posted July 3, 2008 at 18:15 in Tennis Betting Trends

London, England – The second tennis betting matchup in the final four at Wimbledon is a one-sided tennis-betting affair, with the online tennis wagering odds swinging in favour of World No.2 Rafael Nadal. We online sports betting faithful can hardly be surprised though when the Spaniards challenger is one Rainer Schuettler – a player who ranks No. 94 in the World, and before Wimbledon betting kicked off in the online sports betting markets, had a season not even worth mentioning. Yet here he is, after taking advantage of a draw sheared of big names and seeded players, to reach his first-ever Wimbledon semi-final. So

Tennis Betting Line:

Rainer Schuettler +1800

Rafael Nadal -10000

Match Time: 08:00 AM Eastern Time, Friday July 4, 2008

Head-to-head Analysis: Rafael Nadal holds a 3-1 record over Rainer Schuettler, having lost to him only once way back in 2004 on carpet. All three victories for Rafa came on hard; the most recent was in Chennai in 2007. This is their first-ever meeting in 2008 and first match on grass.

Rainer Schuettler (+1800) What a price tag on Schuettler! Now that is a money play betting on Schuettler if there was any. Though who seriously believes this bet would pay out? Anyone? ..... (silence) Yup I did not think so..

Before Wimbledon Rainer Schuettler (32-years-old) had done nothing noteworthy, all season long. He entered the draw with a 4-13 mark for the year! Yet he topped James Blake in the second round, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the third round, Janko Tipsarevic in the fourth round and Arnaud Clement in the quarterfinals.

Rafael Nadal (-10000) Oh where do I begin my ode to Rafa! The 2008 Wimbledon championships has seen the matador at his best. He arrives in the semi-final having dropped just one set throughout the tournament and more impressively on the heels of a magnificent victory against Andy Murray in straight sets in the quarterfinal.

Tennis Betting Verdict: To be sure, this will be Schuettler’s last good run in a Grand Slam event before he hangs up his racquet. A one-time Grand Slam runner-up (2003 Australian Open), Schuettler’s accomplishment at the All England Club is quite an achievement. But as attractive as his odds are on the money line, the prevalent opinion in the betting markets is he has no chance! After Nadal’s brutal performance in taking down one of Britain’s own, he should outmatch and outclass Schuettler similarly.

Tennis Free Picks: There is but one-way to bet on this match. Nadal, Nadal, Nadal all the way!!

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