Gael Monfils looks a good odds-on bet to advance to the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday.

Monfils, 2/5 at time of writing, should be able to overcome John Isner providing he can deal with the American's serve.

Isner, standing 6ft 9" tall, is similar to Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic in that his serve posing a huge threat, but the rest of his game is lacking.

It is worth noting that in their head-to-head battles, Isner (7/4 to advance to the fourth round) holds a 2-1 lead. But all three of those matches were played on hard courts in America and as noted in previous columns this week, the courts at Melbourne are playing slower, which will suit Monfils.

Frenchman Monfils has risen to 12 in the world rankings and should break into the top 10 at some point this year. He reached the fourth round here last year as well as the fourth round at the US Open and will be looking to improve on those achievements this year.

But if the 23-year-old is looking to repeat the straight sets victories he has recorded in the first two rounds in Melbourne, he may want to remember that all three previous battles with Isner have gone the distance. That makes the 5/1 available on the 3-2 Monfils win of interest here, and while we think he will win, laying a 3-0 Monfils win on Betfair at under 4.0 (3.75 at time of writing) may also be a good move.

You can watch Isner v Monfils live for free on bet365. To watch, simply follow these 3 simple steps:
 
1. Go to bet365 and sign-up or register (it's free)
2. Click on Sports > Live Streaming > Tennis
3. Watch Isner v Monfils for free