posted July 8, 2008 at 18:17 EST in Tennis Betting Trends

Bastad, Sweden – The online tennis betting hamlet at BetUS Sportsbook has a jam-packed week of tennis betting before them as four ATP tournaments and two WTA tournaments are underway and available in the tennis wagering markets. One such tournament on offer at BetUS is the Catella Swedish Open, boasting a stellar line-up with David Ferrer, Marat Safin and Fernando Verdasco to name a few. Here is a look at some of the second round sports wagering action available.

Tennis Betting Line: Potito Starace vs. Marat Safin

Tennis Prediction: Wimbledon 2008 witnessed the resurgence of one Marat Safin, as the 75th-ranked Russian (at the time) soared all the way into the semis after stunning Novak Djokovic in the second round. Safin who is a former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion, has struggled ever since winning the 2005 Australian Open. But after a sensational fortnight at the All England Club, Safin has been reinstated in the top 50. He opened his Catella Swedish Open campaign with a hard fought victory over qualifier Marc Lopez. One match-win already under his belt after the encouraging run at Wimbledon, Safin must be relieved. Next up for the mighty Russian is Potito Starace – a player he owns a 1-0 head-to-head record, having beaten him way back in 2004 at the French Open. Safin enters the second round with a 16-14 mark for the year.

Starace owns an 11-17 mark for the year. Ranked No. 58 in the world, the 27-year-old Italian warmed up for this tournament playing a challenger event in Lugano Switzerland. He reached the quarterfinal (l. to Luis Horna). Earlier this season, Starace won a clay-court challenger event in Napoli, Italy.

Clearly, Starace enjoys playing on this surface. However, with Safin’s confidence on the uptake, he should seize the victory.

Tennis Free Picks: Safin in three sets

Tennis Betting Line: Thomas Johansson vs. Tomas Berdych

Tennis Prediction: Tomas Berdych should enter this matchup as the steep favourite, he has the talent, skill and calibre to back it up. The only handicap against the talented Czech is a lack of mental strength. He is not known to fight for victories. If down and out early, Berdych has a tendency to speed up the process of playing himself out of the match. No heroics from this player – the likes of which Federer and Nadal are famous. The talented Czech has had a disappointing year. His ranking has fallen beyond the top 20. He holds an 18-13 mark for the year and is level with Johansson 1-1 lifetime. Although Berdych defeated Johansson last month in Halle Germany, you have to like the Swede Johansson’s chances on home turf. I would not rule out an upset here – well an upset so far as the odds go.

Tennis Free Picks: Johansson in three sets

Tennis Betting Line: Ervin Eleskovic vs. Fernando Verdasco

Tennis Prediction: This is the first time No. 13 Fernando Verdasco meets Ervin Eleskovic of Sweden at an ATP level tournament. Little is known about the Swedish wild card entrant Eleskovic who ranks No. 543 in the world. Verdasco by virtue of his top 20 ranking and a 25-16 mark for the season, which includes one runner-up finish in Nottingham (grass) and several encouraging runs on clay – a R16 appearance at the French Open and a quarterfinal appearance at the ATP Masters Series in Hamburg for example – is the sure play.

Tennis Free Picks: Verdasco in straight sets

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