Posted on 4/2/2008 5:09:40 PM

Tennis Betting Sony Ericsson Open Federer vs. Roddick

By Nila Amerova

Miami, Florida – At the close of the R16 of the Sony Ericsson Open yesterday, the final eight men were determined. But out of all the stellar matchups set in the quarterfinal, the one that had everyone on tenterhooks with anticipation came through; that is, the matchup of Roger Federer vs. Andy Roddick.

Now let me just ask this question: Has there ever been in the history of tennis a more one-sided head-to-head that garners as much hype and intrigue as the billing of Federer vs. Roddick? Perhaps there was, but to be honest, I could not say which one right now. On Thursday night, Federer and Roddick prepare to meet for the seventeenth time, and of course, with Federer’s whopping 15-1 record against the American, the outcome of this matchup is an almost foregone conclusion for most. But for some reason, fans and tennis bettors flock in droves to watch and bet on this match up. Indeed, a testament to both players, but more so, a sign of Roddick’s loyal following – an unwavering hope that one day (perhaps tomorrow?) Roddick will finally nick a match-win from his nemesis.

On paper, this match should be Roger’s all the way. Come on a massive 15-1 edge does not a rivalry make! And in Miami, with Federer looking more and more like his old self, their quarterfinal meeting tomorrow is shaping up to be no different than their past encounters. Federer has looked good – albeit not great – through the rounds. His road to the final eight was less challenging than expected before the start of the tournament, as he met unseeded players in Soderling and Acasuso, instead of the seeded players – Wawrinka and Hewitt – slotted in their place in pre-tournament predictions. But with Soderling retiring in the second set of their third round encounter and posting a straight set victory over Acasuso in the third round, two-time Miami champion Federer has literally breezed through to the quarterfinals in Miami.

Roddick benefited during the course of his run to the quarterfinal as well when the seeded players in his draw were swept aside – Chela and Karlovic were ousted in their opening round and Tsonga was dismissed in the third round. The latter of the three would have been his toughest challenge slotted for the R16; but thanks to Benneteau’s triumph over fellow Frenchman Tsonga in the third round, Roddick was happy to play the lower-ranked Frenchman instead.

Federer and Roddick arrive into the final eight overcoming players who were relatively easy challenges, but unlike Federer who cruised through, Roddick has been shaky -- an important observation for tennis bettors considering betting against Federer. Yes, Federer has been more vulnerable of late. Yes, Roddick’s friend Mardy Fish – a player Roddick owns a 7-1 butt-whipping edge over—defeated Federer over two weeks ago at the Pacific Life Open semifinals. A victory that may be the catalyst for a Roddick victory tomorrow, but the fact of the matter is Roddick’s game has not been impressive and my guess is Federer’s bad spell is all but over. Roger that tennis bettors!

Andy Roddick was taken to three sets in his opening match against qualifier Viktor Troicki. He narrowly defeated qualifier Ivo Minar in the third round and in the R16 against No.72 Julien Benneteau he looked sluggish – a factor that cost him the first set and forced him to comeback from behind to seize the victory 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

So once again, we return to the simple facts. The rivalry (if it can be called as such) between Federer and Roddick is an entirely one-sided affair. Yes, there is a lot of hype coming into this matchup. Yes, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon – heck, even I am on board and cannot wait for the match to kick off! And Yes, there will be once again shattered dreams for Roddick, as I for one am betting on Federer to deliver another imperious performance over Roddick.

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