posted October 17, 2007 at 00:11 in Tennis Betting Trends

So with the question answered in Federer’s half of the draw, what about the other half – the half the Nadal and Djokovic occupy in harmony.

Nadal’s quarter is loaded with challengers. Baghdatis is scheduled for his first match in the second round, and a possible meeting with Murray or Chela waits in the third round. With two strong hard court players (Baghdatis and Murray) in his first two rounds, Nadal’s advance will not be easy, and even if he wins, his victories could come on the heels of long drawn out matches.

Nadal is not playing on his favorite surface. While Nadal is the undisputable King of Clay, on hard he is not indomitable. Should he arrive into the quarterfinal in his section of the draw, his worries would by no means be over as either Tomas Berdych, David Nalbandian or Juan Martin Del Potro could prove to be great obstacles for him to overcome. (If Tommy Robredo emerges as his quarterfinal opponent, Nadal should be so lucky.)

Nadal’s campaign is further hampered by his questionable form. Problems with knee tendonitis will further test his run, but there is no more a determined and heroic player on the tour than Nadal, and if there were anyone that could overcome all odds, Nadal would be the bet. Don’t forget he is playing on home turf, and there is nothing better to carry a player mentally through a match like home court advantage. Should Nadal reach the semifinal, he is most likely going to meet the favorite Djokovic.

Only this year did Djokovic emerge and established himself in the Top 10. The five ATP titles he won this year (holds 7career ATP titles) pushed him up the rankings to No.3 and his runner-up finish at the 2007 US Open earned him the right to be touted as a future tennis star; but until he wins a Grand Slam title, he cannot be seriously considered equal to the company he keeps in the top three.

Federer holds 51 career ATP titles and Nadal holds 23 ATP titles, not to mention the fact that both have dominated the top two rankings for eons and amassed impressive records and statistics that have only served to create an unbridgeable gulf between them and the rest of the playing field. Nevertheless, Djokovic has proven he is a contender. After all, he defeated Federer in Montreal for the first time in his career, a feat that deserves its due.

Betting on Djokovic to emerge out of his quarter is sound. His quarter is not as challenging as Nadal’s with Fernando Verdasco as a second round match up, and Carlos Moya or Juan Carlos Ferrero as a third round match up. In the quarterfinal, Djokovic would possibly face James Blake, Richard Gasquet or Paul-Henri Mathieu, of which either could be challenging, but no so much as to prevent him from reaching the semifinal.

The top three seeds in Madrid do have their work cut out for them, but popular opinion has tipped either one of the three favorites for the title. The question is which one will it be?

Federer is expected to emerge out of his half of the draw, so which of the two favorites, if at all, – Nadal or Djokovic – will be waiting in the final? Care to bet on it?

Federer might be winning everything except clay these days, but with online sports betting in the BetUS.com Sportsbook, betting on tennis has never been so exciting! Join the BetUS.com online sportsbook today and start using the latest tennis lines, odds and props to earn cold, hard cash!

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