Australian Open Betting / Ben Caudell / 24 January 2011 /

It's the battle of the Swiss in Melbourne as Stanislas Wawrinka and Roger Federer meet in the quarter-finals and no.2 could beat no.1, says Ben Caudell

Stanislas Wawrinka (SWI) v Roger Federer (SWI)
Stan 'The Man' Wawrinka, made it through to his first ever Australian Open quarter-final in devastating fashion, displaying the kind of aggression more akin to the deadly beasts in the outback rather than the hard-courts of Melbourne.

The Swiss number two nailed an incredible 67 winners compared with 24 to last 16 victim Andy Roddick. He even out-served his normally lethal opponent, hitting 24 aces against just nine for the American. With Wawrinka in a purple patch of form, who wouldn't argue that this is probably his best chance to emerge from the shadow of compatriot Roger Federer, to defeat him for only the second time in his career.

Roger leads their head-to-head series 7-1, with six of his wins coming in straights sets. Wawrinka's solitary scalp came in 2009 and was played on clay at the Monte Carlo Masters series event.

But Fed's 2011 Australian Open campaign hasn't been plain sailing, he has so far dropped three sets, going to a fifth with Gilles Simon in the second round and surprisingly dropping one against Tommy Robredo in round three. Although Federer's Australian Open statistics are second to none, he will be wary of Warwinka's form coming into this match-up.

Wawrinka's exceptional year can be put down to the recruitment of top coach Peter Lundgren, who happened to be Federer's coach from 2000 - 2003, another great advantage the 25-year-old will bring to this match.

Having already collected a trophy this year, the Chennai Open, be prepared to see Stan move briskly up the world rankings from a current 19 and challenge for many more titles in 2011. The big fella seems to have developed a lot more power and aggression in his game, dictating points from the back and moving into the court more frequently.

The outsider's draw on paper looked a lot tougher than Federer's, however Wawrinka has dispatched Andy Roddick, Gael Monfils, Grigor Dimitrov and Teymuraz Gabashvilli without dropping a set. He has managed to win nine matches in a row on hard-courts and poses a massive threat to Federer at this tournament. Today's match could signal a change in the Swiss Guard.

Recommended Bets:
Back Stanislas Wawrinka @ [4.6] to win match (Small bet)
Back Wawrinka +6.5 Games @ [1.65]


Andrea Petkovic (GER) v Na Li (CHN)
Na Li is on a mission - to become the first Chinese woman to reach a Grand Slam final.

She has played some impressive tennis so far at this year's Australian Open, defeating the likes of Victoria Azarenka in straight sets 6-3 6-3. The Australian fans have taken to the 29-year-old, showing as much support for her as they would their home players, but perhaps this should not be too much of a surprise, for Li has a magnificent record in Australia and enjoys competing in this nation more than any other.

Li reached the semi-final of last year's Australian Open where she defeated Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams before losing to eventual winner Serena Williams in two tie-break sets. She is currently at the top of the Race to the Championship Rankings having started the 2011 season on a fantastic note by being crowned the Medibank Champion, a tournament held in Sydney and where she also defeated Kim Clijsters in straight sets.

Ranked 11th in the world, Li has impressive stats coming into tonight's quarter-final showdown, she has won nine in a row on Australian hard courts. This will be the first meeting between the two players, and although Petkovic is a rising star and one to note for the future, the more experienced Li should come out on top in a closely fought match that will be won in three sets.

Li will take advantage of Petkovic's poor second serve, she is more focused, confident and consistent from the back of the court than the German. She is less likely to hit as many unforced errors and tense up when the pressure is on.
The Great Wall of China that is Na Li will remain rock solid.

Recommended Bets:
Back Na Li @ [1.5] to win match
Back Li 2-1 @ [4.5]

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