Events / Sean Calvert / 08 January 2012 /

The world's best are in Australia ahead of the first grand slam of the year and it's one of the most improved tennis players of 2011 who is attracting tipster Sean Calvert's money after hitting a big winner last week

It was the perfect start to the 2012 tennis season in Qatar last week, as my tip, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, stormed to the Doha title and rewarded backers who were on at the advised price of around [6.0].

The big Frenchman did benefit from a rare Roger Federer withdrawal to get there, but he showed admirable mental strength to overcome the dangerously slippery and foggy conditions in the final against Gael Monfils.

It was also a good week for Andy Murray, who impressed new coach, Ivan Lendl, by winning in Brisbane, but don't read too much into the score in the final, as Alexandr Dolgopolov was protecting an injured leg and treated the match as an exhibition.

There are a couple of ATP Tour events this week in the run-up to the Australian Open, as the top four in the world take a break and several other big names have a knockabout at the exhibition event in Kooyong.

I'm concentrating on the ATP 250 event in Sydney for this week's bet where an opportunity has seemingly presented itself for one of last year's most improved players to take his first title of 2012.

John Isner ended 2011 in fine style by reaching the semi-final of the Paris Masters and currently sits inside the top-20 in the world at number 18 in the rankings.

The 6'9" ace machine is seeded number two for this and does have form for winning early in the season, as his 2010 win in Auckland highlights and this is the kind of tournament that Isner should be winning if he wants to improve again in 2012.

The opposition in the bottom half of the draw is certainly weaker than that of the top half, with only really Richard Gasquet and Radek Stepanek likely to cause my selection many problems.

Gasquet has a decent chance with a dream draw, but he's been priced up accordingly and I'm not sure that he should be the same price as Isner (or less with some layers) given that he hasn't won a hard-court title since 2007.

At around [7.0] Isner looks a good investment though and with doubts over our top seed this week, the big man should give us a run for our money.

The top half of the draw looks much trickier, but on form you have to like number one seed, Juan Martin Del Potro's chances based on the level he showed in the Davis Cup Final last month.

There is a bit of a question mark over the big Argentine's fitness though and his motivation in what is essentially a warm up for the Australian Open for the likes of Delpo may not be all that it could be.

It's largely that fact that explains why no number one seed has won this or even reached the final since Lleyton Hewitt back in 2005 and of course, Hewitt had his own reasons for busting a gut here, as the home favourite.

At around [3.5] I don't see Delpo as a great bet this week, all things considered and if you're after a big priced bet in Sydney the top half of the draw is perhaps the place to look.

Marcos Baghdatis and Dmitry Tursunov have both won the title here in the last few years and both are drawn in Delpo's quarter, as is Ivan Dodig and Marcel Granollers.

In the adjacent section, Viktor Troicki, Hewitt, Alex Bogomolov Jr, Julien Benneteau, Andreas Seppi, Robin Haase and Feli Lopez will all fancy their chances this week, with preference perhaps going to the Spaniard or Troicki.

Since finally discovering a backhand at the age of 29, Lopez has shown some improved form and he does have a good record against Del Potro, winning three of their last four matches.

Troicki has points to defend from reaching the final here last year and either one of he and Lopez could be worth a punt as a longshot this week.

But I'll be re-investing some of my Tsonga winnings in Isner in Sydney.

Recommended Bet
Back John Isner at around [7.0]

Follow Sean on Twitter @seancalvert1

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