posted April 21, 2008 at 19:26 in Tennis Betting Trends

Monte Carlo, Monaco – Online tennis betting fans have ahead of them an exciting week of tennis betting. Eight of the Top 10 elite ATP players are competing this week at the ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo, including World No.2, Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who is chasing a historic fourth straight title. With such a star-studded cast in Monte Carlo bidding to dethrone the 21-year-old Spaniard, tennis betting is sure to heat up at BetUS Sportsbook over the course of this premier event.

Nadal defeated rival Roger Federer in the last two years in the final in Monte Carlo. To be sure, the Spaniard, who makes his season debut on clay this week, will be the bettor’s short-odds-on favourite for the title. Over the past three seasons, Nadal has posted a 107-3 mark on his beloved surface – clay – lifting 17 titles in the process. That’s simply cawaaazy!!! No ifs or buts about it – Nadal’s record is intimidating, making him the player to beat this week.

World No.1 Roger Federer comes into this tournament as the top seed for the fourth consecutive year. He arrives in Monte Carlo after finally snapping his 2008 title drought by winning the Estoril Open on Sunday. His career 54th ATP title could not have come at a more opportune moment – before the start of the prestigious AMS in Monte Carlo – as his lack of a title in the first three months of the season, which was already concerning, had it spilled over into this event would have seriously harmed his odds to win here. But happily, his fortune has enjoyed a turnaround. Cue: collective sigh of relief!

As Federer and Nadal received the No.1 and No.2 seeds respectively, they naturally fall on opposite ends of the draw. An exciting prospect for sports bettors following their progress through the rounds –with great anticipation hoping for another final showdown of the rivalry that has entertained the online sports betting community for such a long time – the result of which will be seen not only as a precursor for the clay court season, but a benchmark for the French Open future odds.

Another player sports bettors will be anxious to follow in Monte Carlo is World No.3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia. Djokovic, who is also making his season debut on clay after choosing not to defend his Estoril Open title last week, will kick off his campaign against Ivan Ljubicic in the second round. Djokovic has had an incredible hard court season in the first three months of 2008, winning the Australian Open and the AMS in Indian Wells; the only blemish on his near perfect start to the year was his failure to defend his 2007 ATP Masters Series Miami title (Djokovic crashed out of the tournament in his opening match, lost to qualifier Kevin Anderson of South Africa). He will hope to get off to a better start in Monte Carlo.

Third seed Djokovic falls into the same section of the draw as Roger Federer, so they are slotted to meet in the semifinals. Federer lost to Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals this year and a meeting in the final four here would be a true crescendo for the tournament and one that would resonate throughout the clay court season as well.

Therefore, as the tournament is already underway, fans of the game and die-hard tennis bettors have a whole host of scintillating matchups to look forward to with good value. So don’t wait a moment longer and check out the BetUS tennis odds on the ATP Masters Series in Monte Carlo and start betting on tennis.

Federer might be winning everything except clay these days, but with online sports betting in the BetUS.com Sportsbook, betting on tennis has never been so exciting! Join the BetUS.com online sportsbook today and start using the latest tennis lines, odds and props to earn cold, hard cash!

Nila Amerova is a freelance sports writer and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room.