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fishy25

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    Tennis: Australian Open 2012

    in Tennis Betting Tips & Predictions

    Posted

    Re: Tennis: Australian Open 2012 Just needs to hustle a bit more on Llodra's serve. If he can get a slight foot hold, it should give him something to build on and then we'll see how Llodra's fitness holds up given he hasn't played much. First couple of games in this third set are crucial for the Russian though. Shame it's not being streamed. If it was we'd be able to see how the rallies were going and stuff.

    Tennis: Australian Open 2012

    in Tennis Betting Tips & Predictions

    Posted

    Re: Tennis: Australian Open 2012 Taken a few for the women which I'll put up quickly as well. Angelique Kerber (-5.5 games) to beat Stephanie Dubois- 8/11 Bet365- (4/10) Similar thinking to what Dylan has said really for Kerber. She's been on fire so far this season, only losing to Barthel and Pennetta and dispatched of Bobusic with minimal fuss in the first round. The German should be full of confidence and win this one with ease. She beat Dubois 6-0 6-4 in their previous meeting a few years ago, and with Kerber in the form she's in, I don't think she'll have many problems in this one. Vera Zvonareva (-4.5 games) to beat Lucie Hradecka- 4/5 Bet365- (4/10) Hradecka doesn't really have the game to trouble Zvonareva so as long as the Russian can keep it together, she should win easily. She's not started the season well at all but after coming through against Dulgheru, that should give her some confidence and feel she might win quite comfortably here. Maria Sharapova (-6.5 games) to beat Jamie Hampton- 4/6 Ladbrokes- (4/10) Sharapova really impressed me against Dulko and she looked extremely solid in rallies and put away the balls when they were there for the taking. She didn't hit too many unforced errors and her serve was effective which is how you usually know if the Russian is playing well and comfortable with her game. She didn't have to get out of first gear to beat Dulko in truth and if she plays like that, it's hard to see Hampton troubling her despite winning her first round match easily as well. If Sharapova starts well, she could be a set up in no time and from there, I don't envisage any way back from Hampton.

    Tennis: Australian Open 2012

    in Tennis Betting Tips & Predictions

    Posted

    Re: Tennis: Australian Open 2012 Bit pushed for time so not extensive writeups tonight but am taking quite a few. Hope to build on last night's good results. Andrey Golubev (+7.5 games) to beat Richard Gasquet- 8/11 Bet365- (4/10) Still not confident in the Frenchman's consistency at the minute and I'm not ruling out a win for Golubev here. I'm playing it slightly safer though with the handicap as I'd be surprised it he didn't take at least a set of Gasquet and that should see the handicap through in truth given the size of it. Seppi troubled the Frenchman in the opening couple of sets and could have taken both in truth, whilst Golubev came through against Youzhny in a marathon match which should give him confidence I reckon. He had a poor year last season but he has the quality to cause Gasquet problems and with that win under his belt in the first round, I'd fancy him to be competitive here. Nicolas Mahut (-3.5 games) to beat Tatsuma Ito- 4/5 Bet365- (4/10) Must admit I was surprised to see Mahut beat Stepanek, especially seeing as he didn't drop a set which is a fine result for the Frenchman who usually plays his best stuff on the grass but he has a superb chance to reach the third round here. Ito also caused a slight upset to beat Starace but that's not a major shock that he beat the Italian on the hard courts as he prefers the clay. The man from Japan had a couple of good runs on the hard courts in some challenger events last year but this is a completely different test for him. Mahut has far more experience in the big tournaments and he shouldn't be giving Ito many chances on return with his serve. Mahut isn't the the greatest returner by any means but he should be able to get his eye into the rallies and put the bad balls away. Beating Stepanek in straight sets isn't an easy task and if he plays like he did there, he should be fine to cover the handicap in this one. James Duckworth (+9.5 games) to beat Janko Tipsarevic- 4/5 Ladbrokes- (4/10) Been impressed with the Aussie youngster this season so far and he was always comfortable against Zopp in the first round even though you could tell he had another level to go to if he needed it. Now if Tipsarevic was at his best, you'd feel that Duckworth may be in for a really long match here but judging by his first round match, you'd have to say he's not at his best. To be honest, if he would have lost that second set, I'm doubtful he would have come back and beat Tursunov so he is perhaps a slightly bit fortunate to be in the second round. I'd expect him to play better and win, but from watching Duckworth, he looks like he has a lot of confidence in his game and should be able to hold his own against the Serb. He could well pinch a set here, but if he puts in a good performance and keeps most of the sets tightish, he should be more than capable of covering the handicap. Alex Bogomolov to beat Michael Llodra- 4/5 Coral- (4/10) Took this a fair bit earlier and the price went up to 5/6 for a while but it's back at the 4/5 mark now. There's already been a lot of talk about this match so I can't really add much. Llodra beating Gulbis isn't much to write home about given Gulbis' erratic nature and lack of mental strength. The Latvian won the first set with ease before it looks like he went missing like he does on a regular basis allowing Llodra back into the match. Bogomolov was always comfortable against Gimeno-Traver and should be fresh for this one. Just have to feel his tennis is at a higher level to that of Llodra's at the minute who hasn't done a lot away from indoors of late so backing the Russian to prevail. Marcel Granollers (-5.5 games) to beat Frederico Gil- 5/6 Bet365- (3/10) Disagree with Czech a bit here which doesn't happen a lot really. On any surface other than clay, this match is completely in the Spaniard's hands. Gil really isn't in his comfort zone away from the clay and doesn't have any weapons to that are suited to the quicker courts. Although the courts down under aren't playing especially quickly, they should still be too quick for Gil IMO. He's already been hammered by Robert this year on the hard courts, and although Granollers almost let a 2 set lead slip against Levine the other day, he should really be dominating this match from the first point and putting pressure on Gil's mediocre serve. Providing he is solid today, he should walk this like he did at Wimbledon a couple of years back. Matthew Ebden (+5.5 games) to beat Kei Nishikori- 4/5 Bet365- (3/10) Was tempted to back Ebden to win this one but was put off given Nishikori's super start to the season. I will have a bit of the Aussie on the handicap though as I fancy him to give this a real go. He comfortably beat Souza in the first round and has already run Baghdatis and Stepanek close this year. He is pretty solid all round and has enough about him to cause Nishikori some problems here in front of his home crowd. David Ferrer (-9.5 games) to beat Ryan Sweeting- Evens Bet365- (3/10) Comfortable win for Sweeting in the first round but expect Ferrer to dispatch of him with ease. The Spaniard has won all 5 matches this season, dropping just one set in the process and shouldn't have too many problems against the American. Istomin beat him easily in Sydney and Ferrer's returning ability should frustrate the hell out of Sweeting and in the end I expect him to come through quite easily here. Milos Raonic (-5.5 games) to beat Philipp Petzschner- Evens Bet365- (3/10) Not really paying much attention to that win over Rosol in the first round for the German as the stats are really strange and I didn't see it so can't comment. I imagine it was more Rosol playing like shit more than anything to be honest as Petzschner doesn't have it in him to beat guys to the extent he took care of Rosol so something must have gone very wrong for the Czech there. That win could well work against the German a touch though as he is going from a game where he broke for fun, to a game in which he will struggle to create chances on return. Think I'm right in thinking Raonic didn't drop serve against Volandri and although Petzschner is a better playing all round, he'll still struggle to get much of a look in. He wasn't ever tested in the first round, but with a big Canadian looking to defend quite a few points on the other side of the net today, I don't fancy him beating him and in the end, I'd expect Raonic to win with a bit to spare even if he does drop a set.

    Tennis: Australian Open 2012

    in Tennis Betting Tips & Predictions

    Posted

    Re: Tennis: Australian Open 2012 Glad Isner pulled through for you guys. Keeps my outright on him going as well as the one on Dolgopolov. Much better night for me though, and could have been even better but the Tomic-Querrey match went a game over the line which is a tad frustrating. Good night though of +12.51 and I'm effectively on Isner to beat Lopez at 2/1 and Dolgo to beat Tomic at 5/6 so hopefully they both pull through. After last night's matches though I'm sitting on +0.52 for the tournament.

    Tennis: Australian Open 2012

    in Tennis Betting Tips & Predictions

    Posted

    Re: Tennis: Australian Open 2012 Onto tonight then. A bit knackered so not doing massive writeups. Tommy Haas vs Rafael Nadal- Under 29.5 games- 5/6 Blue Square- (5/10) Haas hasn't taken a set of Rafa in any of the 4 matches they've played and virtually all of those matches came when Haas was in better shape than he is now. He still has fitness concerns, shown through his withdrawal against Istomin in Brisbane and now I've seen Nadal come through his first match well enough, he shouldn't have too many problems. Haas could well keep it tight perhaps for the first set like Kuznetsov did, but after that I expect Nadal to motor. Haas dropped a set against Denis Kudla in the first round, a guy ranked outside the top 250 so it's hard to see him troubling Nadal in this one. Kevin Anderson (-5.5 games) to beat Sergiy Stakhovsky- 5/6 Bet365- (4/10) I like big Kev in this one and fancy him to win pretty comfortably. The first round matches of these two guys couldn't really have been any different, with Stakhovsky just about coming through Marchenko in 5 sets whilst Anderson easily dispatched of Nielsen. The Ukrainian hasn't started the season well, with loses to Karlovic and Reynolds and from his performance in round one, he doesn't fill me with any confidence what so ever. Anderson with a win under his belt should feel more at ease than he was in the first round. He won't give Stakhovsky too many chances on return whilst Anderson should get a fair few and even if he loses a set, he could still cover the handicap here. Tomas Berdych vs Olivier Rochus- Over 29.5 games- 8/11 Ladbrokes- (4/10) Similar thinking to Czech with this one really although it doesn't require Rochus actually winning a set. If he does this line will definitely be covered and judging from Berdych's first round performance, you'd have to fancy the little Belgian to be competitive here. To be perfectly honest, he doesn't actually have any real weapons to trouble Berdych and the Czech if he is on song could win this in no time at all but you simply can't expect him to at the minute. Dropping a set against Ramos in the first round is, well poor to be honest. He wasn't comfortable in the first set either and on a different day, Ramos could well have been 2 sets up there. Rochus is a better player on the hard courts and can be a nifty little customer. He returns well and actually doesn't have a terrible serve for a guy of his size and with Berdych not looking comfortable at all in the first round, there's enough to suggest Rochus can trouble his opponent here. He did okay against Ferrer last week, losing 6-3 6-4 so I'll have a punt on him mixing it up with Berdych here. Alexandr Dolgopolov (-5.5 games) to beat Tobias Kamke- 10/11 Bet365- (3/10) God knows what I'm doing backing the Ukrainian here after he needed to come back from 2 sets down to beat Jones in the first round but here I am. Looking at the scoreline, it just suggest a performance from Dolgopolov that we've come to expect. He seems to enjoy a nice old 5 set match when it comes to the grand slams and seeing as he won the final 3 sets for just the loss of 4 games, it just suggests to me that he always knew he was going to be comfortable once he finally got going and the scoreline seems to agree with that. Now he's had that potential 'scare', I think he might dispose of the German with a bit to spare. Kamke had an easy win over a lacklaustre Hanescu but if his serve deserts him at any point in this match, Dolgopolov should really eat him from breakfast. During the rallies Kamke doesn't have anything to really harm the big girl's blouse and although he may be erratic at times, I'll back him to come through comfortably comes the hand shake. Yen-Hsun Lu (-4.5 games) to beat Florent Serra- 5/6 Bet365- (3/10) If someone can PM me on why this handicap is so low, can you do so because I don't quite get it. Now I run the risk of looking like a fool if Serra wins in straight sets now but in my eyes that won't happen. He was 2 sets down in his opener before Darcis was forced to retire so he can count his blessings that he has picked up some extra dosh that he probably doesn't deserve. Lu won in 5 against de Voest which although may not look too impressive, the South African is a potential banana skin opponent given the way he can serve so I reckon Lu will just be glad to have got through that one. He wasn't ever behind in the match which says to me he always had enough to win that one and with Serra not possessing that big serve, it should suit Lu more as a matchup. Lu usually performs well in the grand slams and raises his game when he needs to and he'll make Serra run all day in this one. Being 2 sets down in his first round match and needing his opponent to retire just doesn't bode well with me at all I'm afraid and Lu should send the Frenchman packing like Darcis was well on course to do. Bernard Tomic vs Sam Querrey- Under 39.5 games- 10/11 Coral- (3/10) Now the only reason I can see for this line is Tomic's first round match against Verdasco in which he came back from 2 sets. That however should have given the Australian a ton of confidence though that comeback and I'd expect him to take care of Querrey with a bit more ease. Querrey isn't the player he was once was, and when his first serve goes missing, he really hasn't got the game to harm Tomic too much. Just think this line is too high and is based far too much on Tomic's win against Verdasco who is still a couple of steps up from Querrey. The American could well pinch a set, but I fancy Tomic to win at least one set well and even if this went to 4, the line should still be fine. Alejandro Falla (+7.5 games) to beat Mardy Fish- 4/5 Bet365- (3/10) Fish really didn't have to do much against Muller apart from stay in the rallies and wait for Muller to make an error so wasn't ever really tested in that one. Falla though I expect to trouble the American a bit more. He's started the season well, with wins over Young and Starace, as well as taking a set of Ferrer, and with a comfortable win over Fognini, he should have some confidence in his game. He's had some good results in the slams over the past couple of years or so, beating Troicki at the US open last year and almost beating Federer a couple of years back at Wimbledon so he shouldn't fear Fish at all. He's actually taken a set of Fish in 2 of the 4 meetings the 2 have played so there's enough from that for me to back the lefty Colombian. Couple for the women as well. Victoria Azarenka (-7.5 games) to beat Casey Dellacqua- 4/5 Coral- (3/10) Really not very keen at all with handicaps as big as this but more often that not, you see the top women players cover them. Azarenka dropped just one game against Heather Watson and it's hard to see her not repeating a similar scoreline in this one. Dellacqua was lucky Jovanovski just didn't really turn up in the first round as otherwise she would have been sent packing but Azarenka is far more consistent and is a far better player. You wouldn't put it past her winning 6-0 6-0 to be perfectly honest, but I don't see her being on court for too long and it's hard to see Dellacqua winning too many games here. Kai-Chen Chang vs Jelena Jankovic- Under 18.5 games- 4/6 Bet365- (3/10) I don't see Jankovic struggling either to be honest seeing as how she dealt with Robson with minimal fuss in the first round. Chang has done well to come through qualification and beat Martic in the first round but this is a different task completely. I expected Jankovic to struggle a bit against Robson but from watching it, she never really had to stray outside her comfort zone and still only dropped 2 games and it's hard to see Chang winning 7 games here.

    Tennis: Australian Open 2012

    in Tennis Betting Tips & Predictions

    Posted

    Re: Tennis: Australian Open 2012 Atko can you please refrain from giving me hysterics from reading your writeups :lol Hilarious and on the mark mate, think you need to find that time to get involved more ;) On a personal note a really disappointing first round in truth, can't actually remember the last time I got off to a good start in the slam. Already taken a huge step to winning the trophy for worst shout of the tournament why thank you. Calling the overs in a game where one of the guys wins just 2 games. Would have been extremely interested to have seen that match as it must have been Rosol was terrible than Petzschner was sublime. Never had a blacklist before but the Czech may well start one. Still can't trust Murray in the early rounds frustratingly but my larger stake bets come through safely enough giving me minimal profit from last night. All the outrights I have are still going though which is a miracle as Dolgopolov and Tipsarevic looked in big trouble but glad they made it through. Overall though not the greatest start and I'll be looking to turn the -11.99 around in the coming rounds.

    Tennis: Australian Open 2012

    in Tennis Betting Tips & Predictions

    Posted

    Re: Tennis: Australian Open 2012 Didn't think I could have called a match more wrong than one of the darts matches from last week which I completely misread until Lukas Rosol comes along. Not the greatest bet the overs market when one of the players loses the first 2 sets 6-0 6-0. God I hope that's not a sign of things to come. Otherwise :spank

    Tennis: Australian Open 2012

    in Tennis Betting Tips & Predictions

    Posted

    Re: Tennis: Australian Open 2012 I must actually be going insane. Had a horrid day yesterday, taken a fair number already, but loads continue to interest me at closer inspection. Never taken this number of bets within two days of any tournament before :eek Milos Raonic (-9.5 games) to beat Filippo Volandri- 5/6 Bet365- (4/10) Providing the Canadian has fully recovered from the illness he has been suffering from at the start of the season, he shouldn't have too many problems against the Italian. Raonic as we know has one of the best serves in the game, backed up with a big forehand which won't give Volandri much time to settle or get into any rhythm. Although the courts are perhaps playing a touch slow, in an ideal world Volandri would want them a great deal slower as his preference lies with the clay. The only time you'll see him on anything but clay is for the slams and that's probably down to the prize money he can pick up. Whether he really expects to trouble his opponent is another matter and Raonic will frustrate the hell out of him. His serve and forehand are still big enough to hit through the Italian regardless of the courts and although Volandri may stay close for a set, I don't see him doing it for the duration and one easy set backed up with a couple of comfortable ones should allow Raonic to cover the handicap. Ricardo Mello to beat Roberto Bautista-Agut- 5/6 Coral- (3/10) I'd have Mello has a slightly bigger favourite than this really. He has far more experience when it comes to the grand slams as this is the first time Agut has qualified for the first round of any of the 4 slams. He did manage to upset Berankis in qualification and beat Mahut and Mannarino last year indoors but he hasn't got a lot to show apart from that. Mello hasn't reached the second round down under since 2005 but he'll feel he has a great chance this year. He actually performed well in all 4 slams last year, taking Simon to 5 sets at the US Open, Fish to 4 sets in Paris, Bellucci all the way 12 months ago at the Aussie Open and upset Dancevic at Wimbledon to make the second round so think it's fair to say he was unlucky with his draws. This year for the first time he is favourite though and if he performs like he did last year, he should have too much for the Spaniard. Igor Kunitsyn vs Pablo Andujar- Over 37.5 games- 5/6 Bet365- (3/10) Agree with slider on the overs here and can't really add much more to what he's said. Kunitsyn should beat the Spaniard on the hard courts, but you certainly wouldn't fancy him to do it easily, not judging from last year's performances anyway. In 3/4 of his first round matches in the grand slams, he played at least 4 sets that all covered this line set here whilst as the courts are playing a little slower, it could suit Andujar and allow him to make a game of it. The Spaniard himself played a couple of 5 set matches in the first round of Wimbledon and the US open and if both guys repeat their performances of last year, this one could also go the same way. Lukas Rosol vs Philipp Petzschner- Over 37.5 games- 5/6 Bet365- (3/10) We saw a whole load of matches go to 5 matches yesterday so I'm hopeful this, like the Kunitsyn-Andujar match will be a tight affair as well. Petzschner is another guy who seems to be no stranger to a long 4/5 set match in a grand slam as he played 5 sets in his openers to Tsonga and Ramos at the Aussie and US open, whilst he lost in a tight 4 set match to Soderling at Wimbledon. In fact even in the season before last, he played 5 sets in his opener in Australia the in 2009 played 2 5 setters in America so he clearly has some sort of sponsorship deal with 5 setters and gets paid on commission every time his matches go to 5 sets :lol Rosol was majorly out of form at the back end of last season but he looks to be improving again this year as he beat Ramos-Vidalgo and ran Troicki close as well. He has a big serve which will help him pick up some cheap points and this could well be a serve fest for a while between these two. Petzschner you would fancy to win but given his history you find it hard to say he will do it in a straight forward fashion so I'll back Rosol to win a set minimum here and back these two to play out a thrilling encounter. James Duckworth to beat Jurgen Zopp- 7/4 Bet365- (2/10) This one has already been mentioned as well but the more I look at it, the more I really can't understand the odds and wouldn't be surprised if this became a public bet nearer the time. Zopp just about came through qualification, winning all 3 of his matches in 3 sets to 3 guys ranked outside the top 200. Now Duckworth isn't any better than that according to ranking, but he's still a youngster and will have home support with him today. He recently beat Mahut and was competitive against Simon so he has been playing at a far higher level recently than his Estonian opponent here and if he maintains the standard he has been playing at, he should be in with a reasonable chance.

    Tennis: Australian Open 2012

    in Tennis Betting Tips & Predictions

    Posted

    Re: Tennis: Australian Open 2012 Always seem to start the slams poorly of late. Pretty bad night for me in truth, with the main bets all falling victim to some lackluster performances; Berdych and Jovanovski spring to mind. Thankfully Mattek-Sands, Lepchenko and Wozniacki did the business to save me of complete embarrassment. Couldn't call an ATP match last night to save my life so ended up with -12.93pts for the night. Only positive things to take out of it were the comebacks by Del Porto and Dolgopolov really otherwise would have been a disaster. Some good calls from others though, particularly Slider with Ormaechea winning at a tasty price :clap Onto tonight/tomorrow morning then and quite a few have caught my eye. Matthew Ebden (-6.5 games) to beat Joao Souza- 4/6 Bet365- (6/10) Quite where this line has come from I don't know as I still probably would have taken it at the (8.5) mark so this is a bonus. What else Souza is doing here apart from collecting some cash I find hard to imagine. He plays very very little tennis on anything other than clay and hasn't ever won a grand slam match on the hard courts so it's hard to envisage him having anything at his disposal to trouble an Aussie who has been in good form. Ebden beat Granollers last week in Sydney and then pushed Baghdatis all the way to a final set tie break. He also took a set of Stepanek the week before in Brisbane so he should have a ton on confidence and see this as a great chance to get to the second round in his home tournament. He had some really good results on the hard courts last season, picking up wins over Simon, Harrison and Petzschner whilst he was extremely competitive against Nadal on the grass which show's what he is capable of. This really should be all about the Aussie in front of the crowd and if he gets off to a good start, Souza may well just play for the sake of it, knowing that the clay tournaments aren't far off and that's where he'll pick up his ranking points. Hard to look past Ebden here and he should win this with ease. Alex Bogomolov (-6.5 games) to beat Daniel Gimeno-Traver- 4/5 Bet365- (4/10) Unless something unexpected happens or something goes very wrong in this match, Bogomolov should win this pretty comprehensively. Gimeno-Traver away from the clay is pretty rotten anyways but given he has had no match practice, how he's in any shape to trouble Bogomolov escapes me. The Spaniard lost all 7 matches he played on the hard courts last season, winning just 3 sets which shows how he struggles away from the clay. Bogomolov is pretty solid all round and he plays his best stuff on the hard courts. He didn't qualify for the Aussie Open 12 months ago so he will see this as a great opportunity to gain some ranking points and some cash which should motivate him. Regardless of the points or money, under normal circumstances you'd favour the Russian, and given Gimeno-Traver hasn't even played a match this season, it's hard to see him making much of an impression here. Andy Murray (-9.5 games) to beat Ryan Harrison- 10/11 Ladbrokes- (3/10) I think this is the perfect first round match for Murray for a couple of reasons. The first being the fact that he could have had an easier draw. That may sound strange if you're a fan of the Brit and naturally you would have hoped he got a qualifier in round one but getting a decent opponent in Harrison may well suit him. Usually in the slams, when up against decent players, he has a tendency to be slightly more aggressive and really put his foot on the gas if he senses an opportunity whereas against guys who he is expected to wipe the floor with, you'll often see him be extremely passive. That's not when Murray is at his best and I don't expect him to be like that against Harrison. The young American is a promising talent, and should break into the top 50 over the next year or so you would imagine so Murray will know he'll have to play well. I think another factor to consider is his new coach and he could well look to show how smooth the transition has been with switching coaches and put on a bit of a classy performance. Realistically Murray knows, and I'm sure Ivan Lendl has reminded him that he doesn't want to be messing about on court in the early rounds considering he may well have to face Monfils and Tsonga, before playing Djokovic in the semis so he'll need to be well rested to come through those matches. I just think that under Lendl, we could well see a more ruthless side to Murray, much on the contrary to what we have seen from him in the past. He knows Harrison can play and that should in turn make the Scot up his own performance. If he does that and gets going, I think he'll win with a fair bit to spare in this one like he needs to. Lleyton Hewitt (-5.5 games) to beat Cedrik-Marcel Stebe- Evens Coral- (3/10) Yeah Atko's already mentioned this one and I told myself I wouldn't back the Aussie with a handicap higher than the (5.5) line given so I've decided to take it. Although only winning one match this season, he's preparation for his home tournament isn't bad at all. He's managed to take sets of Troicki, Verdasco and Gasquet, all guys of a higher level than the German he faces here. Stebe has lost to Nishikori and Reynolds in straights sets this season so I'm not convinced how much confidence he will have coming into this one. There's no doubting he has talent, but whether he is ready to show that on the big stage I'm not so sure. This is Hewitt's tournament, where the crowd will be behind him all the way and that could get to the German youngster a touch. I remember last year's match when Hewitt lost in that epic match against Nalbandian and it must have really hurt him. I fancy him to make up for that loss here and join fellow countryman Bernard Tomic in round two. Marinko Matosevic vs Gael Monfils- Over 29.5 games- 4/5 Ladbrokes- (3/10) Until Monfils turns into the most professional player on the tour, I'll be taking lines like this on him all day long. He is one of the most naturally gifted players on the tour and the best to watch for his remarkable shot selections but his focus is of a 2 year oldchild attempting to complete a rubik's cube; he just seem to get bored and makes it more interesting than it should be. This is of course great to watch, but infuriating for fans of the Frenchman as it sometimes costs him dearly. Undoubtedly he'll try his ridiculous shots in this one as well which will give Matosevic chances. The Australian has a big serve and some pretty solid groundstrokes and has plenty of experience so he should be well up for this encounter. This bet is more because of Monfils and his clown like antics though. We saw last year how he makes things harder for himself. He dropped sets against Gil and Zemlja last year in the slams and there's really nothing to suggest Matosevic can't hold his own and win a set himself given Monfils' reputation. A couple for the women as well and it's something new I'm trying. Not the women, the bets... Shahar Peer vs Isabella Holland- 4 Or More Service Breaks in 1st set- 13/8 William Hill- (3/10) Never taken any bet like this before but it just stood out to me and given how in the women's game a break of serve is essentially a hold for the men, the price looks high. I'm taking it first with my beloved Shahar who it's fair to say didn't have the best season last year. She looked to be struggling with something when I watched her, whether it was an injury niggle or just a lack of confidence I'm not sure but something certainly wasn't right. She's started better this season though, making the semis in Hobart so hopefully she can build on that. I wanted to back her on the handicap initially but I'm not still not completely confident in her game yet so we'll see how she gets on. She should however hammer Holland, a girl who was double bagelled last week in Sydney by Jelena Dokic. That bodes well for the bet I'm taking though as she failed to hold her serve once which certainly helps our cause, and like I've said, I'm still not totally convinced by Peer yet. She's started to look more like her old self, but her serve when I've seen bits of her, still isn't working that well which should give the Aussie girl some chances I would imagine so at least 4 breaks of serve is well within reach I think for the two to cover. Gisela Dulko vs Maria Sharapova- 4 Or More Service Breaks in 1st set- 7/5 William Hill- (3/10) Felt I was obliged to take this kind of bet in a Sharapova match. A Sharapova who hasn't played this year so it's near enough impossible to know what kind of condition or form she's in. If she comes on court and hits ace after ace and winner after winner fair dos, but I'll back she doesn't and we see double fault after double fault. It usually takes the Russian a little bit of time to really get going in her early matches, and that is when we see her serve go missing so Dulko although being a very capable player, may not have to do a great deal on return to break serve a couple of times. The Argentinian also however hasn't played a match this year so she could well be rusty at the start of the match as well and Sharapova on return, with her power should be able to create chances. Given the fact both girls haven't had any match practice, it should take a bit of time for them to find their range so it could well be a nervy opening in which I'll hope we see a fair few breaks.

    Darts: BDO World Championship 2012

    in Darts Predictions

    Posted

    Re: Darts: BDO World Championship 2012 Super comeback from O'Shea but delighted Kist won it to be honest. I'll sneak my comment and my final overall in quickly so the last word goes to Russ and Kev who backed the guy who needed a lift from Alan Norris to get to Lakeside :rollin 3/4 for the final for me, bit of a shame there wasn't a big checkout as both had a chance but wasn't to be. Everything else came in pretty safely in the end though, giving me +5.46 for the final and +31.97pts for the tournament. A couple of really enjoyable World Championships and 2 extremely profitable threads. Well done to all who were amongst the profit and I shall leave the last word to Monsieur Russ and Monsieur Kev :cheers

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