Posted on 3/31/2008 6:24:31 PM

Tennis Betting Djokovic Flunks Miami Opening Test

By Nila Amerova

Miami, Florida – Incessant ball bouncing and tedious stalling rituals synonymous with Novak Djokovic’s game were on full display on Friday, when the Serbian hit centre court in the Magic City to defend his career maiden ATP Masters Series title. But the alchemy of tactics conjured up nothing short of a miraculous upset, as Djokovic fell into a funk after being warned for taking too much time between points, and then blew a third set lead to lose his Miami opener. On the women’s side, fellow Serb Pacific Life Open champion, Ana Ivanovic also tasted early defeat in Miami when she was imperiously ousted by an in-form Lindsay Davenport. After tasting bitter losses at the Sony Ericsson Open, both Serbian tennis starlets aimed a swing at the sports calendar, citing the proximity of both premier events the root cause of their lethargy in Miami.

Djokovic entered the Miami draw as one of the short-odds-on favourites to win the title in Miami, and his Miami odds were further slashed after winning the ATP Masters Series title in Indian Wells on Sunday, March 23, 2008.

In his opening match in Miami, Djokovic weighed in at a whopping price tag of -2000 on the money line (BetUS tennis odds). And with a relative unknown in the form of qualifier Kevin Anderson of South Africa earning the spot across the net from Djokovic in the second round, few would have bet against Djokovic to flunk out so soon! But if I may interject here: Anderson was the pick for the win in my regular Tennis Free Picks instalments in the BetUS Lockeroom. So for those of you who took a chance on the underdog that was one hot pick to bank on! (Cue: celebrations!)

Qualifier Kevin Anderson, standing 6’7” tall and a former NCAA doubles champion at Illinois (2006), served up the tremendous triumph in Miami, beating the third seed Djokovic 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-4. Anderson, who was tipped at long odds of +800 at BetUS, proved too tough for the Serb and this in spite of the snail’s pace Djokovic tried to impose on the match with his bouncing and bouncing and more bouncing of the ball before he served. Djokovic ‘s ball bouncing ritual ranges from a low of 9 to upwards of 20 depending on his nervousness in a match. And he is surprised the unsportsmanlike conduct bothers some? Get out!

World No.1 Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, two of several gentlemanly players on the ATP tour, had the displeasure of being subjected to Djokovic’s ball-bouncing charm during their respective semifinal and final loss to the Serb at the 2008 Australian Open – a charm both players were visibly bothered by at the time. It goes without saying, they, as well as the rest of the playing field, will not be sad to see defending champion Djokovic dethroned in Miami.

As a side note: Roger Federer practised with the 6’7” Anderson last week; in fact, on the day before the South African ousted Djokovic.

A happy coincidence or evil genius? Hmmm...... ?

Djokovic’s loss was a crucial one as it helps Federer, not only in Miami, but also for the rest of the season. Experts earmark Djokovic for future greatness – one such trapping of greatness is the World No.1 ranking. By winning the 2008 Australian Open and 2008 Pacific Life Open, Djokovic gained ground on both No.2 Rafael Nadal and No.1 Roger Federer in the rankings, but just as swiftly, he lost ground with his opening loss in Miami. Djokovic won the title in Miami last year; his failure to defend his Sony Ericsson title wipes out a lot of points from his total. For him to recover ground in the coming months and hope to position himself for the year-end World No.1 ranking , he will have to defend his ranking points at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open (semifinals in the former two and a final in the latter). To be successful he would have to do just as well or better in these events; a bonus in his bid for the World No.1 ranking would be if Federer’s title slump in 2008 continued and he dropped off early in major tournaments. Let’s get real, is that really likely?

Lindsay Davenport – a 2000 finalist in Miami – continued to gain momentum in her comeback since last summer, notching an important win against Top 10 elite player Ana Ivanovic in the third round on Sunday. Davenport upset the second seed Ivanovic 6-4, 6-2 in her first time returning to this event since 2003.

The task of winning back-to-back titles – in Indian Wells and Miami – in the same year proved to be too overwhelming for the Serbian duo to pull off. Although both were not impressed with the scheduling, resign to it, they must. It does not help their cause to know that in the men’s game six players and two on the women’s side have accomplished the feat – Jim Courier (1991), Michael Chang (1992), Pete Sampras (1994), Marcelo Rios(1998), Andre Agassi (2001), and Roger Federer in (2005 and 2006);meanwhile Steffi Graf (1994 and 1996) and Kim Clijsters (2005). This is one elite club both will have to wait another year to join.

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