Posted on 5/12/2008 4:22:35 PM

Tennis Betting Preview - Masters Series Hamburg – 2nd Quarter

By Nila Amerova

Hamburg, Germany – The Tennis Masters Series in Hamburg promises the online tennis betting hamlet at BetUS Sportsbook a little bit of everything in the way of dramatic sports betting. Arriving in Hamburg is a draw packed with hard hitters and clay court gurus, as well as defending champion Roger Federer, clay court King Rafael Nadal and Rome Masters Series champion Novak Djokovic. What online betting enthusiasts in the online wagering circles, betting on the Hamburg Masters, can expect are some standout tennis odds and value tennis wagers during the early rounds, as quality players inevitably clash.

In the second quarter of the draw, fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko and eighth Richard Gasquet flank the periphery of the section, inextricably drawn to meet in the quarterfinal. However, before either player can entertain a final eight clash, they must overcome nearby challenges.

Russian Nikolay Davydenko, who reached the R16 in Rome last week, has a course that runs through several brutal stumbling blocks. To go one better in Hamburg, he needs to navigate past Ivan Ljubicic in the second round and potentially Rome runner-up Stanislas Wawrinka in the R16. Ljubicic could be dangerous for Davydenko, as he trails 2-3 lifetime against the Croatian, having not won a match against him in three years. But considering Ljubicic has had few encouraging results in tournament play this year, Davydenko may survive this first test. Fast-forward to the third round: should Wawrinka emerge as his opponent, Davydenko will face a player he has never played before. It is impossible to know whether Wawrinka will bounce back 100% with such a quick turnaround following his runner-up finish in Rome, but all being equal and form not a factor, the reality is the quarterfinal berth is up for grabs. Anything can happen here.

On the opposite flank, Frenchman Richard Gasquet, owing to his Top 10 ranking, looms as a seeded threat. Talent he has. However, results are another matter entirely. Gasquet has long been touted as France’s next big talent and future Grand Slam champion, but this season he has seen him on a downward decline. His confidence at an all-time career low, talented or not, he is a shaky seed to wager on in this tournament.

Last week in Rome, Gasquet was upset by Luis Horna – a player who ranks beyond the Top 100. If Rome were a benchmark for tennis bettors, then another Gasquet upset may be the rule rather than the exception. Moreover, it does not help his odds when nearby threats come in the form of solid clay-court players. In his opening match, he could face Andreas Seppi and in his third round encounter, he could potentially meet effective clay-courter Simone Boleilli or Juan Monaco.

After last week’s surprises in Rome, I would wager the second quarter of the draw in Hamburg to be this week’s quagmire. Davydenko is surely the favourite to reach the final eight (although that in itself is not a certainty), but Gasquet is if anything but certain to be waiting. The reality of this section is that both the quarterfinal and the semi-final berths are up for grabs. For tennis betting enthusiasts, this comes as good news, for if rightly handicapped there is an angle of profit to be made here!

So there you have it! A nice short tennis betting preview of some of the exciting tennis betting action on the ATP Masters Series Hamburg available in the online sports betting market at BetUS Sportsbook. Now that you are all read up, you are ready to start wagering on tennis!

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