Kremlin Cup Semi-final Picks - Santoro vs. Kunitsyn

Moscow, Russia – The men’s Kremlin Cup enters the semi-final round on Saturday. At the close of tennis betting today, the bottom half of the draw, Fabrice Santoro advances into the final four when Paul Henri- Mathieu retired from the match, down a set and trailing0-2 in the second. Santoro is appearing in his third semi-final of the season.

Next up for Santoro is Igor Kunitsyn of Russia, who booked his place in the semis with a victory over Jeremy Chardy of France. Kunitsyn beat Chardy convincingly 6-4, 6-2.

Therefore, now that the first of the two semi-final billings at the Kremlin Cup has been determined, here is my take on their matchup, complete with a tennis betting analysis and verdict.

Tennis Betting Line: Fabrice Santoro vs. Igor Kunitsyn

Match Time: 03:00 AM Eastern Time Saturday October 11, 2008

Head-to-Head Analysis: No. 65 Fabrice Santoro and No.71 Igor Kunitsyn are tied 1-1; the last time they met was at the 2007 Australian Open when Santoro beat Kunitsyn in the opening round 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-0.

The pair has also met on the qualifiers, challengers and futures circuit twice in 2008. They are tied 1-1. Kunitsyn beat Santoro in Bordeaux 6-3, 7-6(4). Santoro beat Kunitsyn 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in Bergamo.

Tennis Betting Analysis:

Santoro: Fabrice Santoro at 35-years old is no spring chicken. In fact, he is the oldest player on the ATP tour that ranks within the top 100. His year has been run of the mill – few spectacular results aside from winning the title in Newport for a second time in a row. Santoro takes a 17-15 mark in to the semis.

Kunitsyn: The Russian Igor Kunitsyn improved to 13-13 when he beat Jeremy Chardy in the quarterfinals. Kunitsyn has had a mediocre season in ATP level play. His highlights include two quarterfinal runs in Delray Beach and Newport, and two semi-final appearances in Poertschach and Washington.

Kunitsyn is what is classed a journeyman player. He hangs out mostly in the lesser circuit where he has had some success. He won the title in Donetsk and finished runner-up in Baton Rouge.

Tennis Betting Verdict: Despite the age gap between the two players, they are rather well matched, evinced by their head-to-head record. This should be another close encounter accordingly. However, if there were an edge to be had, surely Kunitsyn being Russian has the home court edge.

Santoro got a reprieve in the quarterfinals when Mathieu retired from the match before its completion; however, since he was ahead he deserves to be here. He benefits from some added rest.

Tennis Free Picks: Kunitsyn in three sets

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