We’re already in a new decade and it’s still the usual suspects in Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer who are expected to dominate a given Grand Slam tournament. The 2020 Australian Open is no different, with all those three being heavy favorites. But will we see a player with longer odds win it all in Melbourne?
Top 3 High Value Sleeper Picks and Predictions for the 2020 Australian Open Men’s Singles Tennis Tournament
TV Broadcast: ESPN, NBC Sports, TSN, Tennis Channel
Marin Cilic (+4000)
Cilic kicked off the new decade by beating Dennis Novak in the ATP Cup to the tune of a 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4 score. But in his latest match as of this writing, he was rolled by Guido Pella in Sydney, with the continuation of the ATP Cup. As far as Cilic’s form is on the hard court, those are the most recent basis. Overall in his career, though, the 31-year-old Cilic is 312-164 in ATP matches on the hard court. He also has 14 titles on the hard court, the most among all surfaces. Cilic only has a single Grand Slam title, a US Open plum he won in 2014. He’s come close to winning a second one in some occasions since, which includes his runner-up finish in the Australian Open in 2018. Last year, Cilic made it to the Round of 16.
Nick Kyrgios (+4000)
With Kyrgios, you just don’t know what you’re going to get. Viewed as a talented player with a mercurial attitude, Kyrgios was like a house on fire at the start of the ATP Cup, racking up four wins in a row, a span that included a 7-6 (9-7), 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-5) victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in their Brisbane match. The good times ended in a 1-6-4-6 loss to Roberto Bautista-Agut, after which Kyrgios had a very candid and concerning reaction, suggesting poor performance in the future in events when he has no teammates around. Kyrgios heads into the Australian Open with all of his last six titles coming in tournaments played on the hard court.
Karen Khachanov (+5000)
Khachanov has seen some improvements in his progress in Grand Slam tournaments last year, when he finally made his first Grand Slam quarterfinals, reaching that level in Roland Garros. He’s also posted his best finish to date in the Australian Open, going as deep as the third round in 2019. Khachanov, who is ranked 17th in the world right now, is at his best when playing on the hard court. The Russian has won four hard court ATP singles events.
