Australian Open Men's Singles: Auger-Aliassime can win his quarter

• Australian Open draw has taken place

• Djokovic and Medvednev kept apart

• Auger-Aliassime looks good value for his quarter

• Zverev is a great back to lay option

Djokovic and Medvedev kept apart

The big news from Thursday's draw in Melbourne is that the top two in the outright market, Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, were kept apart with the duo now not scheduled to meet until the final.

The price on Djokovic has barely moved, from 1.9720/21 to 2.001/1, while Medvedev has drifted a little and is now trading at 8.007/1.

Instinctively, this market movement looks a little odd. Medvedev has been drawn in quarter one, which does contain Rafa Nadal, but the Nadal of the last few months shouldn't be a hurdle for Medvedev at all.

Furthermore, Nadal, upon being drawn with Medvedev, has drifted from 14.013/1 tp a current 22.021/1, with the Spaniard having a really tricky opener against the rapidly improving Brit Jack Draper and things not getting much easier in round two where NextGen winner Brandon Nakashima potentially awaits.

While it is easy to see reasons for Nadal being friendless in the market, I'm less put off by Medvedev's chances.

However, I think the Sportsbook also has taken the same approach, with him currently offered at 11/2 outright, and if this was more in line with the Exchange, and each-way terms being 1/2 the odds to reach the final, this might have been more of a value proposition - likewise the even money on Medvedev to win quarter one.

Auger-Aliassime to have edge over Tsitsipas

The market now has Stefanos Tsitsipas promoted to 19.018/1 third favourite, which is a move I struggle to understand. First of all, Tsitsipas - who has won below 34% of return points in the last six months - has statistically the worst return game of all the major contenders, which is a huge red flag when looking at the abilities of previous Slam winners (even the rogue ones).

Secondly, I don't even make him the best player in his bracket, and I think Felix Auger-Aliassime 26.025/1 who has a kind opening few rounds draw as well, looks a better prospect.

Auger-Aliassime showed real improvement in the last few months of 2022, while we haven't really witnessed much in terms of kicking on from Tsitsipas during the last year or two. The 7/2 with the Sportsbook about Auger-Aliassime to win quarter two looks reasonable enough, in my view.

Djokovic headlines brutal quarter three

Moving through the draw, quarter three looks the toughest quarter by a long way. Not only because it contains pre-tournament favourite Djokovic, but also because it contains a good 10 or so players who will be targeting a quarter-final spot, at the very least.

These include Nick Kyrgios, Holger Rune (who has a really tough opening few rounds), Andrey Rublev and Alex De Minaur, as well as some big-serving threats such as Maxime Cressy and John Isner, capable of giving anyone a high-variance match. Given this, as well as a lack of hard court pedigree so far in his career, I'm surprised to see Rune now at 40.039/1 tenth favourite for the title.

Zverev can ease himself through first rounds

Finally, Taylor Fritz 32.031/1 into 24.023/1 has received some market support and if it wasn't for being drawn in the same half as Djokovic, had a fairly positive draw with Casper Ruud and Matteo Berrettini being his main threats in quarter four.

This bracket also contains Alexander Zverev, who is making his injury comeback, plus Andy Murray, who received a very tough opener in the draw against Berrettini.

Tracking Zverev's price as the tournament progresses will be fascinating.

We know that he's been absent from the main tour since May's French Open, and his results in the warm-up events have been mixed, but he has an absolute gift opening few rounds in his draw, and it wouldn't surprise me if the current 75.074/1 shortened a fair bit by round four, when he finally faces opposition who should give him a test.