Posted on
2/21/2008 7:37:30 PM
Tennis Betting - ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament Final Picks
By Nila Amerova
Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Second round action closed at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament on a dramatic high, as none of the final eight berths holds a seeded player. From top seed Rafael Nadal, to defending champion and fourth seed Mikhail Youzhny and sixth seed Andy Murray down to eighth seed Marcos Baghdatis, none was spared from humbling defeat. Now , with no seeded player in sight and the playing field wide open, bookmakers are faced with the task of pricing a quarter-final round littered with pre-tournament long-odds-on-favourites and underdogs —a pricing quandary for odds makers, but a betting goldmine for bettors. So, who will emerge as the new champion in Rotterdam on Sunday? Bet on the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament with BetUS Sportsbook – your one-stop-shop for all your tennis betting thrills.
Tennis Betting Line: Andreas Seppi vs. Robin Soderling
Match Time: 05:00 AM Eastern Time, Friday February 22, 2008
Tennis Prediction: This is a tough quarter-final matchup in the top half of the draw. On paper, No.42 Andreas Seppi of Italy and No.59 Robin Soderling stack-up evenly. However, at this tournament, considering their course to the quarter-final, the balance tips in favor of Seppi.
Seppi shocked Lleyton Hewitt in his opening match and followed up his with an even bigger upset in the second round, dismissing Rafael Nadal in a marathon three-set match 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The huge victory takes Seppi into his first quarter-final of the season on the ATP circuit. (On the Challenger circuit, Seppi won the title in Bergame, Italy two weeks ago).
Soderling is competing in his first tournament of the season and reached the final eight after upsetting [8] Marcos Baghdatis in his opening match and Fernando Verdasco in the second round. Soderling is a tough competitor and his most memorable performance was at the 2007 Wimbledon R32 match against Nadal, which spanned over three days due to rain delays, and finished in favour of Nadal 6-4 6-4 6-7(7) 4-6 7-5.
I expect a tough contest between these two. Seppi has never won an ATP title, and the Soderling has not won a title since his last victory in Milan (2005).
Tennis Free Picks: Seppi in three sets
Tennis Betting Line: Gilles Simon -240 Teimuraz Gabashvili +180
Match Time: 05:00 AM Eastern Time, Friday February 22, 2008
Tennis Prediction: Russian No.132 Teimuraz Gabashvili has been pegged as one of the players to watch this season, and with victories over Tommy Robredo and Nicolas Mahut (two players who rank well-above the 22-year old) he advances past the second round for the first time in a tournament this season. In his first ATP quarter-final of the season, he meets No.36 Gilles Simon of France, a player against whom he trails 0-2 lifetime.
At -240, Simon is the better play. Simon is coming-off of a quarter-final appearance in Marseille, and in this his second quarter-final of the season, he is the favorite to reach his first semi-final of the season.
Tennis Free Picks: Simon in straight sets
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Nila Amerova is a freelance sports writer and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room