Posted on 10/25/2007 7:47:02 PM

Tennis Betting – Lyon Grand Prix Quarterfinal: Gicquel vs. Hartfield

By Nila Amerova

Lyon, France – In the bottom half of the draw, Frenchman Marc Gicquel and Argentinean Diego Hartfield prepare to meet in the Lyon Grand Prix quarterfinal on Friday, October 26, 2007. BetUS Sportsbook is offering tennis odds on this match up, so to get you started betting on this event, here is my tennis pick for the quarterfinal between Marc Gicquel and Diego Hartfield.

Since the start of this weeks ATP tournaments, Nila Amerova owns a 10/2 winning record in choice tennis picks for the ATP Lyon Grand Prix tournament, a record which includes picking the upset of Top seed Andy Roddick (-900) by Fabio Santoro (+450) and defending champion [4] Richard Gasquet (-300) by Jo-Wilfred’s Tsonga (-200).

Tennis Betting Line: Diego Hartfield +220 Marc Gicquel -330

Match Time: 06:00 A.M. EST

Tennis Prediction: No.95 Diego Hartfield, who is tipped at +220 underdog odds by the odds makers, is disadvantaged several times over in this match.

Hartfield owns a losing record for the season at 14/18. The Argentinean spends the bulk of the season competing in clay court tournaments; his best result this season came on this surface – in February in Buenos Aires, he reached the semifinal. In his last four events, Hartfield crashed out in the first round. In this, his fifth event of the fall season, Hartfield is enjoying a bit of a winning streak.

Hartfield arrives in the quarterfinal after orchestrating upsets in both the first and second rounds. In the first round, Hartfield, a +425 underdog, upset Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, a -800 favorite, and in the second round, Hartfield again defied the odds and topped his much-favored compatriot Juan Monaco. Having cashed in on his underdog odds twice, will Hartfield be lucky a third time around?

The odds are against Hartfield and the crowd most likely will be against him as well, but with nothing to lose, but play his best, Hartfield could play a much loser game, and in so doing, orchestrate yet another upset and prove that he is after all third time lucky.

At +220 Hartfield holds value, but betting on him is risky. Indeed, if Hartfield’s season were an indication, there is no performance – aside from the semifinal run in his capital city Buenos Aires – that would indicate he would be a sure play.

No. 79 Marc Gicquel is favored on the money line at -330. Recommending his odds is first and foremost home court advantage. The Frenchman will have no shortage of supporters in the crowd to spur him on.

The 30-year-old Gicquel arrives on the heels of an underwhelming season, which sits at a lowly 19/24 record; however, in spite of his meager record for the season, Gicquel owns a 1-0 record over Hartfield – a victory notched on clay in Gstaad, Switzerland earlier this year. Having already beaten Hartfield on the Argentineans’ favored surface, in this match, their second in 2007, Gicquel, on his favorite surface – indoor courts (hard) – would appear to be the better bet.

Tennis Free Pick:Gicquel in three sets.

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