Maria Sharapova is aiming to secure her first Grand Slam since 2008 and the betting market see her as a slight under-dog for the match against Third seed Victoria Azarenka. Ironically her last Grand Slam win came in Melbourne but since then she has been hampered by injuries and a loss of form, though her recent runner up place at SW19 last year could carry her through in tomorrow’s final.

Her opponent Azarenka has never appeared in a grand slam final, but appeared in the Semi’s of Wimbledon last June and despite losing she made an impact on the Big Four scene and has carried that form in the Australian Open this month, she will also be buoyed by the fact that the last two meetings between herself and Sharapova have gone her way however Sharapova is known to favour the big games.

Azarenka is favoured by Skybet as the winner of the match giving her odds 8/11 to secure her first career Grand Slam and though these odds seem unfair, her performances in the tournament thus far have warranted this.

Sharapova however is less favoured at a generous 6/5 and could well earn punters a few quid as she is sure to be backed by casual tennis fans hoping to see her regain her Grand Slam winning form.

An interesting bet is the 10/3 given to Sharapova winning the match by 2 sets to 1, a scenario that could well happen on Saturday morning.