posted May 9, 2008 at 18:26 in Tennis Free Picks

Berlin, German – In the tennis betting market at BetUS Sportsbook, online betting is available on the Qatar Telecom German Open – a WTA Tier I event with a prize money of $1.34million. Competing for a share of the prize purse during the course of this week were some of the tours top elite women’s singles tennis players – No.1 Justine Henin, defending champion No.2 Ana Ivanovic, No.4 Svetlana Kuznetsova, No.5 Jelena Jankovic and No.6 Serena Williams, to name a few. However, in an incredible week of sports betting action, favourites failed to live up to their impressive billings, going against the tennis betting market trend as one after another found themselves shocked by either the established or the up-and-coming bevy in the game today.

The first shocker the tournament received was the upset of World No.1 Justine Henin in the R16 yesterday. Few sports bettors would have bet against the tournament’s short-odds-on-favourite for the title and 2007 semi-finalist in Berlin to go one better this year. However, in an unusual twist of events, a routine R16 matchup against Dinara Safina – a player she held a 5-0 lifetime record – heavy favourite Henin fell in three sets 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.

The same day saw another upset in the second quarter, when Svetlana Kuznetsova – the 2007 runner-up – was ousted by up-and-coming Alona Bondarenko 1-6, 6-2, 6-2. So with the quarterfinal line-up, minus the No.1 and No.3 seed in the tournament, the remaining three seeds in the Top 5 received a golden opportunity. Reigning queen in Berlin, No.2 Ana Ivanovic, by virtue of being the 2007 champion, leading the trio of favourites, appeared to be a shoo-in for a position in the final four – if not, move forward from her section of the draw in to the tournament’s final movement on Sunday. On the other side of the draw, the lone Top 5 seed Serena Williams arguably had an even more favourable course to the tournaments finale.

Fast forward to the close of tennis betting action today, as the dust settled, the clay-courts were littered with high profile victims. Dinara Safina claimed her second big victory in Berlin, defeating Serena Williams 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(5). Elena Dementieva (the seventh seed) ousted Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. And the only unseeded player still alive in the tournament, Victoria Azarenka eked out 15th seed Alona Bondarenko 7-6(2), 6-2. The only result that did not reach a conclusion today was the quarterfinal between 10th seed Agnes Szavay and No.2 Ana Ivanovic. Agnes Szavay owned the day, when she seized the first set, but the defending champion Ana Ivanovic showed her championship pedigree when she salvaged the second set. Just as the crowd was settling in for a sensational third set, the match was suspended due to darkness, to resume in the morning tomorrow.

So after the tournament’s nigh-clean sweep today (we will know tomorrow whether it was a clean sweep or not after the Szavay vs. Ivanovic match resumes) the playing field is relatively wide open, the title even perhaps for the taking. With three unexpected players confirmed in the final four, , what the online tennis betting community at BetUS Sportsbook can expect are some standout bets and great angles for profit over the weekend. So, as the tournament takes one-step closer to crowning its new queen, check out the tennis betting market at BetUS Sportsbook and start wagering on tennis.

BetUS Sportsbook is taking action on the French Open with the men’s French Open Futures. Check out the futures odds and start betting on the second Grand Slam of the year now!

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