Sports Betting Tips and Game Handicapping Picks » Tennis

Nadal, the man to beat in French Open

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 08 May 2010 16:04:05 +0000

Yep, the French Open in all its clay court glory is here again.

Dubbed as the most challenging of all the grand slams, the 2010 French Open tennis tournament is sure to stay true to the rigors and tough competitiveness so typical of the second of the annual tennis majors.

This year’s French Open will be held from May 24^th to June 7^th and this year’s tournament is sure to unleash some of the most riveting grand slam tennis action you’d ever see. Thousands are expected to arrive at Roland Garros during the two weeks of the competition in hopes of catching a glimpse of the best tennis players in the world.

Leading the pack for the men’s favorites is the ‘king of clay,’ Rafael Nadal who seem to come up with his best tennis every time he plays on that clay surface.

He etched his name into French Open history after matching the record of the well-known Bjorn Borg and the 1920’s heroine of the Open, Suzanne Lenglen, with four consecutive French Open titles.

Nadal’s success on clay is so ridiculous, you’d be a fool to bet against this guy in this tournament.

That brings us to Roger Federer. Can he win a title in France and get title number 17? Federer has found the clay courts in Paris to be his nemesis.

He is one of those great players who can’t seem to do shit on clay. He is in good company though as he is accompanied by the likes of Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, Maria Sharapova and Martina Hingis as a few great tennis players who are denied of a title on clay.

Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, is probably the only real threat to Nadal as he is considered by many as a great clay court player. Other guys to watch out for include Nikolay Davydenko, who is one of the hottest players in tennis right now.

Andy Roddick and Juan Martin Del Potro should also be...

Women to bet on in the French Open

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 07 May 2010 16:04:54 +0000

Yep, the French Open is here and if you’re a betting man, you should take note about these women you shouldn’t be betting against on May.

In case you didn’t get that, it’s that time of the Grand Slam tennis season when the best tennis players in the world head to Roland Garros for the 2010 French Open tennis tournament.

And as far as the women’s side of things go, Justine Henin is the clear cut favorite to win this tournament. Henin’s presence in the draw is clearly pushing the odds long for even the second favorite and there is good reason for that.

Henin made the finals of the recent Australian Open and, despite her long layoff, she is a force on tour even at the Grand Slam level. Her best Grand Slam has always been the French Open as she won four titles at Roland Garros (2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007) before she ‘retired’ from tennis just prior to the 2008 French Open.

Her past success at the French Open, combined with her stellar play on tour since returning from retirement has clearly won her a lot of backers to win again at Roland Garros this spring.

Trying to outwit Henin is Kim Clijsters. Even though Clijsters’ best results at the French Open were back in 2001 and 2003 when she was the runner up in both tournaments in Paris, Clijsters has remained to be a force to be reckoned with at Roland Garros.

Clijsters has played in two French Open tournaments, the 2005 event and the 2006 event, reaching the semifinals back in ‘06.

Of course, Serena Williams has to be included as one of the favorites to win the French Open. Sure, Williams has not won the French Open since 2002, about the time when she started winning everything, but at least she has won it before. Her most recent result from 2009 was a quarterfinal loss but even that was to the eventual champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Speaking of, French Open defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova has...

2010 Australian Open Betting Favorites

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 07:28:22 +0000

Tennis returns.

The 2010 Australian Open promises to deliver all the action and excitement of Grand Slam tennis starting on January 18th before concluding with the finals on January 31st at the Melbourne Tennis Stadium in Flinders Park.

There are four major international Grand Slam tournaments held each year; the Australian Tennis Open, the French Tennis Open in Paris, Wimbledon in London and the US Tennis Open in New York. With the often extreme summer temperatures of Australia, the Australian Tennis Open is regarded as one of the most physically demanding for players.

The Australian Open is important in many ways, not least of which is because it is the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year. And all eyes will be on French phenom Rafael Nadal as he attempts to defend the very title he won here last year.

Another guy to look out for at the 2010 Australian Open is of course, Roger Federer, who will be looking to put his 2009 breakdown behind him. He will need to win in Melbourne if he wishes reassert his supremacy in men’s singles tennis.

Other notable players to watch out for include Novak Djokovic. After finishing last season with the Masters Cup title under his belt, Djokovic will come in the Australian Open brimming with confidence.

We also have Andy Murray, easily the most improved player of the season. He will be looking to prove that he’s capable of Grand Slam greatness as he comes in Melbourne looking for greater things.

On the women’s side, Serena Williams will enter the tournament as a strong favorite. She will be keen to atone for last year’s US Open meltdown. However, the American won’t want to keep her guard down this year as she’ll be accompanied with other players looking for a better year as well.

Such players includes former champion Maria Sharapova...

Watch Out for Melanie Oudin

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:05:24 +0000

Serena Williams may have fired some ill-comments towards umpires but that’s not the story as far as women tennis in the U.S. is concerned.

The story in the 2009 U.S. Open has shifted from the Williams sisters to a virtual unknown named Melanie Oudin of Marietta, Georgia. The 70th-ranked Oudin has been handing out upsets to some of the sport’s biggest female stars, including Russian aces Elena Dementieva and Maria Sharapova. She also defeated 13th seed Nadia Petrova in three sets, making it crystal clear that this 17-year-old ain’t no pushover.

Sure, the magical ride for the young Melanie Oudin went to a crushing halt when she went up against no.9 seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, losing 6-2, 6-2. But the fact of the matter is, Oudin has arrived into the scene of women’s tennis in style and everybody will recognize this young talent the next time she sets foot on a tennis court.

”This has been a great experience for me. I had a great run here,” Oudin told the crowd of 23,881 during an on-court interview right after losing the match to Wozniacki, an honor usually reserved for the winner. ”I hope to come back next year and do even better.”

Doing better might just be a little harder for her though.

She upset four more established players, including the hot and sexy Maria Sharapova and Beijing Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva, to become the youngest quarter finalist at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams in 1999.

Making the story even better is the fact that Oudin’s last three victories each came after dropping the first set. But her start against Wozniacki was quite inauspicious, she lost 14 of the first 18 points under the bright lights in the big city.

With ”BELIEVE” stamped in all capital letters on the heels of her pink and yellow sneakers, Oudin certainly never gave up, her ground strokes did.

It should be interesting how she does next season...

Can Serena Williams win the US Open?

Jeffdstuff — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:48:47 +0000

The last Grand Slam of the tennis calendar is on.

The 2009 U.S. Open is here and we’ll probably see some poor sap get beaten down by Serena Williams again.

And since Serena Williams is the defending champion of the U.S. Open, not to mention the fact that she’s still fresh from her huge win at Wimbledon, the younger Williams sister will definitely be the woman to beat.

Serena has this tendency to make her opponents look decidedly ordinary with her speed and strength, unless of course she’s playing against the hot and sexy Maria Sharapova who’ll probably make Serena look like a freaking gorilla compared to Sharapova’s long legs, smooth skin and…

ANYWAY, Serena is the current holder of the U.S. Open singles title and her odds should shorten as summer tournaments heat up. She’s the best athlete on the women’s tour and she has a slight, but significant, age advantage on her older sister Venus Williams. It’s hard to imagine Serena not at least making the semis of the U.S. Open and despite being ranked no.2 in the world, she should be the odds-on favorite.

Then we have Dinara Safina. It is hard to find a serious tennis analyst who doesn’t think she is one of the best players in the sport right now. Without a shadow of a doubt, she is one of the best in the world at the moment with all of her success in the past year, but the general consensus is that Serena is still the world’s best player due to her multiple Grand Slam titles in the last year. A win over Serena at Flushing Meadows could sure fix that.

Elena Dementieva has never won a Grand Slam singles title but she did make the finals of the 2004 U.S. Open. With her odds set at +1000 (10/1) she is underrated and is more of a threat to win the 2009 U.S. Open than Sharapova, Ivanovic, Safina, and Azarenka.

Players that should almost certainly be...

Rafael Nadal to miss the US Open?

Jeffdstuff — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 03:18:22 +0000

After being out of tennis competition for two months, looks like Nadal could be out for more.

Yes, arguably the best tennis player to come out of Spain could be out longer, forcing him to miss the last Grand Slam tennis tournament of the season which would be the 2009 U.S. Open.

Too bad considering that Rafael Nadal was the no.1 tennis player in the world coming in 2009. When he lost in the French Open at Roland Garros for the first time ever, it was so monumental that everything started crumbling down with it.

You see, Nadal has been out of action for two months with knee problems during which time he lost both the French Open and Wimbledon titles to his rival Roger Federer. Since then, Federer has reclaimed his spot on top of the mountain, thanks primarily to Nadal’s troubles on and off the court.

As of this writing, Nadal has no idea if he’d be able to play in the U.S. Open and give him a chance to redeem himself.

‘’I can’t tell you if I’ll be 100 percent for the U.S. Open,'’ Nadal said. ‘’It depends on many factors but clearly, I’ll work as hard as I can try to be in condition there. But most of all, I want to make sure my knees respond well.'’

‘’Once I know my knees will respond well, I can train well, I can compete with greater calm and that’s what will give me, little by little, the confidence to train at the maximum level.'’

‘’I arrived at two very important tournaments...''

Can Roger Federer win Wimbledon?

Jeffdstuff — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:31:35 +0000

After finally winning his very first French Open title a few weeks ago, he's looking to win the big one.

Fresh off his first French Open title, Roger Federer considers himself the man to beat at the 2009 Wimbledon championships. This year’s Wimbledon will be held from June 22 to July 5, 2009 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club as always.

And as far as Roger Federer is concerned, he says he’s looking forward to trying to claim a sixth championship. ‘’I do think I’m the favorite, actually, with all the success I’ve had,'’ Federer said.

A little cocky but judging by the way he’s been dominating the past Wimbledon tournaments, he has every reason to be. Sure, his run of five consecutive Wimbledon titles ended with a five-set loss to Rafael Nadal in last year’s final but the guy is still the winner of five of the last six Wimbledon tournaments, and betting against him will still be a very bad idea.

Federer said his back feels OK. He took a six-week break this year because it was bothering him. As for his game, Federer figures he can keep improving, particularly on grass and hard courts, ‘’when I can go for my shots more.'’

We thought Rafael Nadal would be ready for this year’s tournament as this is a must win for him this year if he wants to keep his spot as the world no.1. Unfortunately, he has already ruled himself out of the tournament due to injury.

But aside from Nadal, there will be others looking to beat Federer in England. One of which is Andy Murray, who has good luck against Federer in 2009. Andy has beaten Federer in the semi-finals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open and the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open.

Aside from his success against Federer, Murray has...

Tennis back on Clay for French Open

Jeffdstuff — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:56:47 +0000

The clay courts of Paris beckons near.

Billed as the most challenging of all the grand slams, the 2009 French Open tennis tournament is coming and it’s sure to bring in the best of the world’s top tennis superstars.

Hosted by one of the most romantic cities in the world, Paris, the 2009 French Open will run from May 24th to June 7th at Roland Garros, sure to unleash some of the most riveting grand slam tennis action.

The clay courts of Roland Garros have broken the hearts of many players wishing to complete a grand slam sweep, with a slow demanding surface testing not only the physical but also the mental resolve of the competitors.

Rafael Nadal won his fourth straight title in 2008 with his victim, Roger Federer, easily defeated in straight sets.

Nadal, ranked world no.1, produced an absolutely sublime display of tennis brilliance in 2008. Picking up 6 ATP Titles, making the semi-finals at the Australian Open and the US Open, and winning Wimbledon and the French Open. Nadal smashed numerous records in the process and overtook Roger Federer as the world’s premiere male tennis player.

Ana Ivanovic will be defending the women’s title following her two set victory over Dinara Safina. The world will be watching if she can defend her title in 2009.

Over the years, the French Open has epitomized the steel and resolve of the very best in tennis, and the Roland Garros Stadium is a more than apt venue. It is named after the World War I fighter pilot who gave his life for ‘King and Country’ and his bravery is remembered and celebrated on the dusty, challenging red clay courts every year.

It is also the very stadium where Roger Federer...

ATP 2009 Australian Open Results

NBA Blogger B — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:43:21 +0000

Roger Federer once again failed to get to the record tying 14^th Grand Slam title in the ATP tour so as to the flow of tears that he could no longer hide. The frustration, confusion and the painful acceptance of his own abysmal showing in what could’ve been a mark in history for the 13 time Grand Slam winner, Roger Federer's loss to Rafael Nadal in the 2009 Australian Open finals would be exposing weaknesses of the future ATP tennis Hall of Famer. Rafael Nadal dealt another crushing blow in the greatest rivalry in Tennis. Rafael Nadal recovered from an exhausting 2009 Australian semi final to emerge victorious on a hard court in which Rafael Nadal has never previously reached a major final.

Roger Federer's place in history is sure and secure however right now Rafael Nadal is having his way with the 13 time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer. At Melbourne Park for the 2009 Australian Open it was Rafael Nadal whose focus remained marking the return to mortality of Roger Federer. Just when it mattered most, it was Roger Federer's game that was too strong for all ATP Tennis Players but one man on the planet, Rafael Nadal. Tennis can still talk about the Top Four with Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray yet a Big Two which is so far Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal that has been taking the centerstage for quite some time now. Rafael Nadal comes from the Spanish island of Mallorca, doesn't know when to quit and certainly proved his worth in the first Grand Slam event of the year.

Rafael Nadal looked gassed out in the third set of their finals duel with Roger Federer, yet prevailed in a tiebreak. In the fifth set Rafael Nadal never squandered his momentum...

2009 WTA Australian Open updates and Betting Picks

NBA Blogger B — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:11:49 +0000

1^st seeded Jelena Jankovic has pulled through to the third round of the 2009 Australian Open with a thrilling win over Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium. Jelena Jankovic who is ranked number 1 in the WTA standings is trying to get her first Grand Slam singles title, beat Kristen Flipkens 6-4 7-5. The 23-year-old Serbian Jelena Jankovic WTA tennis player lost the last U.S. Open title to Serena Williams and also made the semifinals in the 2008 Australian Open and the 2008 French Open while only lasting till the fourth round of the 2008 Wimbledon Championship. Jelena Jankovic would be playing Ai Sugiyama of Japan, who beat Nathalie Dechy of France 1-6 6-1 6-3 in the second round of the 2009 Australian Open.

Ana Ivanovic is getting back on track in the 2009 Australian Open after defeating Italian Alberta Brianti 6-3 6-2 to move onto the third round. Ana Ivanovic lost in the 2008 Australian Open final to Maria Sharapova then moving on to winning her first Grand Slam title at the 2008 French Open and gaining the No. 1 ranking in the WTA rankings.

"I was in this situation before French Open last year, coming into the tournament as pretty serious finalist," Ana Ivanovic said. "That experience will help me a lot to approach this Australian Open."

"I improved a lot since last match. I was committing much more, coming to the net more often," she said, adding she still had plenty to improve. "When you come against top players or high-ranked players, you automatically raise your level and your consistency. That's something that I can do"

Dinara Safina moved on to the third round of the 2009 Australian Open after rallying for a three-set win.

"It was amazing, I'm so happy to be back here," Ana Ivanovic said. "I had lots of great matches here last year."

Dinara Safina overcame...