Posted on
1/21/2008 7:15:35 PM
Australian Open Betting – Quarterfinal Tennis Picks
By Nila Amerova
Melbourne, Australia – The second week of the Australian Open moves into the quarterfinal round. BetUS Sportsbook has released tennis odds for the final eight on both the men and women’s side. Here is a look at the quarterfinal matchups scheduled for Monday, 21 January 2008.
Tennis Betting Line:
Match Time: 7pm Eastern Time, Monday, 21 January 2008
Jo Wilfried Tsonga +4½ -110 +170 Over 40½ -115
Mikhail Youzhny -4½ -130 -220 Under 40½ -125
Jo Wilfried Tsonga (1st Set) +140 Over 10 -135 Mikhail Youzhny (1st Set)
Tennis Prediction: This is the first meeting between No.38 Jo-Wilfred Tsonga of France and No.14 Mikhail Youzhny of Russia. It comes as no surprise that Youzhny is the bookmakers favourite at -220 on the money line. Currently, Youzhny is the only player who holds a winning record and a title for the season and is alive in the tournament. Youzhny arrived at the start of the Australian Open with a 5/0 record for the season, having won the Chennai Open, defeating Rafael Nadal in the final. Youzhny is a versatile player, who can adjust his game quickly to any surface and any player. Youzhny , as the higher ranked and more seasoned player, the balance tips in his favour to advance into the semifinal round, but this is the first time Youzhny arrives into the quarterfinal round of a Grand Slam event – so he is in unchartered territory. Will the occasion be too great for him?
Tsonga is equally in unchartered waters, as this his best performance at a Grand Slam event. The surprise quarterfinalist upset ninth seed Andy Murray in the first round and eighth seed Richard Gasquet in the R16 to earn his berth in his first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal. Tsonga holds a lot of value as the bookmakers +170 underdog. He has nothing to lose but play his best and as he has already defied the odds to reach this point, his Cinderella story may very well continue into the semifinal of the Australian Open.
The pressure sits on the shoulders of the favourite Youzhny, as the expectation is on him to advance. However, Tsonga, has the freedom of playing without the weight of expectations on his shoulders. Should he rise to the occasion, as he did against Andy Murray and Richard Gasquet, he may very well orchestrate another upset. I am inclined to take a chance on Tsonga.
Tennis Free Pick: Tsonga in five sets
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Nila Amerova is a freelance sports writer and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room.