Given the conditions are a little warmer today in Melbourne in the heat of the afternoon, and the confidence displayed from Alexei Popyrin in terms of his ability to get the work in over the off-season, this looks to be a good spot to support the Australian as an underdog.
I will keep this brief as the match on court before is underway, however I don’t feel these are ideal conditions for Goffin. Off not a lot of tennis, the warmer temperatures today are going to cause him a little bit of grief in my opinion. Like Alex Bolt yesterday, Popyrin’s performances at Melbourne Park trump anywhere else on the tour. He looked solid in his lead-in form last week with the right mix of time on court and not overplaying it (see Sinner cramping yesterday as an example).
Goffin on the other hand looks as though he is devoid of confidence in his game for the most part. He did have three wins in Antalya, however even that week wasn’t overly convincing, needing to dig himself out of a large hole in round 1 against Herbert, saving a handful of match points.
Can you trust him at the price, in the heat, against Popyrin at Melbourne Park? I personally cannot and will be taking Popyrin to win this match outright for 1.5 units.
Suggested Bet
1.5 units Popyrin to defeat Goffin at $3.00 (+200)