US Open Tennis Betting – Wozniacki and Federer headline Monday

There are two highlight games for US Open tennis betting happening on Monday. First in the men’s draw, British tennis fans will have to get over the disappointing exit of Andy Murray in the third round to Stanislas Warwinka, and put their allegiance elsewhere. We are rapidly heading towards the business end of the final tennis Grand Slam of the year, and Murray has been the biggest casualty of the men’s draw so far. What that does is really open up the door for Rafael Nadal to stroll to the final from the first half of the draw, as the great Spaniard is starting to pick up momentum and get back on top of his game. In the other half of the draw, Swiss superstar Roger Federer has shown no signs of letting the season go without picking another title. Federer won the Australian Open at the start of the year, but the power swing has gone to Nadal as he picked up the French Open and Wimbledon titles, although Federer has something that Nadal does not. A good winning record at the US Open. Nadal has never won the US Open, the only Grand Slam that he is missing from his portfolio. Over in the women’s draw, favourite Kim Clijsters is on something of a cruise control, but there is a rising force in young Danish star Caroline Wozniacki, who takes on former US Open winner Maria Sharapova.

888Sport are running a US Open Special  on Tennis Betting. When you place a bet on any men’s singles match and the player you back loses in five sets, then the online bookmaker will refund your lost stake as a free bet up to the value of £50. As a second US Open betting special, 888Sport will also give you a free bet up to the value of £50 (to match your initial stake) if there are three tie break sets in your selected match. These are nice little betting bonuses to enhance your tennis betting on the US Open. 888Sport also offer a no loss first bet on new accounts, up to the value of £20, which means you have a great bet on the US Open and you won’t lose with that great offer.

Caroline Wozniacki v Maria Sharapova
This is something of the glamour tie of the tournament, and with the two always on a collision course in the first quarter of the women’s US Open tennis draw, it was bizarre that online bookmakers had Sharapova down as one of the favourites in tennis betting. Yes, the Russian queen of the court has been in some inspired form this season, and has arguably not rediscovered her best form, but surpassed it, she was always going to be an outside bet. Sharapova has picked up two titles this year, and holds a handy 29-8 match record for the season. Sharapova was a winner at Flushing Meadows back in 2006, and can she repeat that feat in 2010? It is unlikely at best, because while she has been blitzing past her opposition in the early round, there are serious doubts over whether she has enough to beat new teen queen Caroline Wozniacki. Danish player Wozniacki has picked up four titles this year, with a very impressive 44-14 match record. She has been one of the few consistent players on the WTA this year, and while she had a bit of a downturn in form midway through the season, she has really picked up form again at the right moment. She won the Olympus US Open Series prior to the US Open itself. She fired her way up to world number two back in March, but in the Grand Slams, she just never looked quite ready to make that big step up for an elite title. There was often a show of inexperience being a reason not to get behind her in tennis betting too heavily. At the US Open, it looks as if she has gotten her timing right, and her time could now be coming. She reached the final at Flushing Meadows last year and so will have no qualms about handling the pressure. She is hot favourite to win her half of the draw and she finally makes a good bet at a Grand Slam. The draw has been kind to her, and while she will find Sharapova a much tougher work out than any of her other opponents so far at the US Open, Wozniacki will be tipped to get through. Wozniacki has only dropped three games in three matches at Flushing Meadows. She is in top form, the best of her career at the moment, and looking to have come on leaps and bounds in terms of maturity. The two players have gone head to head just twice on the WTA tour, with Sharapova actually holding a 2-0 advantage, beating Wozniacki twice in 2008. A lot has happened since then and Wozniacki continues to become a major force in women’s tennis.

Caroline Wozniacki to win: 10/11 at SkyBet
Maria Sharapova to win: Evens at Boylesports

US Open Outright Odds
Kim Clijsters: 2/1 at BetFred
Caroline Wozniacki: 9/2 at SkyBet
Maria Sharapova: 5/1 at Boylesports
Venus Williams: 6/1 at Paddy Power
Vera Zvonareva: 12/1 at BetFred

Roger Federer v Jurgen Melzer
Federer has only picked up one title since the start of the year when he lifted the Australian Open Grand Slam. There have been signs this year that he may just be getting past his peak, but even when he has off days he is still one of the top players in the world and tough to break. Federer hasn’t dropped a set yet on his way to the fourth round, and there are no signs to bet against there being the big finale of a Nadal v Federer final for the US Open this year. Standing in Federer’s way in the fourth round is Austrian Jurgen Melzer who was taken to five sets in the opening two rounds, but found life much easier in the third round when he beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets. The two twenty nine year olds have only met once on the ATP Tour and guess who won that one. Yes, Federer has a 1-0 head to head record, brushing the Austrian aside in three untroubled sets at Wimbledon this year. Left hander Melzer has just two titles in his professional career and that doesn’t stand up too well against Federer’s 63. Still, Melzer is ranked 15th in the world and he has battled his way to a few semi finals this year, including showing up in the semi’s at the French Open where he lost to Rafael Nadal. There is no suggestion that he is in any kind of form to trouble Federer and tennis betting should firmly be behind the man from Switzerland. Awaiting the winner of this match in the quarter finals, will be fifth seed Robin Soderling, or 21st seed Albert Montanes. Novak Djokovic, seeded third at the US Open, is favourite to meet Federer in the semi final.

Roger Federer to win: 1/18 at Paddy Power
Jurgen Melzer: 12/1 at Boylesports

US Open Outright Odds
Roger Federer: 5/4 at Totesport
Rafael Nadal: 13/8 at Bet365
Novak Djokovic: 12/1 at Paddy Power