Posted on
10/24/2007 8:53:03 PM
Tennis Wagering - ATP Lyon Grand Prix 2nd Round Picks
By Nila Amerova
Lyon, France – The Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon fully moves into the second round on Thursday October 25, 2007. Through to the quarterfinal was Frenchman Marc Gicquel, who defeated Benjamin Becker 6-3, 6-3 and Argentinean Diego Hartfield, who upset his compatriot Juan Monaco 6-4, 6-3. With six more matches to play in the second round before the final eight can be determined, bet on the second round match ups with BetUS Sportsbook.
Tennis Betting Line: Julien Benneteau +110 Gilles Simon -150
Tennis Prediction: In this all-French affair, No.68 Julien Benneteau meets No.32 Gilles Simon for the first time ever in an ATP event. The higher ranked Frenchman, Simon is favored at -150. Simon brings a 34/24 record into this match, which includes his first two career ATP titles – Marseille (hard) and Bucharest (clay). Simon favors hard court surfaces.
Benneteau, who ranks well below his compatriot, arrives with an underwhelming record for the season at 21/27. Benneteau, who has competed on the professional circuit since 2000, has yet to win an ATP title. In terms of surface, Benneteau favors both hard and clay.
The Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon is played on carpet – a surface that is not unlike hard court, but slower because of the friction between the ball and the carpet. As such, Benneteau would have the slightest edge over Simon in this match, owing to the fact that Benneteau favors clay – the slowest surface of them all – as well as hard. As such, banking on the underdog in this match would not be a long shot bet.
Tennis Free Pick: Benneteau in straight sets
Tennis Betting Line: Ivan Ljubicic -325 Thierry Ascione +210
Tennis Prediction: No. 14 Ivan Ljubicic is the outright favorite in this match. Ljubicic is one of the few players that can adjust his game to any surface. In 2006, Ljubicic compiled a record of 61/20, which comprised of winning records on all the surfaces - 36-12 on hard, 15-6 on clay, 7-0 on carpet and 3-2 on grass.
In 2007, Ljubicic has played notably less, bringing only a 43/21 record into this match and two ATP titles. By his standards, this year has not been his best season, but in spite of the instances of streakiness, the 28-year-old Croatian is still a good bet.
No. 96 Thierry Ascione, who entered this tournament on a wild card, will have home court advantage, making him a bet worth making. Ascione arrives into the second round after upsetting the favored Janko Tipsarevic in the first round. Having already banked on his underdog odds once, can he do it again?
Tennis Free Pick: Ljubicic in straight sets.
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Nila Amerova is a freelance sports writer and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room.