I've updated this article with more predictions I am taking today as I don't want to over post new content. Here are my other predictions for today and tomorrow morning in both the Doha ATP and Brisbane ATP.
ATP Doha Today
(1) Pierre Herbert vs Marterer Maximilian - Herbert to win straight sets @ 2.68 (1%)
(2) Guido Pella vs Marco Cecchinato - Pella outright @ 1.72 (1%)
(3) Andrey Rublev vs Nikoloz Basilashvili - Basilashvili outright @ 2.00 (2%)
ATP Brisbane Tomorrow
(1) Jeremy Chardy vs Yasutaka Uchiyama - Uchiyama @ 2.62 (2%)
(2) Grigor Dimitrov vs Kei Nishikori - Dimitrov @ 2.20 (1%)
ATP Doha Outright Winner
With Rafa Nadal withdrawn from the ATP Brisbane with a thigh strain I need to pick another favourite winner instead. I will be going for Stan Wawrinka as an outsider with 1%.
Australian Open Outright Winner
Nadal is now a doubt for the Australian Open after pulling out of Brisbane with a thigh strain, in which case I will be withdrawing my prediction for him to win and putting it on...
Stan Wawrinka at 41.00 (0.5%)
Hopman Cup Earlier...
So I am currently watching the Hopman cup where Frances Lucas Pouille is taking on Germany's Alexander Zverev. Pouille is a promising talent who last year had a bit of an up and down season. But he is still a solid baseline hitter and has a cool head. He's giving Zverev a run for his money so I am staking 0.5% on him winning at current live odds of 10.00 as he's going to go a set down.
Zverev had another great year in 2018 on tour with a climax of winning the London ATP Finals when beating Djokovic. But he is still vulnerable to players outside the top 10 as he tries to find further consistency.
I have watched Pouille play many times, while he is struggling to break into the top 10 and fulfill his potential the Frenchman unlike all his fellow countrymen is a hard worker and isn't shy of battling for his matches. In the Hopman cup where every players spirit is lifted similar to the Davis and Laver Cup, anything can happen and certainly Pouille is capable of beating Zverev over 3 sets.
I decided to go with Pouille whilst watching the opening eight games because he troubled Zverev on serve and looks determined to fight for Frances victory in the Round Robin. Especially given his fellow team mate Alize Cornet lost to Angelique Kerber earlier today. If Pouille doesn't win this match today France are out of the Hopman Cup. Whether or not he can turn this one around is another matter, but at high odds he is worth a speculation over three sets.
Pouilles best tennis came early last year when he won in Montpellier plus went deep into the Dubai ATP Tournament, perhaps he can start 2019 by taking France to victory at the Hopman cup.
If Pouille manages to turn it around against Zverev, him and Cornet must then face down Zverev and Kerber in a final doubles match. That will be a very difficult match, both Germans are solid singles players but anything can happen during doubles, there's so many more dynamics at play on court.
In Play Now: Into the second set Pouille is knuckling down against Zverev and holding comfortably, he has half a chance here of taking it to a third set, let's see if he can produce the goods for France.
Update: Into the third set we go! I was rather lucky as I was writing the post and watching the game live the score swung in Zverevs favour 5-3 so I got odds of 10.00 on the game instead of 4.00 for Pouille to win. Pouille just won a tight tie break 10 - 8 in the second set to take it to a final set. Now it gets interesting.
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