posted August 27, 2008 at 18:30 in Tennis Free Picks
Value Underdog Bets at the US Open Second Round
Flushing Meadows, New York – At the French Open and particularly at Wimbledon, banking on the underdog proved to be the winning wager for many tennis-betting fanatics at BetUS Sportsbook. So it follows that in this last Grand Slam of the season we should take a look at some of the underdogs competing in Flushing Meadows and determine whether enough credence should be given to their game to warrant adding them on your wagering ticket.
Viktor Troicki +185 Philipp Kohlschreiber -250
Match Time 11:00 AM Eastern Time, Thursday August 28, 2008
Tennis Betting Analysis: No.26 Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany started the season firing from all cylinders. He reached the quarters in Doha, won the title in Auckland and backed it up with a push to the last 16 at the Australian Open. Immediately after that, Kohlschreiber seemed to lose some steam as until June, he crashed either out of the opening round or out of the early stages of a tournament.
In Halle Germany, he enjoyed a turnaround when he reached the final (l. to Federer). But just as things looked promising for the German, he fell in the opening round of Wimbledon and the first round of the ATP Masters Series in Canada. At Cincinnati, things started to look up for Kohlschreiber once again when he pushed to the quarters (l. to Karlovic).
Overall, Kohlschreiber has seesawed this year with mixed results. He is favoured in this matchup but he is by no means a sure play. Should he suffer from a similar brain cramp that ailed him through much of the spring portion he could find himself ousted tomorrow.
No.71 Viktor Troicki is a potential upset-maker at the US Open. While he is not a slotted to push into the second week of the event, he has the game to sweep at least one seeded player like Kohlschreiber during the early rounds. In Washington, Troicki upset top seed Andy Roddick in the quarters en route to a runner-up finish wherein he lost to red-hot Juan Martin Del Potro. If he could beat Roddick, Kohlschreiber is definitely beatable.
Tennis Betting Verdict: The confidence boost of beating a top seed should give Troicki an edge coming into the second round. Kohlschreiber also claimed a win over Roddick, but his came way back at the Australian Open. Troicki with the more recent win can draw from that experience better. At +185 underdog odds, he is my pick to cause a mini-upset at the US Open.
Tennis Free Picks: Troicki in four sets
Jurgen Melzer -550 Jiri Vanek +325
Match Time 11:00 AM Eastern Time, Thursday August 28, 2008
Tennis Betting Analysis: This matchup features two relative unknown players to the majority of the novice tennis betting community. No.45 Jurgen Melzer of Austria and No. 123 Jiri Vanek have been around for a number of years. Melzer arrives in New York on a season that is considerably good for him with a 22-20 mark while Vanek has had an unimpressive year, tallying only a 6-14 mark. Nevertheless, they are tied 1-1 in their head-to-head series with each player besting the other on their favourite surface. Melzer is predominantly the hard courter while Vanek prefers clay.
Tennis Betting Verdict: Melzer reached the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics (l. to Nadal). In his second tournament on hard courts this summer, he reached the R16 in New Haven, wherein he lost to eventual champion Marin Cilic. Given that he has been playing well on hard courts thus far, he should have Vanek’s number in their matchup tomorrow. Few would bet against him. However, he played a marathon first round match against Feliciano Lopez that ended in five sets. Vanek spent less time on court in his opening match against Bohl, clinching the victory in four sets. Vanek may be just that much fresher.
Tennis Free Picks: Vanek in four sets
Nila Amerova is a freelance sports writer and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room
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