The Australian Open is perhaps the most unpredictable of the tennis betting Grand Slams, with its position at the start of the calendar year denying players the chance to find form and momentum before the tournament begins.

The 2018 Australian Open will have commentators and analysts scratching their heads when making predictions about what will happen, with many of the leading players on the ATP tour plagued by injuries in the back end of 2017 and the WTA tour blown wide open by the absence of a dominant Serena Williams.

So it can't be nice being one of those poor souls tasked with writing predictions about what will transpire in a sunny Australian January. Fortunately, this article will focus on the less contentious topic of reminiscing about some of the most memorable moments from the tournament's history.

This will not be a definitive list but rather a celebration of just some of the weird and wonderful tennis moments from the Slam down under. At no point will I try and predict what will happen in 2018's tournament.

A Rivalry Reignited

After all, who could have predicted that 2017's ATP final would be contested by the tennis heavyweights Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal? This unlikeliest of likely matchups produced a compelling final, a battle across a quintet of sets that saw Federer prevail to claim a fairly impressive 18th Grand Slam title.

Of course, much of the recent era of tennis has been defined by the dominance and rivalry between Federer and Nadal, but most tennis observers had resigned themselves to the fact that great finals between the two were a thing of the past.

How foolish they look now, especially considering that Federer and Nadal ended up sharing the Slams between them in a staggering defiance of suggestions of tennis being a young person's game...

This final was made particularly possible by the failures of the two best players in the world (in theory), Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. Murray's defeat in four sets in the fourth round to the serve and volley maestro Mischa Zverev raised a few eyebrows, although Zverev has established himself as a tricky customer on tour with his increasingly rare style enough to propel him to the world's top thirty.

Djokovic has fewer caveats to his defeat, blowing a 2-1 set lead in the second round to succumb to the charms of the 117th best player in the world (in theory), Denis Istomin. 

Djokovic and Murray would go on to endure difficult years, but Federer and Nadal used their riveting battle in the final as the springboard for successful campaigns.

Those sterling seasons are why Federer and Nadal head to Australia as strong favourites, with odds of 5/2 and 3/1 respectively, as of December 18th. Some might say it's a cop-out to use literally the most recent match played at the Australian Open as one of its most memorable moments, but anyone who says that didn't watch the final.

 

Grand Slam-Pras

The 1995 quarter-final clash between Pete Sampras and Jim Courier is a remarkable and heartbreaking example of the confluence between sport and things that truly matter. Sampras had recently discovered that his friend and coach, Tim Gullikson, had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

The two had enjoyed a fruitful sporting partnership, with Gullikson's tutelage guiding Sampras' ability to the top of the rankings. The news about cancer left Sampras devastated, but he resolved to play his match against Courier. 

Courier took the first two sets in a brace of tie-breaks, and it would have taken considerable resolve to respond against a player of Courier's calibre in any circumstance. Popular stories regarding the match suggest that a fan shouted encouragement to Sampras to do it for his coach, and the tide began to turn.

Sampras has since refuted actually hearing such encouragement, but that tide turned nonetheless. He began to display his distraught visibly, with Courier concerned and willing to complete the match the following day.

But Sampras rallied in stunning fashion, focusing on his game that he had honed so successfully alongside Gullikson. Sampras went on to take the next three sets 6-3 6-4 6-3, and would become the runner-up in the tournament behind Andre Agassi. However, it was that quarter-final match which serves as a poignant reminder of perspective within sport.

The Kids Are Alright

In 2003, Andy Roddick and Younes El Aynaoui engaged in a titanic quarter-final clash that pushed both players to their physical limit. Roddick would take the final set 21-19, a scoreline which seemed unbeatably epic in 2003 but that would be sneered at by John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.

Roddick and El Aynaoui grew so weary that they took a breather while allowing ball boys to rally. The quality dipped somewhat with the change of players, although their exuberant celebrations are right up there with the giants of the game.

Hats Off To Capriati

Jennifer Capriati won three Slams in her career, and two of those came in consecutive years in Australia. Her first title in 2001 was impressive, defeating the top two seeds in straight sets and becoming the lowest seed to win the title. This Slam marked a return to top form for Capriati, but few expected her to consolidate in the manner that she did.

The current probable top seed for the Australian Open is Simona Halep, who can be backed as a fourth favourite with odds of 8/1 as of December 18th Punters clearly do not favour the Romanian to establish herself as the leading WTA player, an indication of how there are several talented players vying for supremacy.

Capriati returned to Australia in 2002 as top seed courtesy of Lindsay Davenport's withdrawal. Capriati did prove to be the top player, but she didn't go about it the easy way.

Martina Hingis probably wasn't too thrilled to play consecutive finals against Capriati, but with a 6-4 4-0 scoreline in her favour, she was presumably warming to the idea. Vengeance is mine, she may have mused before each of her three match points.

But Capriati's clutch playing forced a third set via a tie-break, and breezed to victory by taking the deciding set 6-2. Capriati was volatile at times during the match, and criticised some decisions with unsavoury language. But all was forgotten as she savoured a consecutive Australian Open title, having clawed back from the brink of defeat.

Novak Outlasts Rafa

Nadal is renowned for his unwavering spirit and seemingly relentless stamina, so it took a magnificent performance from Novak Djokovic to defeat the Spaniard in what became the longest Grand Slam final in history. The match ebbed and flowed for five hours and fifty-three minutes, which is enough time in which to watch this video of Sam Querrey dancing 3530 times. I wouldn't recommend it, however.

As mesmerising as the moves of a famous Djokovic vanquisher are, they are incomparable to the five-set epic that saw 2012's finest male tennis players leave everything on the court in a match of supreme quality. Djokovic can be backed at odds of 7/2 as of December 18th to take the title in Australia once again, but he'll need to have a resurgence of sizeable proportion to rediscover the form he showed in 2012.

Rather than failing to do the match justice with words, here's a handy highlights package from the Australian Open YouTube channel with the completely unbiased title 'The Greatest Final Ever!' Here's hoping the 2018 Australian Open can deliver such a spectacle, although the bar has been set rather high here.

 

The 2018 Australian Open is now well and truly underway - check out our top tips and best bets throughout the competition here...

For the most extensive roster of Tennis betting you could want visit 888sport.com

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The Clarence House Chase is a Grade One National Hunt horse race for five-year-olds and above. It is run over a distance of 2 miles at Ascot Racecourse in January.

It is one of the leading handicap chases of the season, and often includes contenders for the Queen Mother Champion Chase. There are twelve fences to be jumped in the race.

It was run as a Grade Two Handicap race but in June 2007, the BHA announced that the race would have Grade One status from 2008 onwards.

Weather conditions have always played a part in the history of the race since its introduction in 1987. The first two races had to be abandoned and the first actual running was not until 1989 when a certain Desert Orchid took the honours.

The weather played havoc again last year with Ascot being forced to abandon the whole fixture due to frozen ground. The race was transferred to Cheltenham where it had previously been run in 2005 and 2013.

Here are some trends and statistics based on the last ten renewals of the race when all horses competing were allocated 11st 7lbs.

Age (wins-placed-runners)

6-y-o: 1-2-5

7-y-o: 2-3-13

8-y-o: 6-0-12

9-y-o: 1-5-13

10-y-o+: 0-1-15

As you can see eight-year-olds have been very dominant over the last decade. This year there is not a single eight-year-old in the field so a new trend may start to emerge on Saturday afternoon.

Breeding

It certainly pays to follow a French bred in this race as eight of them have won in the last ten years. That will be music to the ears of the supporters of Un De Sceaux, Speredek and San Benedeto.

Trainer Form

Willie Mullins sends out Un De Sceaux again who has won this race for the last two seasons. Paul Nicholls has won four of the last ten renewals of this race. Nicky Henderson has won this race only once in the same period.

Starting Price

Nine of the last ten winners have been priced at 5/1 or under and the favourite has been victorious seven times. You rarely get an upset in this race.

Runner-By-Runner Guide

Brain Power

Novice chaser Brain Power has been the subject of a week-long gamble in the Clarence House Chase. The seven-year-old has been brought into 11/4 from 8/1 last Monday morning as punters latch onto Nicky Henderson maintaining his recent run of good form.

Brain Power won as he liked on his chasing debut at Kempton in November, but looked booked for a minor placing when unseating David Mullins at the final fence in the Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown.

The seven-year-old, who will be having just his third run over fences on Saturday, will have to be at the absolute peak of his game if he is going to lower the colours of the favourite Un De Sceaux.

Kylemore Lough

Harry Fry and his team are still learning about Kylemore Lough after his disappointing start for the yard at Cheltenham in November. He made a bad error at the water jump and was pulled up before the penultimate fence by jockey Noel Fehily.

Previously trained by Kerry Lee, the nine-year-old was a progressive novice a couple of seasons ago, notching up a sequence of five wins on the spin which included defeating Outlander in a Grade One at Fairyhouse.

It would come as no surprise to see an improved performance on Saturday but he looks to have plenty to find with the favourite.

San Benedeto

San Benedeto is the sole representative from the Paul Nicholls stable this year, but his gelding has come up short in recent outings including a handicap race here in November when he finished behind Sir Valentino.

The Mr Vogt owned seven-year-old was runner-up in the Haldon Gold Cup previously, but he beat only one home in the Tingle Creek Chase last time out and this will be a much more demanding race for him.

Others will seriously have to underperform for this Paul Nicholls entry to score here.

Speredek

The seven-year-old won for the fifth time in his last six outings at Sandown last time out and connections are keen to take their chance in this small, but select, field.

He went off as the hot favourite and after going nearly flat out with Gino Trail for most of the race, he asserted after the second to last lap and strode clear to win the race by eight lengths in the end.

The Nigel Hawke trained gelding will have no issues with the going on Saturday and is likely to put it up to his rivals early, but whether he can sustain his meteoric rise through the ratings remains to be seen.

Un De Sceaux

Un De Sceaux bids for a third successive victory in the Clarence House Chase this weekend and it will take a brave punter to oppose him.

Willie Mullins' 10-year-old was the winner of the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last March but he drops back to just over two miles for the Grade One he has made his own in the last two years.

He made an impressive return to action with a bloodless victory in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork last month, a race that will have set him up nicely for some history making at Ascot on Saturday.

At ten-years-old he could prove vulnerable to a younger improving sort over this two mile trip but conditions will be in his favour and some of his junior rivals here have a few form questions of their own to answer.

Conclusion

Un De Sceaux once again ticks all the right boxes to take his third Clarence House and his odds-on price certainly reflects this.

Often small races of this nature lend themselves to seeking some value in the forecast/exacta and Kylemore Lough looks the type who could quite easily recapture his previous form under the tutelage of Harry Fry and give the favourite something to think about.

888sport recommends: Un De Sceaux/Kylemore Lough reversed f/c.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Neil King plans to head onto the Grand National now after Milansbar produced a superb front-running display under Bryony Frost in the Classic Chase at Warwick last Saturday.

One week ago, King’s veteran chaser could only manage 2½ miles in the re-scheduled Welsh Grand National before unseating his rider.

Wearing blinkers for the first time, the eleven-year-old raced from the front throughout and Frost had her rivals struggling behind her a long way from home, scoring eventually by a comfortable 11 lengths.

Neil King told PA Sport: "That was the real Milansbar today and it was so great to see.

"Two years ago we were thinking he could develop into a Grand National horse. He ran a great race to finish second under top-weight in the Midlands National, but then last season he just wasn't right at all.

"This year we felt we'd got him back and we went to the Welsh National last week with great expectations. Unfortunately, as they tend to do in that race, they went very quickly to the first bend and he got swamped and rather threw his toys out of the pram.

"I wondered whether the race today might be a bit hot for him, but we tried him in the blinkers during the week and he was pretty electric. They certainly seem to have done the trick.

"It was Bryony's first ride for me. The owner was quite keen to claim off him and she's given him a great ride."

It would not be the first time that a horse had tasted success in the Classic Chase then went on to Aintree glory in the same season. One For Arthur won this race before securing the Grand National and Milansbar is priced up at 40/1 to do just that with us here at 888sport.

King added: "I think we'll enjoy today, get him home and see how he is and see what the handicapper does.

"If he goes up enough to get into the National, which hopefully he will do, I think we'll probably go straight there, but we'll see.

"One For Arthur won this race off quite a low mark last year, so if we can follow the same route we'll be very happy indeed."

Conditional jockey Bryony Frost, one of the success stories of the season, would dearly love to emulate her father Jimmy Frost, who won the Grand National back in 1989 on Little Polveir.

She said on Milansbar: "He was awesome. God, he jumped.

"I was really looking forward to riding him. He's an 11-year-old, but he doesn't know that.

"He was a bit brave at one down the back, but I thought 'OK, if you want to go brave, let's go brave'.

"I got a lovely breather in on the home bend and asked him to go in the straight and he just never stopped. I didn't even have to pick my stick up."

Speaking to ITV Racing she said: "I'm really lucky. Dave Roberts (agent) and everyone behind me are working really hard to get me on horses like this.

"I love my job. It's the best world to be in."

 

Veterans Making Their Mark

Ground conditions will be key in deciding whether recent Welsh Grand National winner Raz De Maree will line up in the English equivalent in April.

Gavin Cromwell's 13-year-old went one better than last year under a polished performance from his 16-year-old rider James Bowen.

Raz De Maree is the oldest horse since before the war to win the Welsh National, with Bowen the youngest rider, and Cromwell reported his horse to be in rude health after arriving back home in Ireland.

"It was a great result and a fantastic day. He'd had a good preparation and I was hopeful going into the race that he hadn't lost any of his enthusiasm.

"If it wasn't for the statistics and people saying a 13-year-old couldn't win it, I would have been even more hopeful and it was great it all came together on the day."

Raz De Maree is a 33-1 shot to take the spoils on Merseyside.

He was eighth in 2014 when trained by the late Dessie Hughes and unseated his rider at Becher's Brook last season.

He will be bidding to make it third time lucky but only if testing conditions prevail come along that April weekend.

Cromwell added: "There's the Irish National, the Midlands National and the English National. He'll run in one of those all being well and won't run again beforehand.

"The problem we've got is the English National is the last of the three and there could be a danger that we wait for that and then the ground comes up good and we'd regret it.

"It won't be an easy decision and we'll just have to see how things stand nearer the time.

"He was unlucky in Aintree last year as he sidestepped a faller and unseated his rider and he has jumped round there before."

 

Wise Decision

Buywise emerged as a live Grand National contender last week after he was victorious in the Veterans' Final at Sandown.

The 11-year-old who was ridden by Leighton Aspell stormed past the game Pete The Feat to take the £100,000 first prize. His trainer Evan Williams has now set his sights on Aintree with Buywise, who finished 12th two years ago and is available to back at 50/1.

"I never thought we’d try again but he’s a bit older and stays better," said Williams. "I was going to swerve everything with him but we’ve got to have a crack at Aintree now.

"After the way he jumped and stayed at Sandown I thought, 'For god's sake stop messing around and just go for the Grand National.' It's a shot to nothing really."

Buywise who was without a win in three years convinced his owner Hywel Jones to give him another chance in the big one this April.

Jones said: "Leighton has won the Grand National twice. He knows what it takes and he thinks Buywise could be the right type."

Check out our latest Grand National betting markets here.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Over the last decade, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dazzled football fans with their repertoire of amazing skills and phenomenal feats, competing for both club and individual honours with Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Such is their dominance of the modern game, followers of football argue continually over which of the two players is genuinely the best in the world.

It’s also a debate that could continue long after the pair have hung up their boots, and the next generation of superstars seek to surpass their magnificent achievements.

Inevitably, when we look at the abilities and achievements of players like Messi and Ronaldo, questions are always raised about whether they could have accomplished their feats in other circumstances.

Ronaldo has already proved his impact at two clubs, in England and in Spain, but Messi has never had the opportunity to dazzle “on a wet winter night in Stoke” as we often see mentioned on social networks, having spent his entire career at Barcelona.

Of course, the debate then starts to transcend time itself, as Messi and Ronaldo are compared to the greatest figures in football history, alongside legends of bygone eras such as Pele, Diego Maradona, or George Best.

Such comparisons are eternally difficult to make, especially given the hugely different circumstances surrounding players of different eras; not least when we consider how the game itself has evolved and changed.

The Pursuit Of Physical And Technical Perfection

The very best footballers in the modern game are not only those blessed with technical ability and natural talent, they are also finely-honed athletes at the very peak of their fitness and physical form.

Every aspect of their performances in matches and training is monitored meticulously, as coaching and technical staff seek to push players to their physical limits, and beyond.

From technical assistants to record and replay key moments during matches and training sessions, to dieticians and nutritional experts dictating the ideal body mass of each individual; modern players are practically machine-tooled for their respective roles and levels of performance.

Consistency is king in the modern game, and there’s much more to being a top footballer than just turning up for ninety minutes each weekend.

This begs the question that quite possibly, today’s game is more about pace and power, physical strength and endurance, compared to previous eras.

If you sent George Best through a time tunnel to play football in the 21st century, for all his wizardry with the ball in the 1960s, the Northern Irish legend might not even get a game in the 2017-18 Manchester United side.

Matt Busby used to lavish his wayward player with praise, but Jose Mourinho would likely have shown Best the door, with his side currently 80/1 title chasers with 888sport.

In contrast, if you shot Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo back in time with his current levels of fitness, his physical prowess alone would make him stand out from the crowd; but would he have developed both his physical and technical abilities so well back in the 1960s era?

The Portuguese star is arguably an optimal balance of the two, which makes him the outstanding player he is today, but with reduced opportunities to hone both aspects of his game, he might only have been an average player in the past.

Pitch Perfect Conditions For Football

These days football pitches are often as smooth as the baize on a snooker table, with top-flight clubs investing millions in the latest pitch technology. There’s even an industry that has quite literally sprouted around providing the finest quality turf.

By comparison, the quality of pitches could vary wildly depending on all manner of circumstances in the 60s and 70s, which rarely prevented football being played.

Back in the 1970 FA Cup final, Wembley had hosted the Horse of the Year show days before the clash between Leeds United and Chelsea, leaving the pitch in a terrible state.

Sand was used to level out the uneven playing surface, but the pitch became a quagmire and the conditions clearly affected the game. Needless to say, after a 2-2 draw between the two sides, the final was replayed at Old Trafford in Manchester.

These days, playing on such a surface simply wouldn’t be allowed at the highest levels of the game, and principally as a matter of safety. A muddy or waterlogged pitch would be considered unplayable in the modern game, but back in 1970 they were often the norm.

With Chelsea amongst the FA Cup favourites at 6/1 with 888sport this season, it’s hard to imagine Eden Hazard gliding across such awful pitches of the past with ease, compared to the perfectly prepared playing surfaces of today.

Technological Advances In Playing Kit

Over the last decade as we’ve marvelled at the mastery of Lionel Messi, who often seems to have the ball glued to his feet when he weaves through rival defences, he does so with a lightweight synthetic ball that is resistant to water, plus boots that are tailor-made to maximise the traction of his every touch.

Back when Pele was strutting his stuff and dazzling crowds around the world between the 1950s and 1970s, it’s easy to forget that he didn’t have such luxuries at his feet.

In years gone by, when Pele would deftly curl the ball past a keeper from outside the area, the weight of the ball itself meant that such a feat was considered an art form; particularly if that ball was also soaked with water.

When Messi does the same thing today, he makes it look effortlessly easy, but such swerving shots and curling finishes are undoubtedly aided by modern ball technology.

Compared to their predecessors of bygone years, technological advancements in the last decade alone, have brought dramatic changes to design and performance of modern footballs during matches.

Scientific studies in the last couple of years have proven that a dimpled surface can greatly affect the aerodynamics of a football, allowing players to get more power and swerve into their shots.

At rather appetising 7/1 odds with 888sport to win the Champions League this season, Barcelona will need Messi to be at his absolute best.

With a ball he can control so easily and boots fitting his feet like a glove, his marvellous technical abilities go hand in hand with the latest technology the sport has to offer.

Pele demonstrated his wonderful array of talents with a heavier ball and boots which invariably, were of a pretty standard and off-the-shelf design. One can only wonder at how magically the Brazilian icon’s skills would have combined with today’s technology.

Taking A Shot At Conclusions

Pondering how today’s stars would fare in bygone eras is a fun topic for debate, but also one which is firmly rooted in the realms of fantasy.

It’s always likely that such a phenomenal natural talent as Lionel Messi would have succeeded in any era, because the best footballing talent has always found a way of emerging, but his development and style of play might also have evolved differently.

It’s sometimes argued that Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t possess that same innate natural ability, but his driven personality and determination have pushed him to excel, both technically and physically.

He too could have cultivated those same attributes to success in past footballing eras, with the same burning level of desire to be the best; which he proudly claimed he would be as a raw 18-year-old, not long after joining Manchester United.

Greats of the past like Pele, Diego Maradona, and perhaps even Best, might have matched or even bettered the current generation of stars, had they developed their talents amidst the changes in football we’re accustomed to these days; not least with the technological advancements we take for granted, which they never got to experience.

Saying that one generation was better than another, or guessing whether modern stars could have coped in bygone eras, is venturing into the realms of fantasy football.

It’s something we can only guess at. However, just like our parents and grandparents delight in telling us about the best players of their heyday, we will undoubtedly be doing the same in years to come, with our own children and grandchildren.

The TV cameras head to Wembley for this Saturday’s evening kick-off. Fifth host ninth, separated by a 14-point chasm. Everton are only seven points clear of the relegation zone ahead of this weekend’s fixtures. Tottenham are equidistant between Manchester City and the bottom three.

Ambitions for this season were similar at the beginning of this campaign. Tottenham were targeting another top four finish, and Everton were ready to prove they belonged in the top six. Spurs’ goalposts have not really moved, but the Toffees’ greatest concern is now a top half finish.

Spurs added a gloss to their FA Cup win over Wimbledon late on. It was no walkover against for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, but they avoided the sort of upset that their north London rivals suffered. To start the Cup weekend, Everton suffered a painful derby defeat to extend their winless run to five.

Sam Allardyce brought immediate improvement when he was appointed. The former England manager now faces a tough task to correct the path of the ship again. This is a no-lose match for Allardyce and his side, who will set up in a typically pragmatic way as we have seen on several occasions since his appointment. Everton are understandably at a very short 4/6 to fail to score on Saturday evening.

Spurs were frustrated by West Ham in their last Premier League outing. David Moyes’ side had a game plan similar to what we will see from Allardyce, and it worked. It was a pretty drab affair in truth, aside from two wonderstrikes in the second half. Breaking teams down has been an issue for the Lilywhites.

There’s little value to be found in Spurs’ goal scoring. The 6/5 on the home side to score over 2.5 is tempting, but this is against an Allardyce side after all. It’s not going to be goals galore, and I think it’s best to stay well away from Spurs’ goal scoring as a result. Unless, of course, it’s about Heung-min Son to score. He’s 19/5 to net first.

This could be a fairly turgid match. The midfield will be a crowded place, with Gylfi Sigurdsson drifting narrow from the left flank, and Christian Eriksen doing the same for the hosts. The full-backs carry a lot of responsibility for the attacking play for both sides as a result. Son against Jonjoe Kenny is the key battle for me, and Kenny – who has two yellows in 13 league starts this term – is good value at 13/4 to receive a card.

Given that I have tipped Everton to fail to score, it’s pretty tricky to suggest that the visitors will win this one. Spurs’ downturn in home form has been nowhere near as dramatic as was suggested in the opening weeks of the season, and Everton have won just one league match on the road all season, scoring a mere eight goals in the process.

I don’t recommend changing your Saturday evening plans to watch this one. Spurs fans, though, should be quietly confident about their chances of going level on points with Liverpool.

Tip: Spurs to win 2-0 at 5/1

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*