Hopman Cup

It’s no surprise that number one seeds the Czech Republic are hot favourites to win the season-opening Hopman Cup 2012 at the Burswood Dome in Perth. The Czechs have a very powerful line-up on paper for the mixed doubles tournament with Wimbledon women’s singles champion Petra Kvitova teamed up with big-serving Tomas Berdych. Berdych won the China Open in 2011 and is ranked seven in the world. The Czech Republic are no bigger than Evens with Skybet and Stan James to come out on top in Perth but neither Kvitova nor Berdych have a doubles pedigree, which may just be their Achilles Heel, and at the odds I’d rather have a punt on France.

The French are in the second group alongside hosts Australia (a general 10/1), Spain (a general 9/1) and China (35/1 with Stan James). The latter include French Open champion Li Na but she’s teamed up with Wu Di, who struggles to maintain a place among the top 500 in the men’s game and is unlikely to contribute many points to the Chinese cause. France, on the other hand, have women’s world number nine Marion Bartoli and the experienced Richard Gasquet. Both are very capable singles players but, just as importantly, have won several doubles titles between them so should thrive in the Hopman Cup format. Victor Chandler are out on a limb in offering 5/1 about the French winning the tournament overall and Skybet‘s 5/4 about them coming out on top in Group B can cover potential level stake losses should they come up short in the final stages.

Considering their short price overall, Betfred‘s 8/13 about the Czech Republic winning Group A will be popular though this is probably the most competitive section of the two. World number one Caroline Wozniacki should give Denmark an edge in the women’s singles and the Danes are a general 20/1 to succeed overall, while the USA team features the fast-improving Mardy Fish who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the last 16 at Flushing Meadow in 2011. Unfortunately, partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands may struggle to hold her end up and the Americans make little appeal at bet365 and totesport‘s 7/1.

Great news for tennis fans for 2011, is that things are underway again, in the build up to the Australian Open which will be on our doorstep before we know it. Britain’s Andy Murray and Laura Robson are contesting the Hopman Cup, a tournament which they reached the final of last season. However, they really didn’t get things underway too well, as they lost their opening match against fourth seed Italy. The tournament, which is being held in Perth, Australia, and is for acclimatisation for the players, is contested between eight teams split into two groups of four. The British duo have Italy, France and the USA to contend with in Group B, but Murray and Robson are the number two seeds behind Serbia. Jet lag was clearly a problem for Murray in particular, who looked tired when it came to the doubles match. Laura Robson was up first against last year’s French Open winner Francesca Schiavone and the youngster pushed the Italian all the way, losing out 7-5, 6-3 in the end. This could be a massive year in the progress of Laura Robson, who is regarded as one of the most talented young tennis stars in the world. The Australian born player, then saw her team mate Andy Murray pull the fixture back level, as he beat Potito Starace. The British duo couldn’t pull things out when it came to the deciding doubles match though, and after taking the first set, lost the final two on tie breaks. After taking a bit of a break at the end of last year, this tournament is just used for a bit of conditioning, and with the hot, humid conditions in Perth, Murray was struggling with his breathing. His fitness will improve though, and that’s why he is there, ahead of the first Grand Slam of the Season.

This doesn’t mean that the tournament is over for Murray and Robson yet, they just have to win their final two matches and hope other results go their way. Realistically, there is potential there, as Britain should beat the French duo, but may find the Americans of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and John Isner a tougher nut to crack. The USA beat France in their opening group match. Looking at the outright winner for the Hopman Cup, you really have to look at Serbia, as they have sent out the big guns. Serbia are represented by Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic, and that is a little bit formidable. Djokovic is the highest ranked singles player in the competition, ranked third in the world. Ana Ivanovic herself is a former world number one, and someone who used last season very well as a comeback to rediscovering that form. There doesn’t appear to be much to stand in their way in the group. They are the top seeds, and they will face third seed Belgium, a team of Justine Henin and Ruben Bemelmans, plus an Australia side and one from Kazakhstan. Australia beat Belgium in their opening group match, while, as expected Serbia crushed Kazakhstan 3-0 in their match. Again, it looks like the players out there are still finding their feet in the new season, but it is an exciting tournament, played over a great format. The top team from each group will contest the final. Laura Robson and Andy Murray get back into action on the 5th, when they take on France.

Hit Betfair for your Hopman cup betting, as there are some good prices floating around there at the moment. Serbia are simply the strongest team in the tournament and will take some stopping, so they will be worth a punt at around 1/2. Do Great Britain have a good chance? It is going to be tough for them, but the group is still open, and they are out at around 4/1 to win the Hopman Cup this year. The conditioning of the two Brits just doesn’t look right yet, so it could be a bit of a stretch asking them to win there. The USA are worth a look really, especially being out at around 6/1, as they have good battling qualities in the side. The Betting Exchange Betfair really is a good option for your early 2011 tennis betting, as you will find good coverage there. You can also get yourself a free £25 No Risk first bet when you open an account with the betting exchange. This means that if your first bet loses, then Betfair will coverage your loss with a free bet, up to the value of £25

Andy Murray looks to have justified his decision not to defend his title in Qatar, and instead get warmed up for the Australian Open by playing in the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia. Murray and team mate Laura Robson have made it through to the final against Spain, after coming from behind to beat Russia in their semi final. This is a Davis Cup style tournament, ironically, which Murray has removed himself from this year, with interntaional teams of two players taking on each other.

After a round-robin format for the opening of the tournament, Britain made their way through to face the strong Russians. Elena Dementieva gave Laura Robson a bit of a lesson, as the British 15 year old could not cope with her more esteemed opponent. That didn’t stop Murray taking charge though, as he won his singles match in less than an hour against Igor Andreev. So it all came down to the final mixed doubles match, something which Murray was keen to get some practice in. Murray and Robson squeezed through that by winning a tie break in the second set, to take the match 2-0.

Andy Murray was full of praise for his junior partner, commending her for taking charge in the mixed doubles like she did. In his singles matches during the tournament, Murray has looked in fine shape, and should put him in good stead for the hard court Australian Open which starts next season. All of the questions surrounding Murray at the moment, is whether or not he can finally win his first Grand Slam title in 2010. With Murray looking in sharp form, if he and Robson can win the Hopman Cup, it will be the first time in history that Britain has done so.

Hopman Cup Outright Winner
Great Britain to win: Evens at BetFred
Spain to win: 5/6 at Ladbrokes

Great Britain v Spain Singles:
Maria Jose Martina Sanchez to win: 2/11 at Stan James
Laura Robson to win: 4/1 at SkyBet

Andy Murray to win: 1/6 at Blue Square
Tommy Robredo to win: 11/2 at SportingBet

I can’t recall there ever being the slightest interest among layers previously in pricing up the Hopman Cup. The traditional curtain-raiser to the tennis year, staged at the Burswood Centre in Perth, Western Australia for the past 21 years, has always passed relatively unnoticed by bookmakers and punters alike. 2010, however, is different. Andy Murray‘s decison to take in the singles/mixed doubles round-robin tournament  instead of his usual route via the Qatar Open in Doha as part of his preparation for the Australian Open has attracted a lot of media interest, enhanced by the fact that the Scot is being partnered by former Wimbledon junior champion Laura Robson, whom many believe is that most rare of creatures, a British girl with the potential to make it to the upper echelons of the women’s game. Ranked three in the world, Murray is by far and away the highest rated player in the event and would be expected to win all three of his group singles matches. But he’s never excelled at the doubles game, while Robson may struggle to compete, at this stage of her career, with the likes of Elena Dementieva and Sabine Lisicki in her singles matches. Taking into account both will have bigger fish to fry in the months ahead not even Skybet‘s 11-2 makes much appeal for Great Britain to win the event. That honour could go to Russia, who team Dementieva with Igor Andreev. The latter has been ranked in the world’s top 40 for the past three years and won more matches than he’s lost on the ATP Tour while his partner is currently ranked fifth in the world and, just as importantly, has bags of experience on the doubles circuit. Russia  7-2 with Ladbrokes to win the tournament and 6-4 with Betfred and Ladbrokes to win Group B, should have the measure of Germany (a general 6-1 for overall success) and Great Britain in their section and are fancied to see off Group A fancies Spain (7-1 with Betfred to win outright) in the final.