Kim Clijsters Trading as Strong Favourite for Australian Open

The Women’s Australian Open action is well under way and the former world #1 is heavily-favoured to secure the first major championship of 2011. The short price isn’t a dramatic surprise as Clijsters got her tournament off to a scintillating start by defeating former #1 Dinara Safina with a 6-0, 6-0 scoreline.

At this point in time, the betting markets indicate that there are a mere three contenders with reasonable chances of securing the tournament win. Clijsters is head and shoulders ahead of the field with a very slim 7/4 price tag while Justine Henin is the closest competitor with a 9/2 listing.

Caroline Wozniacki has already secured passage to the third round and she’s definitely in the mix with an 11/2 price tag. Her odds will shorten considerably as she progresses into the tournament so anybody who’s looking to back the Danish sensation would do well to lock in a bet soon.

Some of the more recognizable names are sitting a ways back in the market with Maria Sharapova priced around 16/1 and Venus Williams just a shade behind at 20/1. China’s Li Na is rewarding at 20/1 as well.

One wager that is bound to attract attention is the even-money odds available on Thursday night’s action with Federer, Djokovic, Wozniacki and Henin all to win their matches.