Posted on 3/5/2008 9:51:59 PM

ATP Tennis Betting Picks Djokovic vs. Gasquet

By Nila Amerova

Dubai, UAE – Defeating World No.1 and defending champion Roger Federer at the Australian Open semifinal – a defeat that ended Federer’s Grand Slam finals streak at ten straight appearances – en route to his title victory in the years first Grand Slam, was a sign of Federer’s newfound vulnerability insists Djokovic. Further supporting his assertion of a shifting tide in Federer’s reign was Murrays’ upset over the Swiss in the first round – or so an overly confident Djokovic claims. Therefore, it is with some interest that his upcoming matchup in the Dubai quarterfinal against Gasquet – a player who overwhelmingly is considered a Federer-like tot – is anticipated with much enthusiasm, especially as Gasquet holds the most recent victory over the Serb – a round robin win at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai last year.

Barclay’s Dubai Tennis Championships Quarterfinal Picks:

Match Time: 05:00 AM Eastern Time, Thursday March 6, 2008

Tennis Betting Line: Novak Djokovic vs. Richard Gasquet

No.3 Novak Djokovic owns a slight 2-1 edge over No. 8 Richard Gasquet of France; but it was the Frenchman, who notched the victory – his first career victory actually over the Serbian tennis sensation – at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai last year. Gasquet dismissed Djokovic 6-4, 6-2 – albeit Djokovic appeared to be extremely fatigued at that point in the season, arguably not producing his best performance. However, that is neither here-nor-there. The fact of the matter is Gasquet defeated him and that is all that counts.

Djokovic is possibly the one of the best hard court players on the tour, owing to his deep groundstrokes and a consistent serve – a rather underrated weapon in his arsenal that has gotten him out of trouble on numerous occasions. At his best, he is tough to beat on his favorite surface. Djokovic arrived in Dubai with an 8/2 record for the season, which is mostly comprised of match-wins during his title run in Melbourne. Since the Australian Open, Djokovic contested one tournament – Open 13 in Marseille, where he crashed out in the second round to No. 30 Gilles Simon.

But in spite of arriving in Dubai, short on tournament play, Djokovic reached the quarterfinal yesterday with a comfortable victory over crowd favorite Fabrice Santoro. Djokovic now improves to 10/2 for the season and prepares to contest his second quarterfinal of the season.

Seeded seventh in the tournament, Richard Gasquet enters this matchup with a 8/3 record for the season. The promising talent Gasquet, whose fluidity and versatility on court – as well as his one-handed backhand, which is very Federer-like – has earned him the nickname “Baby Federer”. Often criticised for his lack of fire and resilience, Gasquet’s results this season would appear to give some credence to those accusations. At the Australian Open, Gasquet reached the R16 and in his two other tournaments, he only reached the second round of both.

The Dubai quarterfinal is Gasquet’s first quarterfinal appearance of the season, a poor result according to his standard. The odds will be against the Frenchman, but in spite of any disadvantage on the money line, he is still a player with value.

Tennis Prediction: The smart play in this matchup will be the bookies short-odds-on favorite, Djokovic; but I must admit to a penchant for the underdog Gasquet. Against Fabrice Santoro, Djokovic looked a little tentative in the second set, allowing the Frenchman Santoro to build a 4-1 lead, before taking the initiative to win 6-3 7-6(3). Should Djokovic lose his concentration against Gasquet in the quarterfinal, I do not believe this Frenchman will be as accommodating.

Tennis Free Picks: Gasquet in three sets

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