andy murray

Andy Murray v Novak Djokovic Australian Open semi final tennis betting is what we have to look forward to. By the time the world number one and number four go head to head at Melbourne Park, they will know whether it is Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal waiting for them in the final. Britain’s number one Andy Murray was pitted against young Japanese player Kei Nishikori in the quarter finals, an opponent who had upset sixth seed Jo Wilfried Tsonga in previous round. Again Murray showed a lot of composure against a lesser quality opponent and got the job done efficiently. There are just not the same concerns about Murray slipping up against lower ranked players as there were a couple of years ago, and now the Scot is in his fifth consecutive Grand Slam semi final. Murray saw of Nishikori in straight sets, with the Japanese player physically tiring towards the end, unable to cope with a long tournament and the class of Murray. So now Murray has put himself back on the brink of winning his first Grand Slam and Andy Murray v Novak Djokovic Australian Open semi final tennis betting is a repeat of last year’s Australian Open final, which Djokovic took with consummate ease. Murray said that he wants and needs to serve better in the semi final than he did in his quarter final match, and this now will be the big mental test of Murray’s progress. That is the grey area which lets him down, and it was what undid him in the final of last year’s event when he just was not in it mentally right from the very off. Right now, Murray will know that this really is the big hurdle between himself and his first Grand Slam. He would, and rightly so, fancy his chances against Nadal or Federer in the final, and the confidence which he would garner in beating Novak Djokovic to get there would be immense. All that will be needed is a strong start from Murray, that first set being crucial as you can’t afford to be playing catch up against the Serbian.

World number one Novak Djokovic saw off tough opponent, world number five David Ferrer in his quarter final match. As expected it was a tough affair, as the Spaniard never stops running and always makes his opponents dig deeper for an extra shot or two in rallies. However, it was Djokovic who managed to edge the first two sets, the crucial point coming in the second set tie break, in which Ferrer had a 3-1 lead but Djokovic hit back with six points out of the next seven to take the set. That just broke the Spaniard and Djokovic cruised through the third set. There was a moment of concern for the world number one as he pulled up at the end of a rally, clutching at his hamstring. However, the Serbian didn’t receive any treatment and carried on to stop speedy Ferrer from getting back into the match. So there doesn’t appear to be any concerns or worries over Djokovic’s fitness heading into the semi final clash against Murray. Andy Murray v Novak Djokovic Australian Open semi final tennis betting shouldn’t be affected by that, and although Djokovic also said that he was struggling with his breathing during the match, there is nothing in his fitness to suggest that Murray will get an advantage there. Djokovic just churns out sensational tennis and his defensive prowess pulls him through tight situations. He is the more mobile of the two players in this semi final clash, and has that extra level of creativity. There should be a lot of hard hitting rallies in Andy Murray v Novak Djokovic Australian Open semi final tennis betting and the defensive skills of the players are going to be called into action. Djokovic will go as favourite, simply because he is the world number one and has that incredible depth of an extra gear which just allows him to accelerate. Murray can’t afford to be left behind early on.

In the Novak Djokovic v Andy Murray head to head, the Serbian holds a 6-4 lead over the Scot. So not as wide of a margin as you may be thinking. They met three times during the 2011 season, with Djokovic winning two and Murray picking up a victory in the final of Cincinnati when Djokovic had to retired a set down and 3-0 down in the second. The big meeting last year was of course the Australian Open final, in which Murray was struggling right from the get go. Djokovic waltzed through the match in straight sets, with Murray unable to d anything about it. So the big challenge for Murray is to get himself in from. Djokovic’s strike record isn’t hot after losing the first set in matches, but has a phenomenal record when winning the first. That is what Murray needs to fix in this meeting, get out to a lead and hang on.

Andy Murray v Novak Djokovic Australian Open semi final tennis betting odds
Novak Djokovic 1/2 at Boylesports
Andy Murray 19/10 at Bet365

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Andy Murray v Kei Nishikori Tennis Betting Preview: Britain’s great tennis hope Andy Murray is still alive in the draw at Melbourne Park and attracting Australian Open tennis betting attention. His whole tournament got off to a slow start when he dropped the first set of his opening match against young American Ryan Harrison. But Scot Murray soon settled into his stride and looked more relaxed and saw out the opening test in four sets. Things have gotten a bit more straight forward for him since them, beating Frenchmen Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Michael Llodra to set up a fourth round match against Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin. That was an easy enough match for Murray, who took a two sets lead before his unseeded opponent withdrew from the match with a hip injury. So safe and easy progress through to the quarter finals for Andy Murray, where he faces an unexpected opponent in Japan’s Kei Nishikori instead of Jo Wilfried Tsonga. Tsonga has been tipped by many as the man who could surprise the big four and walk out with the title at Melbourne Park, but as shock was on the cards, as the Frenchman went tumbling, opening the draw up for Murray. So Murray was always in control against Kukushkin in the fourth road, breaking his opponent eight times before the retirement, but how much will new coach Ivan Lendl be bothered by Murray’s two dropped service games? That really should not have happened, as the Scot let his guard down with a spunky response by Kukushkin in the second set. It was never going to be an upset here though, and Murray looks genuinely focused.

Yes, Murray does hold a convincing 5-1 head to head lead over Jo Wilfried-Tsonga, winning the last four straight against the Frenchman anyway, but facing Tsonga would have been a tougher ask of Murray and than facing the Nishikori. The young Japanese player was crushed in the first set against Tsonga 6-2 and it looked as if the Frenchman was going to run out a routine winner. But Nishikori struck back, winning the next two sets thanks to a whole lot of running, grinding and some flashes of brilliance with back hand passing shots. Murray is certainly going to have energy to contend with on the other side of the net in Andy Murray v Kei Nishikori Australian Open tennis betting. Nishikori, ranked 26th in the world, had already fought his way back from two sets down in his second round match. So it has been something of a fairy tale story for him, beating out Tsonga to move through to a Grand Slam quarter final. In situations like this, you think, well he’s beaten one of the best players in the world can he do it again? You have to face reality and think, that is hard for the best players in the world to beat top ranked players back to back, so expecting an outsider like Nishikori doing it, is a bit of a stretch. He will likely have had his moment, as Murray is going to be more a ruthless and robotic opponent for him to face.

Murray still has Novak Djokovic, the man who beat him in last year’s Australian Open final in his sights for the semi finals, but first there is the unexpected quarter final against Nishikori. The two have met just once before on Tour, and that was at the 2011 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai, which Murray cruised through, dropping just three games. Murray really should walk through this one, as long as he is focused on doing what he does best and doesn’t take this match too lightly. The prize of a Grand Slam is just on the horizon, get past this and face Djokovic or David Ferrer in the semi and then who knows?

Andy Murray v Kei Nishikori Australian Open Tennis Betting Odds
Murray 1/10 at Bwin, Nishikori 9/1 at Bet365

To Win Australian Open
Murray 5/1 at Totesport

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Andy Murray 2012 Australian Open Tennis betting Preview. Are the stars lining up for British number one Andy Murray in 2012 Australian Open betting? The Scot opened the season with a first title, which came fairly comfortably in Brisbane as his warm up. He also easily dispatched David Nalbandian in an exhibition warm up match last week as well. Murray pretty much breezed through the latter stages of Brisbane, after a slow start which is to be expected as players warm back up into the new season. But, by and large, Murray continued the fine form which he displayed towards the end of last season. However, that Grand Slam title still eludes him but people are suggesting that this year is going to be one of his best shots. Murray has good form at the Australian Open, reaching the last two finals, but being defeated in both of them. So he knows the territory and he will be looking to go just that one step further this time around. Murray has enlisted the help of new coach, tennis legend Ivan Lendl, but it is going to be far too early too early to garner anything from that. Lendl’s arrival should signal a long term improvement, so Murray still pretty much goes into the Australian Open on his own, even though his new coach will there will him. You can’t expect Andy Murray to change his game to Grand Slam winning one over night, and that is why patience is going to be needed and expectations kept under check for Andy Murray 2012 Australian Open Grand Slam tennis betting. Murray is at his best when he is moving around the court fluently, and not getting stuck between his own feet. He has the defensive anticipation and punch to out rally the best, and he is still one of the best returners of the ball in the men’s game. The big question is, not whether he can make a run, but whether or not he can win the big one if he gets to the final again.

Andy Murray goes into 2012 looking for another step forward. He comes into the new season on the back of his best ever, reaching the final of the Australian Open, and hitting the semi finals at the other three Grand Slams, all of which ended in defeat for Murray by Rafael Nadal. So will it be third time lucky for Murray at the Australian Open if the Scot can make it back there? Murray goes into the Australian Open with an overall 78-24 match record at Grand Slams, and on the hard court, he hits Melbourne with a 233-66 match career record. Murray is the only one of the big four in the men’s game to have yet to break through and win a Grand Slam. Can he change that around this year, with the injury and motivation concerns surrounding Rafael Nadal and the aging legs of Roger Federer? Murray has drawn the toughest quarter of the top four seeds so he is going to have his work cut out for him. He could have an early fourth round meeting against the dangerous Gael Monfils, and with one of the top outside bets Jo Wilfried Tsonga in his quarter of the draw as well, and the most likely quarter final opponent, there is tough road to the final for Murray. Murray opens his quest against Ryan Harrison of the USA and of course, the biggest hurdle between Murray and his first Grand Slam title will be world number one Novak Djokovic, who will most likely be waiting for Murray in the semi final. If Murray reaches the final, he would be backed as favourite against either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal from the other half of the draw if either of those make it. So the Ivan Lendl factor is really not going to be a factor at all in Andy Murray Australian Open tennis betting. It is all going to be on the shoulders of the man himself. There is a tough task ahead and the time now is for Murray to really prove his standing as one of the best in the world.

Andy Murray to win 2012 Australian Open betting Odds: 5/1 at Bet365

Andy Murray to reach final: 11/4 at Victor Chandler

Name the Finalists:
Andy Murray v Roger Federer: 9/1 at Bet365
Andy Murray v Rafael Nadal: 10/1 at Bet365

Online betting exchange BetFair are streaming live action from the first round of the 201 Australian Open. The highly popular site is giving their customers the opportunity to get up close to the action from Melbourne Park with live tennis streams. It means that your live in play betting can be enhanced at BetFair as you can watch the action and bet live at the same time. Online betting exchange BetFair offer a risk free first bet on a new customer registration, they will cover your first bet up to the value of £25 if it loses. There is also the option to earn up to £1000 in cash back during the first 30 days of your betting at BetFair, where the bigger you bet, the more you can get back.

Check out BetFair live stream for some hot tennis action, as Britain’s Andy Murray goes for his first title of the year in the final of the Brisbane International on Sunday. After a slowish start to the first tournament of the year, Murray has stepped up a couple of gears in the last couple of rounds, and continued his impressive form in crushing Bernard Tomic 6-3 6-2 to reach the final. This is Murray’s 31st Tour final, and Murray was watched in his semi final by new coach Ivan Lendl who flew in specially to catch Murray in action. It was another impressive performance from Murray then, who was simply dominant behind his own serve in the first set, setting him up for a comfortable victory. Murray has loosened up more and more as the tournament has progressed and is moving very fluently around the court, and that is key for the Scot in being able to produce his very best tennis.

Now we can take a look at Andy Murray v Alexandr Dolgopolov betting for the final of the Brisbane Open. The young Russian, who is growing in stature and ranking all the time in the men’s game, beat second seed Gilles Simon to reach his first ATP Tour hard court final. The Russian has a huge amount of potential and should be a big name over the next couple of season, but it is Murray who takes a 2-0 head to head record into the final over the Russian. The two met most recently in last year’s Australian Open, with Murray beating Dolgopolov in four sets in the quarter finals. Dolgopolov really mixes up his shots very well and can deliver a lot of power as well. But really it is something which Murray should be used to facing, although he does struggle at times when variety comes his way. Still, Murray is experienced enough and looking positive enough to take the title, what would be a huge boost ahead of the Australian Open which starts in just over a week or so.

Murray, who has finished as runner up at the last two Australian Opens will be looking to go one better this year, and with early season struggles from Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Murray could be in great shape. So it is worth backing Murray here, he has a 21-9 match record in ATP Tour finals and should enjoy the challenge and take Andy Murray v Alexandr Dolgopolov tennis betting easily.

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Andy Murray v Alexandr Dolgopolov Betting
Murray 1/5, Dolgopolov 4/1 at BetFair

Britain’s Andy Murray will have been happy enough with the news that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal failed to make an impact in Doha. Murray is playing in Brisbane ahead of the Australian Open, and after a couple of shaking moments in the first round, Murray powered his way through to the final and the bookies are treating this as Murray v Field. Murray was the only top ten player in the event, and is now faced with a semi final against Bernard Tomic, ranked 42^nd in the world. Murray saw off Gilles Muller in the second round, powering through the deciding set 6-0. The Scot then turned on the burners to blaze the challenge of Marcos Baghdatis in the quarter final, taking the match 6-2 6-2 without any hassle. So Murray is favourite to take the title here now, heading the final four and will have been buoyed by Nadal and Federer’s failures in Doha, which could make Murray a bigger threat at the first Grand Slam of the season. It is definitely something to think about for your tennis betting. A title here for Murray would no doubt do his confidence wonders, and with new coach Ivan Lendl behind him, could this be Murray’s big breakthrough year at the Slams?

In the other semi final match of Brisbane, we have Alexandr Dolgopolov v Gilles Simon. Young Russian Dolgopolov will be worth backing here. He is one of the rising talents in the game and would be great to see him in the final against Murray. Dolgopolov is the third seed here (and world number 15) in ATP Brisbane betting, while Simon is the Brisbane second seed (and world number 12). So a tight match should be on the cards, and it should be a match to decide who squares off against Andy Murray in the final. Out of the two, Dolgopolov has been pushed harder in the Brisbane draw than what Gilles Simon has, and that extra bit of resiliency shown already from the Russian, could be the deciding factor against Frenchman Simon, who really hasn’t been tested as of yet.

Andy Murray v Bernard Tomic Betting
Murray 1/4, Tomic 3/1 at VC Bet

Gilles Simon v Alexandr Dolgopolov Betting
Simon 4/6, Dolgopolov 11/1 at SportingBet

ATP Brisbane Outright Winner Odds
Andy Murray: 4/6 at Paddy Power
Gilles Simon: 9/2 at Victor Chandler
Alexandr Dolgopolov: 6/1 Ladbrokes
Bernard Tomic: 8/1 at VC Bet

You can see the conclusion of the ATP Brisbane Tennis betting at online betting exchange BetFair. They have been, and continue to, show live streams from the event, which means that you can start with watching Andy Murray v Bernard Tomic live stream in the semi final. These are great live streams on offer from BetFair, as they increase your experience with live in play betting as well. Jump into live tennis betting while watching the live stream, to get a better feel for your bet placement. Online betting exchange BetFair, offer a risk free £25 bet for new customers, who will get their first stake on a new account refunded if it loses (up to the maximum of £25). There is also an option to take up to £1000 in cash back as well as a new customer, the rate of return being how much you bet during your first thirty days as a BetFair customer.

We will get to enjoy some Andy Murray betting this week, as the Scot steps straight into the new season at the Brisbane International 2012. The first major of the season, the Australian Open Grand Slam will be with us mid month, and so this is going to be an important warm up for Murray. After missing out on Slams again last year, Murray has finally installed a new coach, with legend Ivan Lendl taking charge of Murray’s game, as the Scot continues his quest for a Grand Slam title. It will be interesting to see how he comes out of the block, and there is nothing technically wrong with his game, his mental approach will be worth studying. He is the head and shoulders favourite in ATP Brisbane tennis betting this week. This is the first time that the World Number Four has played at the event, as he usually takes some time out at the start of the year to play in the Hopman Cup, where you are guaranteed more games under your belt in a round robin tournament. Anyway, he is going straight for a title with the Australian Open in sight. Murray has made it to two Australian Open finals (including last year) but he just has not been able to get out over the finish line. Novak Djokovic has been a previous winner of this Brisbane International event, and last year’s winner Robin Soderling, is not back because of injury.

So Murray is red hot favourite to take the title here. He was in blistering form in Asia at the end of last season, so we will see if he picks up where he left off there. Murray will be pressed by second seed Gilles Simon, who made a disappointing exit in the first round here last year, while the rising stock of Alexandr Dolgopolov should be able to make some kind of impact here. He was around thirty places lower in the world rankings at the start of last season when he turned up here, but now he has broken the top fifteen and becoming a big threat. Murray would miss both Dolgopolov and Simon until the final. The highest seed that Murray has to concern himself with in the top half of the draw is Florian Mayer (4^th seed), but may have to also watch out for Gilles Muller. A decent enough field to take on Murray in Brisbane International tennis betting, but there is no reason why Murray shouldn’t walk away with this title at all. It would do him the world of confidence ahead of the Australian Open.

Brisbane 2012 International Tennis Betting Odds
Andy Murray: 10/11 at Stan James
Gilles Simon: 6/1 at Bet365
Alexandr Dolgopolov: 8/1 at SkyBet
Bernard Tomic: 12/1 at Stan James
Marcos Baghdatis: 16/1 at SkyBet
Jurgen Melzer: 18/1 at SkyBet

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It won’t be too long before we are looking at 2012 Australian Open tennis betting, so before that kicks off in mid January, it is worth taking a little time and looking at some tennis betting specials for next season. With no one really threatening to break up the dominance of the big four in the game, of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer, your list of tennis betting options on Grand Slam winners in 2012 is going to be as limited as it was this year. This is actually a good thing, because you can then go and look at estimations of how many Grand Slams each of the four will win next year, and there is profit to be made on that. Remember that it is also Olympic year, so you can pretty much look at a fifth title as well, which we will explore at the end of the Grand Slams. So it is time to look at the big four and see just what may happen at next year’s Grand Slams for your tennis betting.

Novak Djokovic
2011 Grand Slams: 3 (Australian, Wimbledon & US)
The rise of Djokovic has been stunning this year, going from the nearly man, losing out far too often to Federer and Nadal, to the man to beat. He was looking a tired player by the end of the season, and that is totally understandable. But a fit, rested and focused Djokovic will again be the man to rise to the occasion next year. Looking at him picking up four Grand Slams next year is looking beyond optimism. You can generally pencil in the French Open on clay to Rafael Nadal, and out of the other three, you would expect Roger Federer or Andy Murray to go close. That is why the option of taking the number of 2012 Grand Slam wins for Novak Djokovic as two for a price of 5/2 with Stan James, is not only priced well, but also a realistic betting option. The two he is most likely to win, the Australian and the US.

Rafael Nadal
2011 Grand Slams: 1 (French)
It hasn’t been a stellar year for the Spaniard, problems with injury and sometimes motivation has left him playing catch up to Djokovic. He has lost his world number one status, his grip on Grand Slam titles and so it will be interesting to see how he responds. This time last year, with the Australian Open on the horizon, we were looking at a Rafa Slam, the chance for him to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time. However, injury ruined his chances at the Australian Open, exiting at the quarter final stage. This is a man who has been to 14 Grand Slam finals and won ten of them, but defeats in the final of Wimbledon and the US Open this year to Novak Djokovic, will mean that he has to raise his level again next year. Can still see him getting on the board at least with the French Open on his favourite clay court surface. Even though he hasn’t been at his best this year, Nadal still reached three Grand Slam finals this year, so, like Djokovic, Nadal winning two Grand Slam titles in 2012 is a realistic shot at 3/1 with SkyBet

Andy Murray
2011 Grand Slams: 0 (Runner Up at Australian Open)
So we are all still waiting to see if Andy Murray can make the break through to becoming a Grand Slam winner. He made a marked improvement last season, as he reached the final of the Australian Open, where he completely never showed up against Novak Djokovic, and then reached the semi finals of the other three Grand Slam. So it was a step forward in many regards for Murray, who generally saved his best tennis for the Grand Slams. But the question remains, does he have the mentality to take it all the way to a title? He has now reached three Grand Slam titles his career and surely there has to be more to come from the Scot. His best chance is going to be at Wimbledon always, not only because of the extra support, but the surface suits him better. After moving up to third in the world rankings though, he is going to come into a lot more contact with Novak Djokovic in the Grand Slams now, so that is a challenge to rise to. How many Grand Slam titles is he going to win next season? Well, the bookies are pessimistic as None is best priced in the market (4/9 at SkyBet), but if he is going to make the breakthrough, Murray is unlikely to win more than one, so Exactly 1 for Andy Murray is 12/5 at Stan James.

Roger Federer
2011 Grand Slams: 0 (Runner Up at French Open)
After picking up at least one Grand Slam in each of the last eight seasons, 2011 was fruitless for the great Roger Federer. His best performance was a place in the final of the French Open where he fell to old rival Rafael Nadal. However, Federer came on strong at the end of the season, reigniting hope that he has not come to the end of his Grand Slam winning career. Still, the younger legs of the other three may mean he has to push harder, but should have learned a lot from this season. Can still see the old master getting a major title on the board, and it will most likely come at the US Open, still his favourite Slam. So if you are wondering how well Federer may fare next year, think that he will be able to bounce back and prove himself next season. So one Grand Slam for Federer fetches a nice 2/1 at Stan James.

2012 Olympics
We will see some great tennis action twice at Wimbledon next year, with the Olympic Games being held there. Out of the big four in the men’s game, the only one with an Olympic Gold medal is Rafael Nadal.  He is the defending champion after winning in 2008. Novak Djokovic finished third in 2008, while Roger Federer’s best effort with a 4th round exit at the 2000 games and Andy Murray bombed in the first round in 2008. The way to gauge this is look at the records at Wimbledon. Federer has pretty much been the man there with six Wimbledon titles, and it would be so fitting to see him with an Olympic Gold Medal. It would be a bit ironic if Andy Murray fails in all four Slams next season, but pulls out a win at the Olympics. Can totally see that happening. But on the grass, would look for Federer to step up and put another feather in his illustrious cap.

2012 Olympic Tennis Single Tournament Odds
Novak Djokovic: 7/4 at 888Sport
Rafael Nadal: 2/1 at 888Sport
Andy Murray: 11/2 at Blue Square
Roger Federer: 7/2 at Blue Square

It is going to be an interesting day’s play on Friday in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. So far we have Roger Federer qualifying from Group B with three wins out of three, and Spain’s David Ferrer, with a win over Novak Djokovic yesterday in Group A has also moved through to the semi. Ferrer has beaten the withdrawn Andy Murray and followed up with a pretty resounding win against Novak Djokovic to take top spot. There is one more match remaining for him against Tomas Berdych on Friday, and the only way that Ferrer won’t finish in top spot, is if he loses against Berdych and Tipsarevic beats Novak Djokovic, but the Spaniard would still qualify in second place in that scenario. Any other scenario would mean  simply that Ferrer wins the group. So basically, as long as Ferrer goes out and beats Berdych, he will move through as group winner and that will be so important, because it will mean that he would avoid Roger Federer in the semis.

The battle for the other qualification spot in Group A will be between Berdych and Djokovic, with the latter unable to win the group. So here is the big excitement of which could happen, is that Djokovic does qualify in second place with a win over Tipsarevic and basically hopes that Berdych doesn’t beat Ferrer, that we could see a Djokovic v Federer semi final. But while all Djokovic can do is win his own A win for Djokovic in three sets won’t be enough to see him through to the semi finals, if Berdych wins in any manner. The only hope for Djokovic is winning by two sets and hoping that Berdych loses by three against Ferrer. If Berdych loses of course, then Djokovic would progress with a win of any kind. If both Berdych and Djokovic lose however, the world number one will squeeze through in second place.

So a lot of permutations to look at here and it’s a bit more complicated than it sounds. Basically we are going to have an intense day of tennis. Which way are things likely to go? Well, Ferrer looks pretty strong at the moment. Yes, he arguably has been helped by his two opponents so far not having been at 100%, but he has still gotten the job done efficiently. Berdych, because he has a lot to play for in the final match of the round robin will probably push him harder. Still, would look for the Spaniard to pull through, because the Czech was pushed hard by Tipsarevic in his second match, having to save match point to finally go on and win. In the day’s other match, you would expect Djokovic to beat Tipsarevic 9 times out of 10, but there are just so many variables with Djokovic not being at his very best because of injury. He’s a battler and keeps going though. His class may just shine through at the end of the day, but really not sure about the physical condition which he is in because he really hasn’t been very threatening off his first serve. Coupled with the fact that Tipsarevic is in pretty decent form, it could be a tight match. Djokovic needs to pull out the stops though as he could be going home early.

Novak Djokovic v Janko Tipsarevic Tennis Betting
Djokovic 1/3, Tipsarevic 11/4 at Bet365

David Ferrer v Tomas Berdych Tennis Betting
Ferrer 5/6, Berdych 11/10 at Victor Chandler

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Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Outright Winner Odds
Roger Federer: 8/15 at SkyBet
Jo Wilfried Tsonga: 10/1 at Bet3565
Novak Djokovic: 10/1 at VC Bet
David Ferrer: 10/1 at Boylesports
Rafael Nadal: 12/1 at VC Bet
Tomas Berdych: 20/1 at Boylesports

Despite all the fuss about injuries, form and fitness heading into the ATP World Tour Tennis finals in London this week, Britain’s Andy Murray was the only one of the top four to lose their opening matches. Both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic both had to struggle their way to victories though, and only defending champion Roger Federer rattled off an opening Round Robin victory with ease. Andy Murray apparently strained a muscle ahead of his group opener against Spaniard David Ferrer, and upon losing the match, the Scot said that he would assess on Tuesday whether or not he would be able to carry on in the tournament. If he withdraws it will be a big disappointment to the home crowd of course, and already his back is against the wall, sitting in the same group as Novak Djokovic. Murray will likely have to win his next two matches to fight his way through to the semi finals, it will all be dependant on other results of course. Novak Djokovic had to endure a slow start against Czech Tomas Berdych, losing the first four opening games, before finally winning the encounter in a final set tie break. It was a steady entry for world number one Djokovic, who wasn’t serving all that strongly throughout the match, and looks to be playing at about 90%. As for Rafael Nadal, he had to hang on with all his might as well in his opening match against American Mardy Fish, needing a final set tie break as well to pick up his first victory. Just like Djokovic, Nadal did not look completely on top of his game in the first match, but where Djokovic and Nadal hung in, Murray couldn’t. So that leaves the outright favourite in the ATP World Tour Finals tennis betting, Roger Federer with the easiest win in the first round. Federer, who won the Paris 1000 Masters ahead of this, looking well in control for the most part, as he edged out Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in three sets to earn his first victory. Now we get to see one of the greatest ever tennis rivalries revisited, as Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal betting takes centre stage on Tuesday.

We can start off our Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal tennis betting with a look at the head to head record. Nadal leads here strongly, with a 17-8 lead over Federer. They have met three times this year, and it is the Spaniard who has won out on each of those occasion, two of them being on clay though where he excels. However, it is worth just getting behind Roger Federer for your tennis betting here because the Swiss superstar is the man in form. Nadal looked pretty beaten up in his opening match against Mardy Fish. There were questions about his form heading to London, as he suffered a shock loss to Florian Mayer in Shanghai a month ago, and has just not quite been at his best since the final of the French Open. Nadal is making mistakes at the moment, and he doesn’t look physically strong. He was also suffering from stomach problems which saw him take a lengthy bathroom break in the third set against Fish. Nadal actually looked very sharp for stretches of the match against Fish, but his standards will need to be a bit higher against Federer. Federer looks to be serving well and very powerful in his ground strokes, and the Swiss star will naturally try and move Nadal around the court as much as possible to tire him and take him out of his comfort zone. If anything Federer must have learnt from his encounters with Nadal this year, is that he cannot afford to let chances slide, not to let Nadal off the hook. While Nadal has a lot to offer still, Federer is the stronger of the two in form right now and that is where your tennis betting should go towards. This match is a repeat of last year’s final here at the ATP World Tour Finals, which Federer won in three sets. While Federer is looking for his 6th ATP World Tour Finals title, Rafael Nadal is still seeking his first. A victory for either one here would send them through to the next round.

So what is the tennis betting looking like for Federer v Nadal? It is Federer who is edging things as favourite with the bookmakers for this Group B encounter. Federer is trading at 1/2 with Ladbrokes to beat Nadal, while the Spaniard is out at a best price of 15/8 with Paddy Power to overturn form. Either way it should be a classic, as encounters between these two are always full of excitement and drama. Don’t be surprised to see this one go all the way!

Online bookmaker Victor Chandler are worth heading to for your ATP World Tour Finals tennis betting. The popular bookie has a great tennis promotion running, which offers refunds if your selection loses in the final set tie break. With both Nadal and Djokovic already edging their way through their first matches in final set tie breaks, the coverage their promotion provides is great. It means that you can take a match bet and if your backed player loses in the final set tie break, that means you will get your lost stake refunded as a free bet. So if you had bet on Mardy Fish against Nadal, or Berdych against Djokovic at Victor Chandler, you would have received your lost stake refunds! The highly rated online bookmaker offers a free £25 for new customers as a welcome bonus. The bookie will match the value of your first bet up to the maximum value of £25!

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Outright Winner Odds
Roger Federer: 7/5 at Stan James
Novak Djokovic: 9/4 at Totesport
Rafael Nadal: 11/2 at SkyBet
Andy Murray: 15/1 at Stan James
Jo Wilfried Tsonga: 21/1 at Stan James
Tomas Berdych: 21/1 at BetFair
David Ferrer: 22/1 at Bet365
Mardy Fish: 80/1 at SkyBet

Tuesday’s other match from Group B at the ATP World Tour Finals, is Jo Wilfried Tsonga v Mardy Fish. With both of these tasting defeat in their first matches in the group, this is a must win affair for both of them. On paper it looks as if Jo Wilfried Tsonga, who has been in pretty decent form over the last month or so, is favorite to take the match. They have only faced each once before, and the head to head stands in favour of Frenchman Tsonga a 1-0. That meeting came at this year’s US Open, which Tsonga won in a mammoth five setter after being 2-1 down.
Jo Wilfried Tsonga 4/1, Mardy Fish 11/8 at William Hill

The draw for the 2011 Barclays ATP World Tour finals have been completed and that means we can take a realistic look at the betting opportunities on offer for this end of season showcase. The top eight points earners from the ATP season all qualify for the finals, which are being held in London again this year, and all of the top four in the world are in attendance, so we have some high class, thrilling action to look forward to. There are injury concerns over Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal though, so the two back up players on stand by are Janko Tipsarevic and Nicolas Almagro. The first stage of the tournament is broken into two groups of round robin format, with four players in each.

In Group A we have the current world number one Novak Djokovic and Britain’s Andy Murray headlining, while the old rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will resume in Group B. Naturally we will completely expect one of the big four to be lifting the title, and interestingly, the only two men in the field to have won it before are Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The top two from each Round Robin group progress through to the semi finals, with the winner of Group A playing the Runner Up of Group B, and vice versa. Basically, if all four of the big guns reach the semi finals, then you just have to pick which one out of the four are most likely to beat at least two of the other three in the same tournament. If Nadal and Djokovic drop, then betting options get a little clearer! The winner may well have to beat all three of the other World’s top four, which makes the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals tennis betting so interesting. So let us explore our options a little more for tennis betting.

Group A
Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych
You may be surprised to see that Andy Murray is favourite to top the group here. It is not that much of a surprise because the Scot has been in great form lately, and with injury problems for Djokovic as well, it makes a sensible tennis betting option that Murray will be the strongest force here. This should be a more competitive group than Group B, because Tomas Berdych just snapped Murray’s long match winning streak, with a surprise victory at the Paris Masters. If Djokovic isn’t 100% then there could be surprises! Murray is 11/10 at SkyBet to win Group B in Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Tennis betting. Djokovic is 21/10 at Bwin to win the group.

Group B
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Mardy Fish
Best price on offer to take Federer to win this group is 4/5 at Victor Chandler and it should be jumped all over. Federer should get the better of Tsonga and Fish without too much trouble with the form that he is in, with Federer beating Tsonga in the final of the Paris Masters on the weekend. Mardy Fish pulled out of the Paris Masters with an injury last week too. So that will leave a showdown against Nadal. No idea what kind of form Nadal is going to be in, so Federer makes the sensible bet here to top the group in your Barclays ATP World Tour Finals tennis betting. Nadal is 5/2 at SkyBet to win Group B.

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Tennis Betting Outright Winner Odds

Roger Federer: 2/1 at SkyBet
The Swiss superstar is the outright favourite here, when all things are considered it makes a lot of sense. Federer just steamed to his first ever victory at the Paris Masters on the weekend, meaning that he is great form, and he did play very, very well there. Federer still has so much class to his game, and the power he generates from out of the blue in his shots is still enviable. He may not be as quick around the court as he was, but has still one of the top serves in the game, and has the craft and guile to get the job done. Because of the injury problems to Novak Djokovic, and the rustiness of Rafael Nadal heading to London, it makes sense to back the in form man as the favourite. Federer is one of just a few select players who have beaten World Number One Djokovic this year, and just can’t see him having any problems against Tsonga or Fish in the Round Robin. Definitely worth backing as he is the master here, with him gunning for his sixth ATP World Tour Finals title.

Andy Murray: 3/1 at SportingBet
The Brit heads to London with the best current form of all the top four players in the world. He won three back to back tournaments before losing out to Berdych in Paris last week. Murray lost his cool in that match a little bit, arguing with the umpire and probably frustrated at having Berdych’s serve on the ropes so many times but just unable to convert break points that it got to him. Still, he can use revenge as motivation in the Round Robin after drawing Berdych. You can’t argue with his form and he heads to the ATP World Tour Finals in perhaps the best shape of his career. Lost in last year’s semi finals against Rafael Nadal and could be on course for a rematch. Would fully expect Murray to get through to the semi’s, but will naturally face a tough match against Djokovic in the group. Has a great chance after winning 18 of his last 19 matches.

Novak Djokovic: 5/1 at Victor Chandler
The Serb had to withdraw from the Paris Masters last week because of injury. Hopefully he is fit enough to see this tournament out, because he is line to cap what has been a remarkable year for him. He has ten titles under his belt for 2011 and the World Number One would be fully justified in taking his second ATP World Tour Finals title. He made it to the semi finals here last year but lost out at that stage to eventual winner Roger Federer. The pain which he was reportedly in after having to withdraw from the third round in Paris last week, reportedly stopped him from sleeping. We know he is the best player in the world at the moment, but you wonder if he will have enough recovery time. It is hard to see him turning up and really being at his very best.

Rafael Nadal: 6/1 at Bwin
This year’s French Open champion has not had the best second half to the season. Has injury and fitness issues and decided to pull out of the Paris Masters so that he could be ready for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. He must be a little bit ring rusty though, especially compared to how well Federer and Murray have been playing of late. Either that or he will be more rested than everyone else and come out with all guns a blazing. Has not been infallible but you just cannot count him out. He has beaten Federer in all three of their meetings this year. Nadal has also been a thorn in the side of Andy Murray this season  in the latter stages of tournaments, but most of all looking forward to seeing Nadal renew his long rivalry with Federer in the group stage, a head to head which Nadal leads 17-8. Probably more of a threat than Djokovic, because he is something of an unknown quantity heading in the Finals. Has never won the ATP World Tour Finals.

Other Odds:
Jo Wilfried Tsonga: 16/1 at SportingBet
Tomas Berdych: 22/1 at Bet365
David Ferrer: 66/1 at SportingBet
Mardy Fish: 90/1 at Paddy Power

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