Talented Alex de Minaur ready for homeland success

ATP Brisbane International
Starts Monday (live coverage on Eurosport)

Rafael Nadal is the top seed in the Brisbane International but the world number two could be a vulnerable market-leader after losing to Kevin Anderson in the semi-finals of the Mubadala exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.

After the defeat the Spaniard admitted to pains following ankle surgery and even went as far as to suggest his Australian Open participation may be in doubt, but Nadal subsequently played down any injury concerns.

Nadal and fellow one-time big four member Andy Murray are both in the top half of the Brisbane draw, but the Briton is still reportedly feeling occasional hip pain on court, so it could be a good time to take on the legends with a lively outsider.

Step forward Alex de Minaur. The Australian, who makes up for a lack of physical power with a fine array of groundstrokes and temperament to match, reached the semi-finals in Queensland last year and could go all the way this year.

Nick Kyrgios returns to defend his title and the Canberra ace is in the bottom half of the draw along with Kei Nishikori, third seed Kyle Edmund and Grigor Dimitrov, who has a fine record in this tournament.

Kyrgios could be an obvious danger but he's never certain to turn up in the right frame of mind, so an interest on De Minaur could be a wise move.

Recommendation
A de Minaur
1pt 18-1 bet365, Coral, Ladbrokes

WTA Brisbane International
Starts Monday (live coverage on BT Sport)
The best field of the week is the $1 million WTA Brisbane International, which features nine of the top 12 female players on the planet.

Elina Svitolina, victorious in the year-ending WTA Finals in Singapore in October, returns to Queensland to defend her Bris­bane crown and could obviously go well again.

The Ukrainian could find Sloane Stephens and Karolina Pliskova provide her stiffest competition in the top half of the draw.

US Open champion Naomi Osaka heads the bottom half of the draw and the Japanese ace is good enough to beat anyone when she hits peak form. But so early in the season, it could be worth taking on Osaka with Petra Kvitova, who is often nicely tuned up in January and won this title in 2011.

Kvitova has never reached the pinnacle of the sport but she may be capable of producing her best push for the number one spot in 2019. Even last season she was still fighting her way back from a knife attack in late 2016 and the Czech could find even more in the coming months.

Daria Kasatkina and Anastasija Sevastova, the other seeds in the bottom section, could figure but will do well to deny Osaka and Kvitova.

Recommendation
P Kvitova
1pt 8-1 bet365

WTA Shenzhen Open
Starts Sunday (live coverage on BT Sport)
Aryna Sabalenka tops the bill in Shenzhen this year and the Belarusian is so good that she could boss the tournament at her best.

But Sabalenka won only four games in a quarter-final loss to Simona Halep in Shenzhen last season and while the Romanian skips the tournament this year, it's possible that the top seed could find Maria Sharapova, who may perform better this season than last, a handful in the last eight this time.

Jelena Ostapenko, French Open heroine in 2017, also contests the top half of the draw but it could be worth having an interest in the bottom half.

The fourth quarter could be between second seed Caroline Garcia and eighth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, but Qiang Wang may have an easier time of things in quarter number three.

Wang faces a tricky opener against Alison Riske, who may still be good enough to feature at the top level one day, but should the selection overcome the American, she should also be good enough to fend off her fellow Chinese seed Saisai Zheng.

Wang, who may also enter Grand Slam calculations one day, could have enough to defeat Garcia or Pavlyuchenkova in the semis and looks worth an interest.

Recommendation
Qiang Wang
1pt 11-2 bet365

WTA ASB Classic
Starts Monday (live coverage on BT Sport)
It may well be a continuation of the Caroline Wozniacki-Julia Goerges show in the ASB Classic when last year's finalists, who were top seeds a year ago, return to head the Auckland bill.

But with Goerges far from certain to retain her title and Wozniacki not sure to be as fired up at the start of this season as she was in 2018, when she won the Australian Open, it could pay to chance a bigger-priced outsider.

Venus Williams faces a tough opener against Victoria Azarenka, who many observers fancy for a prosperous campaign, while Barbora Stry­cova and Su-Wei Hsieh can also be considered.

But it could pay to chance a surprise champion and Amanda Anisimova fits the bill. After an opener against a quali­fier, the 17-year-old American may be good enough to see off Strycova or Taylor Townsend, then possibly Sofia Kenin, who could also go well, or Martic.

Goerges could lie in wait in the semi-finals but Anisimova, runner-up to Su-Wei Hsieh in Hiroshima last season, has the measure of anyone in this field on her day.

Lauren Davis had a 2018 dogged by injuries, but things were coming together for her nearing the end of last season.

The feisty American opens against Lara Arruabarrena and while the Spaniard is no shrinking violet herself, the conditions in Auck­land could suit Davis more.

Recommendations
A Anisimova
0.5pt each-way 25-1 Coral, Ladbrokes
L Davis to bt L Arruabarrena
1pt 5-8 Betfair

Read every day for no-nonsense previews and expert sports betting tips

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport

Like us on Facebook RacingPostSport