Moutet in the Big 3?

Jeremy was telling me that Corentin was the only player along with Sinner and Carlito who hadn’t played before the AO. Let’s go see what’s going on behind all this...

What surprises does this troublemaker Moutet still have in store for us? No official info on the reason for these withdrawals in Brisbane and Adelaide, so it’s up to us to interpret it as best we can. If I had to choose, I’d go for enforced rest with a few aches and pains here and there. Corentin is coming off a big season, and his body really takes a beating in pretty much every one of his matches! So he may have saved himself for a tournament where he can really bother a lot of players. All of that makes sense, but is it the truth? I have no idea, my friends. What I can tell you is that he finished his season looking a bit less sharp, and there was a strong whiff of long-term wear and tear. On the other side of the net, “Katie at school,” as we like to call him, is not in what you’d call peak form. The Australian crowd effect will surely kick in, but his playing style is really not suited to facing Moutet. And outside of his serve-and-volley / attacking tennis, he doesn’t have that many other options. If Coco is in good shape, I struggle to see any other outcome. For me, the real question is more about the scoreline, because we all know Mout’ inside out, and he’s quite used to letting a set slip away here and there. A bit less so since he’s become more serious, but still. Maybe enough, perhaps, to suggest a fun bet for you...