean player to feature in a Semi Final at a Grand Slam and will go into the match with absolutely nothing to lose.
Prediction
You’d have to be crazy to bet against the reigning AO champion and greatest tennis player of all time on such a big stage. Federer has so much experience and class, which we feel will shine through in this duel. There isn’t any value in Federer in the head-to-head markets, so we’ll be looking at Federer’s handicap line here.
TIP: Federer Game Handicap (-6.0) - $1.85 at CrownBet
