Posted on 3/4/2008 3:04:36 PM

Barcaly’s Dubai Tennis Championships – First Round Tennis Betting

By Nila Amerova

Dubai, UAE – The deep 32-man draw at the Barcaly’s Dubai Tennis Championships threatened to topple the tournament’s second top seed Spaniard Rafael Nadal, when in his opener against Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany on Monday – the player who ended Andy Roddick’s Australian Open campaign in a spectacular five-set marathon in the R32 – he was stretched to a third set, forced to comeback from behind to clinch the victory 3-6 6-1 6-4. The 2006 Dubai champion Nadal (tipped at -350) improved to 4-0 lifetime against Kohlschreiber (+235) and moves into the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships where he will next face qualifier Mikhail Ledovskikh. As a side note: Nadal and doubles partner Spaniard Feliciano Lopez – who as a +110 underdog also moved into the second round of men’s single tennis action in Dubai with a victory over the -150 favorite Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia – are through to the quarterfinals in doubles action after defeating Jeff Coetzee and Wesley Moodie 6-4, 7-6(5) on Monday.

Czech Tomas Berdych (-350), the eighth seed in Dubai, defeated Frenchman Gael Monfils (+225), who was contesting his first tournament since suffering a knee, wrist and ankle injuries in September, with a close 6-4, 6-4 score line.

In other action, sixth seed Andy Roddick (-300) advanced with relative ease into the second round, after defeating 2001 Dubai champion Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain (+200) 6-2, 6-4; third seed Novak Djokovic (-650) topped Croat Marian Cilic (+375) 6-4, 6-3; and Paul Henri Mathieu of France (-600) persevered over [Q] Joseph Sirianni (+350) 6-4, 6-4.

There were victories also for Olivier Rochus, who defeated Jarkko Nieminen 6-1 6-2, and Mikhail Ledovskikh, who defeated UAE’s Mahmoud Nader 6-1 6-1.

The Dubai Tennis championships moves into the second round, minus its top seed Roger Federer, who was upset in the first round by Scot Andy Murray – a bit of a shocker actually – but aside from a few close contests in the first round, the remaining top seven seeds are through—their campaign lives for another day. The field relatively intact, the R16 tennis betting action promises to be a scintillating prospect. Few predicted the championships would press forward without its four-time champion, Roger Federer, but with a field so deep in talent, no result is unforeseen. The championships will witness more surprises – the capitulation of more favourites is an almost certainty. You can bet on it.

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