Australian Open day seven predictions and tennis betting tips: Take on Thiem

Free tennis tips, best bets and analysis for day seven of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Sunday.

Where to watch

Eurosport 1 & 2, from midnight Saturday

Best bets

Grigor Dimitrov +5.5 games v Dominic Thiem
1pt 4-5 Paddy Power

Simona Halep to beat Iga Swiatek
2pts 4-6 Hills

Su-Wei Hsieh +4.5 games v Marketa Vondrousova
1pt 4-5 Betfair

Serena Williams to beat Aryna Sabalenka
1pt Evsgeneral

Preview

Australian Open top seed Novak Djokovic will hope to steady the ship in his fourth-round clash with Milos Raonic after being taken to five sets by Taylor Fritz and the eight-time Melbourne Park singles champion is likely to do that even though Canadian Raonic is playing well.

However, third seed Dominic Thiem could have a tough time of things against Grigor Dimitrov in their last-16 rumble and that looks the place to go for a punt in the men's draw on day seven.

Thiem was under pressure when two sets down against the mercurial Nick Kyrgios in round three, but the US Open champion deserves much credit for sticking to his guns and emerging a 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 winner against the Australian.

But it's possible things could get even tougher for the Austrian in his next singles outing. Dimitrov is no stranger to turning up down under in top fettle, but on many previous occasions that has resulted in notching a prep event title.

This year the Bulgarian has saved his best for the Grand Slam and considering Dimitrov leads their personal series 3-2, he looks well placed to put the wind up Thiem.

The 18th seed is given a handicap start of 5.5 games and in the likelihood that he could win at least a couple of sets, that start could prove useful for his supporters.

Obviously Thiem has gone on to bigger things than Dimitrov in recent years, but that may count for little given the form of the lower-ranked player, who has yet to drop a set in the competition, is showing.

Simona Halep, who seems to be enjoying her tennis down under even though there will be tougher hurdles in week two at Melbourne Park, can avenge her French Open thrashing at the hands of Iga Swiatek when the pair clash for a quarter-final berth.

Halep survived a tough second-round encounter against an improved Ajla Tomlanovic but dominated in other triumphs over Lizette Cabrera and, in her last singles start, Veronika Kudermetova.

That last outing showed the Romanian second seed is on top of her game. The same can be said of many players still left in the draw, but if Halep reproduces the performance she posted in her 6-1 6-3 dismissal of 32nd seed Kudermetova, who has started the season well herself, then Swiatek could struggle on hard courts.

Swiatek demolished Halep 6-1 6-2 in September on her march to Roland Garros glory, but the Romanian thrashed the Pole 6-1 6-0 at the same venue in 2019 in their first meeting so it isn't as if one player is dominating their series.

Marketa Vondrousova did what Petra Kvitova and Patricia Maria Tig could not do and silenced Sorana Cirstea, but the Czech may find veteran Su-Wei Hsieh a tougher opponent again than the Romanian.

Hsieh, 35, looks in top nick having seen off in-form Tsvetana Pironkova and Bianca Andreescu in straight sets and then doing well to deny the feisty Sara Errani in three sets.

Those results are hard to fault and Hsieh merits further support, notwithstanding her advanced age. Backing the Chinese Taipei player to win at least a set is a definite option because she tends to bounce back well in matches.

However, even if Vondrousova was to defeat Hsieh in straight sets, it's difficult to quibble with a handicap start of 4.5 games so that could be the way forward.

Vondrousova dropped her only set of the competition in her opener against Rebecca Peterson and the fact that she has already reached the final of a Grand Slam tournament - Roland Garros in 2019 - may not aid her cause much against such an in-form opponent.

Hsieh edged victory in their only previous meeting in Abu Dhabi last month 3-6 6-3 7-6, but the outsider looks to be playing better now than then.

Neither Aryna Sabalenka nor Serena Williams has dropped a set on the way to the last 16 and something has to give in their first main-tour meeting.

Williams, 39, struggled to capture the first set against Anastasia Potapova, but that may go to show just how good the young Russian is and will become.

Sabalenka's game is more about brute force and while going all the way to the Melbourne title may be too much for Williams this year, if the best player in the history of women's tennis produces one of her trademark solid matches she may still be good enough to come through against the 22-year-old Belarusian number one.

It could be telling that the oddsmakers are none too keen to go bigger than evens about marginal outsider Williams. And considering those same market-makers are fully aware how dangerous Sabalenka can be to any opponent, that too could be a minor clue.

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