Joker in the Pack

So Nadal and Federer have fallen by the wayside and a British player, Andy Murray, has outlasted them both and made the final. His time has come! Hasn’t it? I mean, only that pesky Federer has denied him in his two previous Slam finals and that’s because he’s essentially superhuman. That Nadal is the other one who seems unreasonably good so if he’s out too then surely the stage is set to end that British wait of 75 years for a Grand Slam title?

Well before all the bunting comes out it may be worth remembering that Murray is ranked four in the world and that means there is still one other contender out there who is recognised as his superior. As luck would have it that man is Novak Djokovic, Sunday’s opponent - the 2008 Australian Open champion. In his semi-final he beat the ‘superhuman’ Federer in straight sets which probably has the effect, one would imagine, of boosting your confidence quite significantly.

If form counts for anything then Djokovic is a legitimate favourite. Yes, Murray has progressed pretty well but sets dropped in his last two matches rightly hint that his very best form is only being played in patches. Furthermore, the Brit has benefitted from a kind draw that has seen him evade any meetings with the world’s top six players. Djokovic, in contrast, beat Tomas Berdych in straight sets before dismantling the Swiss defending champion in similar fashion. The extra day’s rest he will have had by Sunday will do him no harm either.

Despite the inevitable patriotic backing for Murray, the Serb remains comfortable favourite with the bookies, which tells its own story. Murray is a top player but his two previous Grand Slam finals have ended in straight set defeats. I expect him to fair a little better this time but, for value, a bet on Djokovic to win his second Grand Slam in four sets looks tempting at 7/2 with Bluesquare.