posted February 27, 2008 at 23:34 in Tennis Free Picks

Dubai, UAE --The Barclay’s Dubai Tennis Championship second round action is set to kick-off on Wednesday, February 27, 2008. BetUS is taking action on this Tier II event with a total prize purse of $1,500,000. In the top half of the draw, World No.1 and top seed Justine Henin prepares to defend her title against Katerina Srebotnik and third seed Ana Ivanovic will start her campaign against powerhouse Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic. Bet on the women’s Barclay’s Dubai Tennis Championships at BetUS.

Scheduled Play in Dubai begins at 5 AM Eastern Time.

Tennis Betting Line: Justine Henin vs. Katerina Srebotnik

Tennis Prediction: World No.1 and defending champion Justine Henin is without a doubt the better play in this matchup. No amount of hyperbole can adequately describe the little Belgians all-court game, technique and talent. Henin brings an 11-1 record into this matchup, which includes two title victories for the season—in Sydney and Antwerp. Henin holds a 1-0 record over No.28 Katerina Srebotnik. I don’t imagine this to be an easy match for Henin, but she should come away with the victory convincingly.

Tennis Free Picks: Henin in straight sets

Tennis Betting Line: Sybille Bammer vs. Francesca Schiavone

Tennis Prediction: This is a good matchup for these two players as they stack up evenly on paper. Both are 27-years-old, hold one career WTA title and only four ranking sports separate them No.20 Sybille Bammer of Austria brings a 6/5 record, which includes her quarterfinal appearance in Doha last week; whereas Francesca Schiavone of Italy brings a 6/6 record, which includes her first round upset over Marion Bartoli. This is a tough contest for both players, but I think the balance tips slightly in favour of Sybille Bammer.

Tennis Free Picks: Bammer in three sets

Tennis Betting Line: Ana Ivanovic vs. Nicole Vaidisova

Tennis Prediction: This is a blockbuster second round matchup, featuring two of the biggest power-hitters on the tour. No.2 Ana Ivanovic’s strength comes from her right wing – a deadly forehand shot. No.14 Nicole Vaidisova’s arsenal contains one of the biggest serves and an all-court game that when focused wins her the big matches. In terms of head-to-heads, Ivanovic leads 2-1 overall, but in 2007, they tied at 1-1, with Vaidisova taking the victory on hard and Ivanovic on grass. Vaidisova holds an 11-3 record for the season; whereas, Ivanovic owns a 9-2 record. Considering, Ivanovic injured her ankle in Doha, she could be questionable in her opening match tomorrow. This could prove to be an advantage for Vaidisova.

Tennis Free Picks: Vaidisova in straight sets

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