posted November 5, 2007 at 19:27 in Tennis Betting Trends

Madrid, Spain – The Round Robin portion of the Sony Ericsson Championships kicks off on Tuesday, November 6, 2007. Sixth seed and 2004 Champion Maria Sharapova in her opening match prepares to face off against eighth seed Daniela Hantuchova. BetUS Sportsbook slightly favors Sharapova at -130.

Tennis Beting Line: Maria Sharapova -130 Daniela Hantuchova -110

Match Time: 02:00 PM EST

Tennis Prediction: Maria Sharapova enters the Sony Ericsson Championships on the heels of an underwhelming season at 36/10. Sharapova, who struggled throughout 2007 season with numerous injuries has played only one match since the 2007 US Open, but enters as a favorite in this match up.

A champion in this event in 2004, an in-form Sharapova has the caliber to repeat the success she enjoyed three years ago, but with a right-shoulder injury hampering her performance this year, Sharapova’s questionable form coming into the Sony Ericsson Championships sheds doubt on her ability to survive the Round Robin stage, particularly as she finds herself in the same group as power-player Ana Ivanovic and stoic Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Sharapova enters her opening match slightly favored at -130. Sharapova owns a comfortable 5-1 record against Daniela Hantuchova, but the last time the two met was in 2006 Zurich, when Hantuchova ranked beyond the Top 20.

Since then, Hantuchova’s game enjoyed resurgence, and arrives at the Sony Ericsson Championships on the heels of a career best season at 51/26, which includes two WTA titles.

The slightly disadvantaged Hantuchova, at -110 with BetUS, is not a sure play, but a good play in this match. Hantuchova’s confidence is at its highest and her game is at its best since she won her maiden WTA title in 2002 Indian Wells. Hantuchova will be anxious to prove she belongs in this elite group of players.

Improving Hantuchova’s odds is the fact that Sharapova, who has not seen tournament action since last month in Moscow, where she crashed out of the tournament in her opening match, arrives out of practice. Moreover, Sharapova’s 2007 season exposed some of the weakness in her game, rendering her a less intimidating player than in previous years.

Tennis Free Pick: Hantuchova in straight sets

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