Posted on 5/9/2008 7:56:50 PM

Tennis Betting - Rome Masters Quarter Picks - Roddick vs. Wawrinka

By Nila Amerova

Rome, Italy – The bottom half of the draw at the ATP Masters Series in Rome was largely expected in the BetUS tennis betting circles to be dominated by Rafael Nadal; indeed, the Spaniard was the champion thrice over in Rome, entering the main draw having only lost one match in 104 matches on clay over the last three years. But a gruelling 2008 clay-court season, shortened because the Beijing Olympics were added on to this year’s ATP Calendar of events, meant Rafa was faced with defending four of his hat-trick titles – the ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo, Barcelona Open, ATP Masters Series Rome and the French Open – over a significantly shorter period. After successfully defend the first two, Rafa was handed only his second clay court loss in over four years. With Nadal dethroned in Rome, suddenly the bottom half of the draw was left wide open and the most unlikely of top 10 players stepped up, in the form of Andy Roddick. So as BetUS Sportsbook is taking tennis betting action on the Masters Series in Rome, here is a look at the semi-final billing between Andy Roddick and Stanislas Wawrinka.

Tennis Betting Line: Andy Roddick vs. Stanislas Wawrinka

Match Time: 07:00 AM Eastern Time Saturday May 10, 2008

Head-to-Head Analysis: This is the first-ever career meeting between No.6 Andy Roddick and No.24 Stanislas Wawrinka.

Andy Roddick: Andy Roddick arrived in Rome with a 21-4 mark for the year, including two titles – San Jose and Dubai. But while his season has been solid, all his results came on hard courts. The European clay-court swing underway, Roddick, who is not known for any special clay-court prowess, appeared to be a long shot in his first clay court tournament year.

Earlier this week, I boldly wrote Roddick could only enter the final stages of the tournament, should he have help in the draw with his opposition lending him a hand in eliminating the nearby biggest threats slotted to meet him in the final movement. I stand by the statement, as what if not that happened. In his section, Ancic was ousted in the R32, Davydenko was ousted in the R16... and so forth, and in the opposing section, the most significant result was Nadal’s loss in the R3.

So now, as Roddick gets set to contest his second Rome semi-final in six years, he actually has a chance to reach his first-ever Rome final.

Stanislas Wawrinka: By reaching the final four, Wawrinka will break into the top 20 of the ATP Rankings on Monday. Wawrinka has enjoyed a successful clay-court swing so far. Arriving in Rome with a 17-9 mark for the year, after defeating James Blake in the quarterfinal he improves to 21-9. Prior to Rome, Wawrinka reached the semi-final in Barcelona, (l. to David Ferrer).

Betting Verdict: In spite of Roddick is not known for his clay-court prowess, his championship credentials tip the balance in his favour. He will try to use his serve and aggressive forehand to outmuscle Wawrinka. The Swiss does not have a lot of experience on the big stage; nerves will be an issue for him. I expect a tough match, but a Roddick victory nonetheless.

Tennis Free Picks: Roddick in straight sets

So there you have it, a nice short break down for you of some of the exciting tennis betting options available at BetUS Sportsbook. Now that you are all read up, you are ready to start betting on tennis!

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