Novak Djokovic Getting the Edge over Andy Murray in Aussie Open Final

The countdown is on as the 2011 Australian Open draws to a close and it's an absolutely intriguing Grand Slam Final with neither a Federer or a Nadal set to contest the fixture.

Novak Djokovic, vanquisher of Roger Federer, is considered to be the pronounced favourite over Scotland's Andy Murray. The current betting line for the outright victory looks to be a 4/6 wager on Djokovic against Murray's 11/10.

Needless to say, the odds with the UK-facing bookmakers have Murray priced lower than the continental bookies. Volume has been heavy since the surprise final was confirmed.

Murray has played down the pressure on himself as he seeks to end Britain's 75 year wait for a male grand slam winner. One can definitely understand the approach, and it's likely that the first set will give either player a distinct momentum advantage.

Novak Djokovic is 3/1 to lose the first set and come back to win, while Murray is priced at 5/1 for the same feat. The favoured correct score for the first set is either a 6-3 or 6-4 result to Djokovic, with both options priced at 11/2.

Murray's better ace percentage could be the deciding factor and that's confirmed by the bookmakers setting a higher over/under on number of aces. Murray's line is set at 8.5 while Djokovic is just a step behind at 7.5.

It's clear that if Murray can dominate off the serve, we could see the in-play odds shift sharply after the opening set.