tennis

You will have seen the tennis betting markets creeping on you at your online bookmaker, those offering odds on Andy Murray to win the Australian Open. The ATP Tour season has just broken ground for the new year, and so quickly after the short winter break, the players have to get back into top gear as the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the Year is right on their doorstep. In preparation, there are some good ATP Tour tournaments going on, but just like last year, Andy Murray passed them by in order to get some warm up action in at the Hopman Cup along with partner Laura Robson. But very soon it will be all off to Melbourne Park for the big tennis festival Down Under. Realistically you only have to look at four main challengers to win the men’s side of the Australian Open, and you can even narrow that down a little further when you take into consideration that between them, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have won 21 out of the last twenty three Grand Slams in total. The draw has not been released as of yet for the Australian Open, but the top seeds are always kept apart anyway, so there is no danger of big clashes until the latter stages of the competition. There is a huge list of illustrious names in the record books as winner of the Australian Open, since its inauguration in 1969. Andrei Agassi, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg and Jimmy Connors. But the modern Grand Slams have been owned by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and the Australian Open, in particular by Federer. Who is going to run deep into the tournament this year? Which four players will we see in the semi finals? Maybe the Nadal v Federer final is the one that tennis fans, that the Grand Slam itself deserves to see. It is never a dull moment when they come together. Nadal holds a 14-8 head to head record over Federer. The last time they met in the final of a Grand Slam, was in 2009 at the Australian Open, when Nadal won in an epic five sets.

Here we present a guide to the 2011 Australian Open, as it will be worth getting some Antepost tennis betting down right now.

Rafael Nadal: 2/1 at Boylesports

This is the one Grand Slam that the super Spaniard did not win last year. That was because he had to retire through injury against Andy Murray in the quarter finals. Nadal has had his hands on the Australian Open title though, when he won it back in 2009 and Nadal holds a 25-5 match record at Melbourne Park. The world number one is currently out in Doha, playing in the same tournament as Roger Federer, and that one will be a good one to watch, so that you can study your betting. Ultimately your choice is either going to come down to Nadal or Federer for the title. The Doha tournament could be a good indicator of form, because they are expected to meet in the final, and that will be just over a week before the start of the Australian Open. Federer had the last laugh last season, beating Nadal in the World Tour Finals in London, but Nadal had the upper hand throughout the rest of the season really. His three Grand Slam titles will attest to that. On paper, he should be favourite. Really, how much better can this man get? There is talk of him walking away this season with all four Grand Slams. It could start here.

Roger Federer: 5/2 at Totesport

The defending Champion and the one likely to push Nadal all of the way for the title. These two really are so incredibly dominant in the sport, that everyone is expecting one of them to win this one. Hardly surprising really, as Federer has won the Australian Open four times in his long and illustrious career, and he sure has come a long way from being a losing qualifier back in 1999. Since 2004, Federer has not finished lower than the semi finals, so he always makes a good bet. He is a class act, and while his overall season last year was not as productive as it generally was expected to be, he still showed his signs of brilliance throughout. Perhaps there are signs that he is going to towards the end of his career, but the Fed Express certainly won’t hear talk of it. The man with 66 Tour Titles, 16 Grand Slams titles and a phenomenal 81% winning record in his singles career, is not going to go away very easily. Watch for his fitness in Doha. He is one of the most driven and dedicated and passionate sportsmen in the world. Pay close attention to how sharp he is looking right now. The Grand Slams are long and arduous affairs.

Andy Murray: 7/1 at Bwin

Here is Britain’s big hope again, starting another year being surrounded by speculations of whether or not he will finally win a Grand Slam. He came close at Melbourne Park last year, where he reached the final. He played some great tennis along the way, and really looked as if he was going to step up to the mark. However, he ran into Roger Federer in the final, who was in no mood to give anything away, and Murray simply didn’t have enough of an answer to Federer’s big, testing questions. Towards the end of last season, Murray looked to be getting back to his best, after a disaster at the US Open. He was carrying on through a large part of the season with no coach, and again at times he just looked disjointed and out of sorts with himself for no apparent reason. There is a very thin line between being good and being great, and it is finding that top level of performance week in, week out, that Murray needs to discover. That is the only way he is going to match Nadal and Federer. By his own right though, Murray is a very good player, and on his day he really looks unstoppable. Great footwork, one of the best returners of the ball in the business, and you can visibly tell when his confidence is high. Last year’s appearance at the Australian Open resulted in only his second Grand Slam final. Both times he lost to Roger Federer. That is the benchmark by which he has to set his standards. Looked a bit jet lagged at the Hopman Cup first round, was struggling with his breathing, but is there in Australia to acclimatise.

Novak Djokovic: 9/1 at Bwin

This is a great guy to way, full fire and determination, and seems to enjoy his tennis on the court. He is one of the best players in the world, and is currently warming up at the Hopman Cup with Serbian counterpart Ana Ivanovic (where they are favourites). Unlike Andy Murray, Djokovic has the distinction of being called a Grand Slam winner. He achieved the feat back at the 2008 Australian Open, so Melbourne Park has been a happy hunting ground for him. Only he, and Juan Martin Del Potro have managed to break up the Nadal and Federer dominance at the Grand Slams of tennis. Djokovic has reached the quarter finals of the last two Australian Opens, and reached the final of the US Open towards the end of last year. However, Djokovic has rarely been able to find a way past the elite of Nadal and Federer when it has mattered most. Neither in the Grand Slams, nor in the regular ATP Tour. He digs in well and gives all he can, you can see that, just as he did against Nadal in the US Open final, but his best just looks as if it is not good enough to topple the best. For example, Djokovic has won just six of the nineteen meetings against Federer in his career. The Serbian should be in the running at the quarter final stages, and is still a potential outside winner if something goes wrong with the top seeds.

Juan Martin Del Potro: 35/1 at Bwin

At some of the bookmakers, the Argentinean is priced down as low as 9/1 (at William Hill). This is because he comes into this Australian Open as a bit of an unknown quantity. So why is he being mentioned? Well, it is because he was the 2009 US Open champion, beating Roger Federer in the final. In the same year he finished runner up at the end of season finals and lost in the final of the ATP 1000 Masters Final in Montreal to Andy Murray. Del Potro, at the point of winning the US Open, looked to have the world at his feet, and that the ATP was not going to be all about Federer and Nadal. He looked that good, and was rightly been enthused about as a great talent, who had come on leaps and bounds. However, his 2010 season was wiped out due to injury and now the youngster is looking to get back on track. Was scheduled to play the US Open last year but withdrew as he felt that he wasn’t ready. Lost a couple of tournaments in the first round after that, and so it will be interesting to see if the same old talent is there.

Others:
Robin Soderling: 25/1 at Victor Chandler
Andy Roddick: 49/1 at Unibet
Tomas Berdych: 59/1 at Bwin

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

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Britain’s Andy Murray goes for his second title of the year in the final of the Shanghai Masters. Standing in his way on Sunday at 9.30am GMT, is Roger Federer, who pulled out some cracking top draw tennis in the semi final against Novak Djokovic. As for Murray, he has looked back to his strong best during this tournament, with no signs of the fatigue which was the ultimate downfall of his US Open quest. Murray has been suffering a bit still with full fitness in his breathing out in Asia, which has effected his performances in the tournaments building up to this one, but he looks to have settled finally. After breezing past Jo Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Monaco in the latter stages of the tournament, Murray’s expected semi final clash against world number one Rafael Nadal never emerged, as the Spaniard suffered a shock exit in the second round against Stanislas Wawrinka. Murray has not dropped a set so far at the Shanghai Masters, and if anything, has been looking stronger and stronger as the tournament has progressed. His defensive work against Juan Monaco was simply stunning, giving him a fantastic platform to go on and win. Murray is regarded as one of the best returns of the ball in the business and it really showed in the semi final. His serving has also been a big weapon this week, as he has only dropped two games on his serve all week, and has the highest percentage in first serve points won.

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Murray now takes on Federer, who he has gotten the best of this season already. Murray’s triumphant defence of his title in Toronto, saw him beat Federer in the final, after beating Rafael Nadal along the way too. Murray has every chance of beating Federer again, in what should be a close match if the Scot brings his aggressive A game to the final. Murray actually has the upper hand in the head to head record against Federer, and all of his successes against the Swiss superstar has been on the hard court. Murray currently leads 7-5 in matches over Federer, but when it comes to meetings in tournament finals, Federer holds the cards with a 3-1 advantage. That includes the win over Murray in the final of the Australian Open. The conditions will again favour a Murray triumph, and the Scot has beaten Federer once before in Shanghai if you are looking for history to back up your tennis betting. Murray has already booked his place in the Barclays ATP World Finals with his progress this week, but there is just as much at personal stake for Federer. Federer needs this title to equal Nadal’s record of 18 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles (this is the last one of the season), and has moved back up into number two spot in the world rankings after beating Djokovic in the semi’s.

Tough call this one, but Murray on his game usually causes Federer some problems, because of the way he plays against the Swiss tennis star. Should be a tough, tight match, but Murray is well worth backing, as Federer hasn’t been at his all conquering best this year.

Murray Season Record: W40 L14 (28-8 on hard court)
Federer Season Record: W48 L11 (30-5 on hard court)

Shanghai Masters Tennis Betting Odds
Andy Murray to win: 6/4 at Ladbrokes
Roger Federer to win: 6/11 at Unibet

Andy Murray is back in ATP action and it will be interesting to see how he can pick himself up after the disappointment of missing out on another Grand Slam opportunity. Murray didn’t exactly sparkle on his quest to pick up his first Grand Slam ever, but at least he recognised after that he needs to work on his fitness in order to try and keep up with world number one Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard really is the benchmark by which all other players (yes, including Roger Federer) has to set their standards by. Murray, sadly, while coming close a couple of times this year in the Grand Slams, still has some way to go. That is not to say Murray is too far behind, as he has enjoyed victory over Nadal and Federer this year in the same tournament. Having watch Murray this year, there appears to just be another level of which he could step up too and he could be a world beater. He dumped his coach this year, deciding to go it solo for the US Open, and that is good for his future as it says he is ready to push on and do what is best for his career. He will be expected to make a splash in the ATP China Open this week, as he enters the tournament as number two seed, behind only Novak Djokovic. Here we take a look at the best Tennis betting tips for the ATP China Open.

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Andy Murray 11/4 at Stan James
No reason why not to put money down on the Scot. He should be in good nick and there is not too difficult a draw awaiting him. This is the first time that Murray has entered the China Open, and now there is some urgency as the ATP season heads to a close, to pick up enough points to secure a place at the end of season finale, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. He has enough quality to win here, assuming he is fired up an in the right mood. There was something not right with his energy levels at the US Open, but he admirably made no excuses for his exit. Has Mikhail Youzhny, Robin Soderling and David Ferrer in his half of the draw, but realistically you would back Murray against any of them. Andy Murray has not performed very well in these Tour tournaments this year at all, but this is a good chance to build momentum with a bigger event, a Masters 1000, coming up next week.

Novak Djokovic 11/4 at Bet365
The young Serb who seems to be growing in stature all the time and is incredibly consistent, will be the biggest threat to Murray for the title. The two can only meet in the final, such is the draw, and that would be a great event. Djokovic is the number one seed, and he is the defending champions of the ATP China Open, after he beat Marin Cilic last year. This means that Djokovic has a 5-0 match record at the event, which is something you would look at when browsing over stats for your tennis betting. Awesome talent, often the bridesmaid behind Nadal and Federer at the big parties, but should show up well here again. Also wants points to reach the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, so he’ll be fired up.

Robin Soderling 9/1 at SkyBet
The Swede has shown qualities this season that has clearly displayed his improvement in the game. He has been embroiled in some of the best battles of the year against the big four (Nadal, Federer, Murray, Djokovic) and is a threat. He’s enjoying a good season, and if Nadal and the Fed-Express was in here, he would be much lower down the pecking order. Sits in Murray’s half of the draw, and he’s beaten the Scot this season, so he won’t be too bothered about that. Has that feel of an underdog, a second tier player to the genuine Grand Slam contender’s, but he shouldn’t be discounted because his progress just may depend on how well Murray performs. Has a 3-1 match record at the China Open, after losing in the semi finals last year.

Nikolay Davydenko 16/1 at Ladbrokes
The big Russian had a great start to the season, but then was knocked back by injury. Was a quarter finalist in this tournament last year and overall has a 5-3 match record at the event, having played twice here before and finishing as a quarter finalist on both occasions. That sounds about right again for him to be honest, and did not show up well on his last outing on the Tour. Think there is just going to be too much quality in his half of the draw to go further.

Tomas Berdych  14/1 at SkyBet
Like what the young guy has shown this year, and for occasional fans you will remember him from the final of Wimbledon. Or more to the point, the semi finals when he shocked Roger Federer. The Czech is appearing at the Beijing Open for the first time in his career, and while that may make him a bit of a wildcard, he’ll be worth a punt behind Djokovic to come out of the top half. The top half is arguably tougher, with Mardy Fish (40/1 at Bet365), Sam Querrey (50/1 at SkyBet), Marin Cilic (25/1 at Bet365), John Isner (28/1 at SkyBet) and Fernando Verdasco (25/1 at Ladbrokes) floating around in there. Djokovic is the stand out performer there, but if you keep an eye on this one over the next week, you could well see any of these making a charge for it. Overall, looking at the draw, Murray has landed something pretty decent and there is the sort of opponents in there which he should have no trouble against. He has to be hungry, he has to be brave and the bookies seem to fancy his chances.

Britain’s Elena Baltacha, playing in the main draw of the US Open for the first time in her career, blitzed her way into the second round in just over an hour of play. Baltacha, who is ranked 57th in the World and is enjoying a very successful and progressive season, beat Petra Martic, the player who knocked her out of Wimbledon in the first round a couple of months ago. This time around Baltacha looked more comfortable and confident in winning 6-2 6-2 without any trouble whatsoever. Scot Baltacha is the main focus of British women’s tennis and has been carrying the flag all season so very well. She has scored impressive victories over top ten players like Li Na, Jie Zheng and French Open winner Francesca Schiavone. Now Baltacha has a chance to fire her way into the top fifty players in the world, an ambition of the positive and never say die approach she brings to the game. Perhaps the disappointment at Wimbledon has made her just that little bit stronger, and going into the second round where she plays Petra Kvitova. Baltacha will be well worth backing in the match, especially if she brings such a professional and clinical display, and she will have had a day’s extra rest over her opponent.

Baltacha to win: 6/4 at Stan James
Kvitova to win: 4/7 at SkyBet

One of the most noticeable improvements against Martic at Flushing Meadows, was the serving of Baltacha, who only lost two points in the whole match when she got her first serve in. Baltacha has picked up two titles this year, in something of a comeback year for her after suffering with a long injury in 2009. The 27 year old is the brightest spark on the WTA, and the prize for getting past the tough Czech opponent, will be a likely third round encounter against US Open defending champion Kim Clijsters. That would be a marvellous encounter for Baltacha on such a huge stage. Petra Kvitova, ranked 27th in the world will be an enduring test for Baltacha, but the Scot has beaten higher ranked opponents this year already, and is well worth backing in tennis betting for today. Kvitova was a surprise semi finalist at Wimbledon this year, where she fell to Serena Williams, but hasn’t been past the last 32 of a tournament since then.

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After Andy Murray failed to press home an advantage against Sam Querrey in the final at LA on Sunday, the ATP tour rolls on to its next stops. Murray takes a  back seat this week, and the players start priming themselves for the forthcoming final Grand Slam of the season, the US Open, which takes place at the end of August. The next stop on the tour is the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington DC. This is one of just eleven ATP World Tour 500 tournaments in the season, and that means there are some big ranking points up for grabs, and in status is only behind the Grand Slams and the ATP World Tour 1000 events. With a busy season, not all of the top ten stars turn up at all of the events, naturally, but one of the season’s best performers Andy Roddick (7/2 at Boylesports) is back in action and will be looking to win his fourth title at the Washington DC event. Roddick will be number two seed for the tournament as he puts in his ninth appearance there. His last title came in 2007, but he did reach the final last year, but couldn’t add to his impressive collection then as he was taken down by Juan Martin del Porto. Roddick has a great 34-8 match record this year, and his busy early start to the new year helped him to land two titles this season. He hasn’t stood up to the test in the Grand Slams, but these are the sort of tournaments at which he thrives. He comes into the tournament on the back of a semi final appearance at Atlanta, Georgia recently where he lost to Mardy Fish.

Roddick will be well worth backing in your ATP Tennis betting this week, simply because he is so strong and has taken on a new lease of life this year. He will be happy to get back on the hard court, as that his where his strengths really are. Roddick has a 28-5 match record on hard court this year. Of course he will have some challengers at the tournament and in the betting, and if you like betting outside of the favourite (which is Roddick in this case) then you can take a look at some of the options here. A lot of eyes will be on Tomas Berdych (4/1 at SkyBet) to see what he come up with in his first appearance since Wimbledon, and he goes into the tournament as top seed. The young Czech was a surprise finalist at Wimbledon after beating Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic along the way. He could not get the better of Rafael Nadal in the final though, losing in three straight sets, but it is to his credit that he got there. He went straight into Wimbledon with no preparation after the French Open at Roland Garros, where again he caused a surprise by reaching the semi finals where he lost to Robin Soderling. Well worth a look here, and he realistically should have plain sailing through to the quarter finals. He may very well bump into fifth seed John Isner there which will be a step up in quality, but he is good enough to win through. His best finish here was a semi final appearance back in 2005.

Third seed Fernando Verdasco (9/1 at Boylesports) is an interesting betting option for this tournament in Washington DC. It is his first appearance in the tournament, but certainly raises the quality of the chasing pack behind Roddick and Berdych. Verdasco has picked up one title on hard court this year, and the Spaniard has a 12-5 match record on the surface this year, and a 34-13 overall record for the season. Went through a real purple patch in the lead up to Roland Garros and Wimbledon (where he lost in the first round) and his last appearance was in Bastad, Sweden where he fell to Tommy Robredo in the quarter. Verdasco is one of those enigmatic players from whom a lot is expected, but just somehow fails to deliver the big games consistently. Has a world of potential and could win this tournament, and out of the top four seeds he has been handed the easiest draw. If he fails to make it to the quarter finals at least then it will be something of a surprise.

Marin Cilic (16/1 at Boylesports) makes up the top four seeds, and what was said about Verdasco above could also be applied to him. Cilic has the tennis world at his feet, and while he has had injuries, just hasn’t quite delivered when it counts. He has two titles to his name this season though, but you would expect a little more than a 31-12 overall match record for the season from him. Both of his two titles came right at the start of the new year, and then he looked as if he really was going to step up and be a domineering force, but it has not happened though. Cilic is happiest on the hard court where he does have a better record for 2010, where has holds a 21-5 match record. This makes him a dangerous floater in tennis betting for the tournament, and there is another one in the mix as well. John Isner (yes he of the marathon match at Wimbledon fame) really got his professional career going in Washington, the place where he reached his first ever ATP Final back in 2007. Isner (10/11 at Paddy Power) reached the semi finals last season at the tournament where he lost to Roddick. He can only meet Roddick in the final of this year’s tournament as they are in separate halves of the draw, but as mentioned above, he is in line to meet Tomas Berdych, which could be a great match.

Roddick will draw a lot of betting here and it is hard to go against his record. But as he will be strong favourite, don’t overlook the threat that Verdasco will pose in this tournament. If you want to really go with form, then you will take a look at Sam Querrey (18/1 at Ladbrokes), who beat Andy Murray in the final of the LA Open on Sunday. He goes as 6th seed for the tournament and is in Marin Cilic’s quarter of the draw, which is quite a tough one with Mardy Fish and Leyton Hewitt in there as well. Behind Roddick and Berdych, there is a good, close crop of players who are evenly matched, all with potential of winning. The two favourites though will be worth looking at from the start of the tournament, and from then on you will be able to study the progress of the others over the first couple of rounds.

Jankovic and Wozniacki bet highlights for the week

The new WTA tennis week starts with some enticing women’s tennis betting action coming from San Diego where the US hard court turn of the season continues. There was a fantastic week’s worth of WTA tennis last weekend to cast your eye over, especially the match between Elena Dementiva v Maria Sharapova, and young Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova enacting a wonderful comeback over Elena Vesnina to win her second career title in Istanbul. WTA tennis tournaments provide great opportunities for sports betting, and it is well worth spending time on your online bookmaker to pick out some great prices. Here is a guide to the week’s WTA tournaments with betting tips.

San Diego

Jelena Jankovic (11/12 at Paddy Power) heads the field at San Diego, and the world number two will look to continue her fine season. From a tennis betting perspective, Jankovic at the moment is, and has been, one of the best bets to get behind all season. The San Diego tennis betting is no different, as the fighting and svelte Serb goes searching for another title. She has climbed her way up to number two in the world, and the truth is she could have had more success this season but for injury, especially the one which kept her out of Wimbledon. She also picked up an ankle injury in her recent tournament in Portoroz from which she had to retire, so how will this effect betting on her? Well, realistically it’s been a couple of weeks and while she may struggle early on for match sharpness, if she is 100% fit then there is no reason why she can’t win still. She may even be a little refreshed from her efforts this season. She will begin in San Diego in the second round against either Aravane Rezai or Alisa Kleybanova. Both of those have beaten Jankovic, and therefore Jankovic will have it tough early. There is no tougher scrapper on the circuit than Jankovic though, making her a strong favourite.

Sam Stosur (11/2 at BetFred), ranked 5th in the world is another strong bet to get behind .As mentioned here before, the Australian is one of the most improved players on the WTA this year, and she has battled her way up to fifth in the world rankings. She will also enter the tournament in the second round after getting a bye like Jankovic, and Stosur will go up against Victoria Azarenka or Melanie Oudin. If Azarenka gets through that, who is worth looking at in betting herself, then the Belarusian will fancy her chances against Stosur, as she has never lost a set to the Aussie. If Azarenka gets through the first round, then it will set up one of the most mouthwatering matches of the opening couple of rounds. Both players certainly have their strengths, and both are worth considering behind Jankovic. Azarenka, who is looking to rediscover the awesome form of early 2010, reached the final in Sanford to face Sharapova on Sunday, where she was far too powerful for her opponent, picking up the title, the fourth of her career. Azarenka is a big confidence player, and when things are going right for her she can beat the world, but when things start going wrong, she can be her own worst memory.

The Top 8 seeds in San Diego are quite an impressive list. Vera Zvonareva (11/2 at Boylesports) makes an attractive and worthwhile outside bet and she should be full of confidence after getting to the Wimbledon final. You also have Agnieszka Radwanska (8/1 at Boylesports) Flavia Pennetta (20/1 at BetFred) and Marion Bartoli (16/1 at Paddy Power) to look at, plus Dinara Safina (40/1 at Boylesports) who is looking for form, and Ana Ivanovic who was looking pretty sharp last week. Would primarily lean towards Jankovic first and Azarenka if she gets past Stosur.

The e-Boks Sony Ericsson Open

Young Danish star Caroline Wozniacki will grab all of the attention in this Copenhagen tournament, as she looks to rule the roost on her home tuft. The crowd will be behind her, and that can give an edge when looking at tennis betting odds on her. She looked ready to beat the world in the first half of the season and climbed her way up to second in the world. She remains Denmark’s only ever Top Ten player, and it is a little surprising that she only picked up one title along the way. Her form then fell away as she struggled a little to get deeper into competitions. She will start in the Danish capital against Petra Martic who is one of the best upcoming players, and should be a star for the future. On paper though, Martic shouldn’t be ready enough to take down Wozniacki yet, who starts the tournament as favourite. This is Wozniacki’s first run out since her last sixteen exit at Wimbledon, and there shouldn’t be any hesitation in getting behind her in tennis betting for the week.

There really should not be too much to trouble Wozniacki in the tournament, but her biggest threat should come from China’s Li Na, who has graced the Top Ten in the world this year. She has had the upper hand over Wozniacki this year, beating her twice in 2010, and should they meet in the final here, it should be an interesting encounter. Li Na has been quite consistent over the season, and is well worth a look in betting. She beat Maria Sharapova in the final at Birmingham just before Wimbledon, and reached the quarter finals there where she lost to Serena Williams.

Realistically the only other two names which stand out at the moment, is Petra Kvitova and Tsvetana Pironkova, more unknown names, but both hit the headlines at Wimbledon where they reached the semi finals. Hard to see either of them picking up a title in this one, unless La Ni and Wozniacki crash. They are seeded three and four for the tournament because of their form, but they are a way short of consistently beating top ten players. If you are looking for a form player in your betting, when you wouldn’t look any further than Julia Goerges who just won in Bad Gastein. She fully deserved her title victory there, as it backed up all of the hard work she had done in her previous tournament where she had reached the semi final in Palermo, and the tournament previous to that she had won in Biarritz. A dangerous floater in the tennis betting for this week. Another player who has been quite consistent of late, is young Slovenian Polona Herzog who is learning what like is life against the top players. Li Na looks a good bet in this tournament actually, but she would have to be second in the pecking order behind home queen favourite Wozniacki.

Baltacha downs Schiavone to reach WTA quarter finals

Britain’s Tennis star Elena Baltacha produced a fine display to oust number one seed Francesca Schiavone from the Istanbul Cup. Schiavone, the 2010 French Open winner, was a firm price to win through to the quarter finals, but as suggested here, Baltacha had what was needed to bring her down. This was another major scalp for Elena Baltacha, as her impressive season on the WTA continues, and warms the hearts of British Tennis fans. Baltacha struggled more in her first round match against a wildcard entrant than she did against Schiavone, stunning the Italian in a 6-4 6-2 victory to move ahead in the touranment. The match only lasted one hour and 25 minutes, as the Brit firmly got a grip on the game by dominating the Schiavone serve. Baltacha now moves ahead to her third quarter final place for the 2010 season on the WTA Tour, where she faces another of the tournament seeds, 6th seed Andrea Petkovic.

Baltacha, who knew she had nothing to lose against the top seed, and played with the trademark guts and commitment that is synonymous with her. There is still a lot of work to be done, but if Baltacha can beat Petkovic, there is only one other seed left in the tournament, and that is third seed Alisa Kleybanova who is down in the other half of the draw, and so wouldn’t meet until the final. To be honest, a place in the final would be nothing less than Elena Baltacha deserves, as well as a whole heap of credit for what she is doing for the game. Petkovic is a tricky customer and has been in a final this year, losing to Justine Henin in the final in the Netherlands. The two have met once before on the WTA tour, with the German winning. Realistically after her wonderful triumph, there is nothing which Baltacha should be afraid of, and she could press on.

Here is the tale of the tape for the two players to help sway your tennis betting. You should be able to get around 4/1 at BetFair on Baltacha to win the Istanbul Cup.

Progress 1st Round:
Baltacha v Buyukakcay 7-5 7-6(4)
Petkovic v Ozgen 6-2 6-1

Progress 2nd Round:
Baltacha v Schiavone 6-4 6-2
Petkovic v Makarova 7-6(5) 5-7 6-3

Roddick strong favourite on home turf

Atlanta
American Andy Roddick will be favourite of the week at the ATP Tour tournament at the Atlanta Athletic Club. The World Number 9 tops the seeds at the tournament over fellow American John Isner, who was the focus of that marathon match at Wimbledon recently. This is the first time since 2001 that a tournament has been held in Atlanta, and the winner of that last one was, yes, Andy Roddick, who has agreed to a wildcard entry into this one. This is a hard court tournament, the first on the circuit of North America for the year, as the players start their preparations for the US Open next month. Roddick is well worth getting behind with your tennis betting here, as he has a great 32-7 match record for the season, and has two titles to his name for 2010, including the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 held in Miami. Roddick has a 26-4 match record on hard courts this year, which the best of all players on the ATP Tour for 2010. For Isner, he is looking for his first ATP Title on home soil, and it should not be too long coming for the American, who has finished as runner up in two ATP finals in the States during his career. Aussie Leyton Hewitt may be worth a look, but shouldn’t be good enough to trouble either of the top two seeds. Hewitt did win in Halle earlier in the year, and has won 11 titles on American soil during his career. One of the best outside bets is probably Mardy Fish from the States as well. He has a decent match record for the year of 23-11, which isn’t spectacular, but solid for tournaments like this. He is sixth seed in Atlanta and worth a bet.

Atlanta Tennis Championships Outright Odds
Andy Roddick: 13/8 at Coral
John Isner: 9/2 at Ladbrokes
Lleyton Hewitt: 5/1 at Paddy Power
Mardy Fish: 9/1 at SkyBet
James Blake: 28/1 at Boylesports
Janko Tipsarevic: 28/1 at Boylesports

Hamburg
There is a little more prestige on the ATP Tour at Hamburg this week, with the clay court International German Open being the ATP World Tour 500 tournament. A player can use their best four results from ATP 500 tournaments entered in the season towards their overall ranking (along with mandatory four Grand Slams and eight ATP Tour Masters 1000 tournaments appearances for the Top 30 players ranked at the end of the previous season). Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko should be a strong performer here, and he is the defending champion after beating Paul-Henri Mathieu in last season’s final. Roger Federer has always had a strong hand in this tournament, but is not appearing this year. Davydenko has a 15-6 match record at the tournament, was one of the best performers at the beginning of the year on the hard court. He has been out for a while though with a wrist fracture, so may not be fully match sharp, and while he will be looking to subtilize his action and fitness, hit long term absence is why there are a couple of other names with looking at. Spain’s David Ferrer is seeded number two for the tournament, and has a decent 13-7 record there, not too far behind Davydenko’s. He reached the semi finals here last season to, and players do repeatedly perform well at certain tournaments. Nicolas Almagro, seeded fifth and a quarter finalist last year, recently lifted the title in Bastad, Sweden and so should be in a good positive and confident mood. Tommy Robredo is in the mix as well, a former winner back in 2006. One final decent punt will be Austrian Jurgen Melzer who reached the semi finals at Roland Garros this season. He has been in pretty good shape of late, and  is ranked third for the International German Open. Still, Ferrer probably is one of the best bets, as he has a 31-7 match record on clay this year, picking up five titles along the way. Best betting options for this ATP Hamburg event, is to find yourself a betting exchange like BetFair. A betting exchange allows you to bet directly against other punters, so as long as you can match a bet, or get your own bet matched, then you will be in business. It is a great alternative to finding odds on tennis betting, and BetFair offer a £25 no loss free bet on new accounts.