Pre-Season - January 11

[Fader]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11

Ty' date=' I'll try : Raonic, Dimitrov, Wozniacki, Nishi 2-0, Hingis/Lisicki and Halep. Too dangerous?[/quote'] Any 5/6 leg accy is going to be dangerous isn't it? :) Always one that lets you down.

[CzechPunter]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 Back Martin Klizan (+1.5 sets) to beat Grigor Dimitrov for a 7/10 stake at 1.95 with Betway Going against Dimitrov on the set handicap once again, as he was hardly convincing against Jeremy Chardy. Klizan, on the other hand, was surprisingly resilient in his previous matches and, even though I don't believe that he's going to win this one very often, I think that he's going to win a set more often than the odds suggest. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/klizan-vs-dimitrov-betting-the-in-form-slovak-looks-value-to-steal-a-set-off-grigor-dimitrov

[CzechPunter]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 Back Jerzy Janowicz (-2.5) to beat Benoit Paire for a 7/10 stake at 1.84 with Unibet There isn't much between the two quality-wise, but I think that there's a decent gap between them when it comes to determination. If Janowicz starts to frustrate the Frenchman with his serve, chances are that Paire will simply start falling apart, just like he did against Matosevic the other day. I'm a big fan of Paire, but it's been really hard to like him recently. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/janowicz-vs-paire-betting-jerzy-janowicz-to-cover-the-handicap-line-against-benoit-paire-on-friday

[CzechPunter]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 Back Milos Raonic (-3) to beat Samuel Groth for a 7/10 stake at 1.81 with Pinnacle Can't see past Raonic in this one, Groth just doesn't have the weapons to beat him. Keeping everything together for the entire duration of the match will be extremely hard for Groth, so the breakthrough for Raonic should come eventually. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/raonic-vs-groth-betting-milos-raonic-to-have-no-problems-against-samuel-groth-in-brisbane

[KennyDelight]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 I'll back Chanelle Scheepers to beat Tsvetana Pironkova WTA Sydney qualifying @ $2.64 - Sportsbet Two very unpredictable ladies. Both coming off similar 3 set losses with same number of games won/lost in Brisbane and Auckland. Pironkova is defending champion of Sydney and has point to defend but is very inconsistent, I don't see this being easy 1st round opposition for her and may crumble under the pressure of being defending champion. Small dab on the underdog

[BallsforTennis]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 Daveed Goffin vs Hauder Maurer Under 20 games at 1.94 with Pinnacle 5pts The gap in quality and class is so vivid it's unreal. Goffin' is going to be top 30 this season, if not top 20 and he packs far too much game on any tennis court for Haider Maurer. Counter-punchingly and offensively .. he has it all. Venus Williams -1.5 sets handicap over Lauren Davis at 1.76 with Pinnacle 5pts Davis has spirit and a lot of tenacity. Unfortunately for she is severely hampered by her serve that she will never really be able to compete at a top 20 level. Her serve is toddler like and it will be sitting up far too kindly for a ball-striker with Venus's killer instinct. Venus will control the point from the return and I really can't see Lauren breaking her more than a few times. Ana Ivanovic -1.5 sets handicap over Vevara Lepchenko at 1.82 with Pinnacle 3pts Lepchenko has game but really her game suits Ivanovic's imo. Far too many passive forehands which can sit up for Ivanovic's strike zone. Lepchenko produces great angles with her forehand, however moving laterally ius one of the aspects of her game Ivanovic has worked on and she shouldn't really be having much issues with cutting off those angles. Different weight division and don't feel/believe Lepchenko has the fiepower to even take a set in all honesty. Andrew Harris to beat Andrey Kuznetzov at 3.8 with Pinnacle 4pts Andrew Harris is a kid not many people are actually aware of. He is a decent up and coming Australian youngster and his game isn't all that bad. He packs a punch off both wings and natural timing and racquet head speed. His main asset is his mental fortitude and that I tell you will win him this match against a player who largely is streaky throughout matches. Harris has beaten Zopp and Trav this tournament, two impress wins and I believe he will make it 3 here. Andry Murray vs Marinko Matosevic Under 20 games at 1.8 with 5Dimes 3.5pts Murray is back to atleast 2009-2011 tennis and Marinko's momentum from last year has seemingly ran out. He is no longer playing that well and beat Paire because of Injury. Alize Cornet vs Agneskia Radanska Over 20 games at 1.88 with Pinnacle 5pts Cornet gives her heart, passion and soul into playing for her country and she will find a way to push Radwanska here. Rad's serve is always going to be a liability and Alize will have opportunities to break and make this a close contest. Darcis to beat Mannarino at 2.4 with Pinnacle 3pts Darcis more game on this quicker surfaces imo and I'd give him the edge. I feel Mannarino will struggle with his slice and overall crafyness on a court like this here.

[Nes*]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 ivo strikes again today?! :loon

[Fader]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 1pt J.Duckworth to beat R.Federer 10/1 Betway Just a value punt. I don't expect him to win but if Millman can push Fed to that degree then Duckworth can. Keeps me interested.

[Fader]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 5pts A.Bedene to beat Garcia-Lopez 10/11 WillHill 2pts A.Bedene to win 2-0 9/4 Ladbrokes Although both prefer the clay, Bedene is a far better hard court player. Garcia-Lopez has struggled in both his matches where as Bedene as beaten a quality player in Lopez. These two played once before and after the first set loss, Garcia Lopez retired. Id expect Bedene to win in general but there is also a chance of a straight sets win in my opinion.

[BallsforTennis]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11

Daveed Goffin vs Hauder Maurer Under 20 games at 1.94 with Pinnacle 5pts The gap in quality and class is so vivid it's unreal. Goffin' is going to be top 30 this season, if not top 20 and he packs far too much game on any tennis court for Haider Maurer. Counter-punchingly and offensively .. he has it all. Venus Williams -1.5 sets handicap over Lauren Davis at 1.76 with Pinnacle 5pts Davis has spirit and a lot of tenacity. Unfortunately for she is severely hampered by her serve that she will never really be able to compete at a top 20 level. Her serve is toddler like and it will be sitting up far too kindly for a ball-striker with Venus's killer instinct. Venus will control the point from the return and I really can't see Lauren breaking her more than a few times. Ana Ivanovic -1.5 sets handicap over Vevara Lepchenko at 1.82 with Pinnacle 3pts Lepchenko has game but really her game suits Ivanovic's imo. Far too many passive forehands which can sit up for Ivanovic's strike zone. Lepchenko produces great angles with her forehand, however moving laterally ius one of the aspects of her game Ivanovic has worked on and she shouldn't really be having much issues with cutting off those angles. Different weight division and don't feel/believe Lepchenko has the fiepower to even take a set in all honesty. Andrew Harris to beat Andrey Kuznetzov at 3.8 with Pinnacle 4pts Andrew Harris is a kid not many people are actually aware of. He is a decent up and coming Australian youngster and his game isn't all that bad. He packs a punch off both wings and natural timing and racquet head speed. His main asset is his mental fortitude and that I tell you will win him this match against a player who largely is streaky throughout matches. Harris has beaten Zopp and Trav this tournament, two impress wins and I believe he will make it 3 here. Andry Murray vs Marinko Matosevic Under 20 games at 1.8 with 5Dimes 3.5pts Murray is back to atleast 2009-2011 tennis and Marinko's momentum from last year has seemingly ran out. He is no longer playing that well and beat Paire because of Injury. Alize Cornet vs Agneskia Radanska Over 20 games at 1.88 with Pinnacle 5pts Cornet gives her heart, passion and soul into playing for her country and she will find a way to push Radwanska here. Rad's serve is always going to be a liability and Alize will have opportunities to break and make this a close contest. Darcis to beat Mannarino at 2.4 with Pinnacle 3pts Darcis more game on this quicker surfaces imo and I'd give him the edge. I feel Mannarino will struggle with his slice and overall crafyness on a court like this here.

Well that's 100% with just Murray and Goffin still to go. :nana Will add a few boys. Venus Williams to beat Caroline Wozniacki at 2.5 with Pinnacle 4pts This is just ridiculous. Ever since Wozniacki reached the US Open final, she's been over-rated. She got there because she matches up annoyingly for Sharapova. Venus in this ball-striking rhythm will tear her apart. Comprehensive win for the older Williams sister. Compre-bloody-hensive. GGL vs Aljaz Bedene Over 22 games at 1.9 with Pinnacle 4pts Bedene has been serving the best he's ever served in his life, from what I saw against Feliciano and he has become a lot more aggressive. However just because he disposed of Lopez in straight sets, doesn't mean to say he'll do the same with the Lopez. Feliciano was admittedly a little bit rusty and no really all that match-tight, but for me the major thing here is Garcia Lopez has the defensive attribute to contend with Bedene's new aggressive approach. Garcia Lopez will drag Bedene around and pull off shots in counter-punching fashion. Toe to toe, from the baseline, even with the aggressive forehand of Bedene's, Garcia Lopez clearly comes out on-top. However I do feel it will be a close ran thing, given the way Aljaz has been serving. You would have to favour GGL in the head, he has the edge in baseline exchanges and won't be nervous about reaching a semi-final of a 250 series events. Aljaz will. Overs anyway, with a view to backing GGL in a third set.

[KennyDelight]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11

I'll back Chanelle Scheepers to beat Tsvetana Pironkova WTA Sydney qualifying @ $2.64 - Sportsbet Two very unpredictable ladies. Both coming off similar 3 set losses with same number of games won/lost in Brisbane and Auckland. Pironkova is defending champion of Sydney and has point to defend but is very inconsistent, I don't see this being easy 1st round opposition for her and may crumble under the pressure of being defending champion. Small dab on the underdog

It was inconsistent by both ladies to say the least. First 2 sets went for 2 hours with no tiebreak (6-3 2-6) given most of the games went to 40. Pironkova lifted in the 3rd set and won the match after losing the 2nd :\ Donna Vekic ($2.50) up next for Pironkova ($1.50), another inconsistent but younger opponent. I will not back either but I don't feel Pironkova will qualify even as 1st seed in qualifying. Vekic then possibly Schmeidlova. I think she has her work cut out this year

[djordje12kv]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11

Daveed Goffin vs Hauder Maurer Under 20 games at 1.94 with Pinnacle 5pts The gap in quality and class is so vivid it's unreal. Goffin' is going to be top 30 this season, if not top 20 and he packs far too much game on any tennis court for Haider Maurer. Counter-punchingly and offensively .. he has it all. Venus Williams -1.5 sets handicap over Lauren Davis at 1.76 with Pinnacle 5pts Davis has spirit and a lot of tenacity. Unfortunately for she is severely hampered by her serve that she will never really be able to compete at a top 20 level. Her serve is toddler like and it will be sitting up far too kindly for a ball-striker with Venus's killer instinct. Venus will control the point from the return and I really can't see Lauren breaking her more than a few times. Ana Ivanovic -1.5 sets handicap over Vevara Lepchenko at 1.82 with Pinnacle 3pts Lepchenko has game but really her game suits Ivanovic's imo. Far too many passive forehands which can sit up for Ivanovic's strike zone. Lepchenko produces great angles with her forehand, however moving laterally ius one of the aspects of her game Ivanovic has worked on and she shouldn't really be having much issues with cutting off those angles. Different weight division and don't feel/believe Lepchenko has the fiepower to even take a set in all honesty. Andrew Harris to beat Andrey Kuznetzov at 3.8 with Pinnacle 4pts Andrew Harris is a kid not many people are actually aware of. He is a decent up and coming Australian youngster and his game isn't all that bad. He packs a punch off both wings and natural timing and racquet head speed. His main asset is his mental fortitude and that I tell you will win him this match against a player who largely is streaky throughout matches. Harris has beaten Zopp and Trav this tournament, two impress wins and I believe he will make it 3 here. Andry Murray vs Marinko Matosevic Under 20 games at 1.8 with 5Dimes 3.5pts Murray is back to atleast 2009-2011 tennis and Marinko's momentum from last year has seemingly ran out. He is no longer playing that well and beat Paire because of Injury. Alize Cornet vs Agneskia Radanska Over 20 games at 1.88 with Pinnacle 5pts Cornet gives her heart, passion and soul into playing for her country and she will find a way to push Radwanska here. Rad's serve is always going to be a liability and Alize will have opportunities to break and make this a close contest. Darcis to beat Mannarino at 2.4 with Pinnacle 3pts Darcis more game on this quicker surfaces imo and I'd give him the edge. I feel Mannarino will struggle with his slice and overall crafyness on a court like this here.

Thanks a lot for your picks. I have only one question, can you post your picks a little earlier about 21-22h for night picks? Than you!

[BallsforTennis]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11

Thanks a lot for your picks. I have only one question' date=' can you post your picks a little earlier about 21-22h for night picks? Than you![/quote'] Kinda difficult man, since all the overs/unders and set handicap lines on 5Dimes, Pinnacle and Bet365 release so late. You're welcome though. I have a strong background in the sport which helps. Often I get my edge from assessing the match-up, many don't understand or choose to ignore the match-up and rather-more focus on form etc and what not. 100% for the day anyway. Including the Bedene vs GGL over.

[Fader]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 Good picks BallsForTennis :ok

[CzechPunter]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 Just one for me from the night schedule. Have to agree that Venus Williams looks worth taking against Caroline Wozniacki, but I still have that outright bet running and I'm never too happy about laying bets off, so I'll just stand aside and hope for the best (especially since the odds have now moved in the wrong direction). Back Kei Nishikori to beat Milos Raonic for a 7/10 stake at 1.52 with Pinnacle Nishikori has an excellent record against Raonic and the Canadian looks surprisingly average against Groth, having no break points in three sets. If Groth got his chances, Nishikori will get his, so I guess that he'll also get his fifth win over the Canadian tomorrow. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/nishikori-vs-raonic-betting-kei-nishikori-to-defeat-milos-raonic-for-the-fifth-time

[BallsforTennis]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 Grigor Dimitrov +1.5 sets handicap vs Roger Federer at 1.84 with Pinnacle 4pts Grigor Dimitrov vs Roger Federer over 22 games at 1.85 4pts Dimitrov played a horrendous match the last time these two met and it was 100% down to the fact he was playing his idol. On this occasion I expect the anxiety to be less and him to perform a little more. His serve has been on this tournament and he has the minerals defensively to get into the Federer service games. The low knife cutting slice is something that will trouble Roger and neutralise his attack, particularly when we consider his (Federer's) forehand isn't what it used to be. Grigor has the best slice backhand in tennis at this moment and it's one of the reasons he rarely loses to heavy hitting ball-strikers. Grigor's right-out-of-the-federer-textbook forehand will need to be on-song today and granted it is, I see a fairly close encounter. Simone Halep vs Timea Baschinskzy Under 20 games at 2.02 4pts Can't see how she's pushing her, especially not in a final where Simone will be fully focused from start to finish. Maria Sharapova vs Ana Ivanovic Over 20 games at 1.94 with Pinnacle 5 pts Ana Ivanovic to beat Maria Sharapova at 3.8 with Pinnacle 2pts Bookies are snorting coacine. Truly, snorting the fucking white stuff. Ivanovic is a difficult match-up for Sharapova, on every surface bearing the red muddy clay. This is going to be a close encounter and is pretty much a coin toss IMO. Only thing that gives Maria the edge is experience, but then again Ana has picked a lot of that up over the last year and is pretty sound in high pressure situations now a days. It's banal, you don't need to have any sort of mild even profound understanding on the sport of tennis to be taking this pick. They're clear obvious, strikingly obvious, picks to be taking. Steve Darcis -3 games handicap vs Menendez-Macerias at 1.77 with Pinnacle 3pts There clearly is only one winner on this surface and that is Steve. Despite Menendez having some good hustle, Steve shouldn't have a problem taking this one. Zeballos to beat James Mcgee at 1.76 with Pinnacle 4pts This is a little bit of a one sided encounter interms of matchup, Mcgee has no weapons whatsoever, other than the occasional serve. His backhand isn't brilliant and he'll be playing a lot of them, granted Zeballos isn't a headcase, he should come through pretty much unscathed. The forehand and serve will be enough to see him home, even on a hardcourt. Mott vs Sugita over 22.5 games at 1.8 with Bet365 4pts Mott to beat Sugita at 2.4 with Pinnacle 3pts Should be a close one this, Sugita has the counter-punching finesse to take care of young Mott, however the kid has firepower and will be able to take charge of the points on return when Sugita is serving second serves. I feel we will have a close encounter here and it is for me, particularly in Australia, a 50/50 encounter. Gonzalo Lama vs Igor Sisling Over 18.5 games at 1.8 Bet365 5pts Gonzalo Lama to beat Igor Sisling at 5.52 with Pinnacle 3pts Lama is an out and out claycourter, but as I have mentioned before, claycourters can easily transition to hardcourt without as much fuss as most people think. Especially the claycourters that rely on big, controlled aggressive tennis, with the forehand. In Lama's case he's got the serve and the forehand, heavy, heavy topsin powered serve and forehand. The problem is his backhand is a largely inexistent shot. Sisling's backhand is also a largely inexistent shot and he hasn't come out this season firing. If Sisling doesn't serve well, he's barely a challenger level player IMO. Andrew Harris vs Marcus Baghdatis Over 20 games at 1.92 with Pinnacle 4pts Andrew is a good match-player with game, his shot selection is staggeringly good already, even for his age. I expect he'll push Marcus in this one here with the home support behind him. Bolt vs Harrison Over 22 games at 1.84 with Pinnacle 3pts Bolt to beat Harrison at 2.79 with Pinnacle 2pts I believe this to be a slightly closer encounter than the bookies and punters suggest. Ryan struggles with lefties and I believe he'll struggle with this one.

[Andreyno47]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11

Grigor Dimitrov +1.5 sets handicap vs Roger Federer at 1.84 with Pinnacle 4pts Grigor Dimitrov vs Roger Federer over 22 games at 1.85 4pts Dimitrov played a horrendous match the last time these two met and it was 100% down to the fact he was playing his idol. On this occasion I expect the anxiety to be less and him to perform a little more. His serve has been on this tournament and he has the minerals defensively to get into the Federer service games. The low knife cutting slice is something that will trouble Roger and neutralise his attack, particularly when we consider his (Federer's) forehand isn't what it used to be. Grigor has the best slice backhand in tennis at this moment and it's one of the reasons he rarely loses to heavy hitting ball-strikers. Grigor's right-out-of-the-federer-textbook forehand will need to be on-song today and granted it is, I see a fairly close encounter. Simone Halep vs Timea Baschinskzy Under 20 games at 2.02 4pts Can't see how she's pushing her, especially not in a final where Simone will be fully focused from start to finish. Maria Sharapova vs Ana Ivanovic Over 20 games at 1.94 with Pinnacle 5 pts Ana Ivanovic to beat Maria Sharapova at 3.8 with Pinnacle 2pts Bookies are snorting coacine. Truly, snorting the fucking white stuff. Ivanovic is a difficult match-up for Sharapova, on every surface bearing the red muddy clay. This is going to be a close encounter and is pretty much a coin toss IMO. Only thing that gives Maria the edge is experience, but then again Ana has picked a lot of that up over the last year and is pretty sound in high pressure situations now a days. It's banal, you don't need to have any sort of mild even profound understanding on the sport of tennis to be taking this pick. They're clear obvious, strikingly obvious, picks to be taking. Steve Darcis -3 games handicap vs Menendez-Macerias at 1.77 with Pinnacle 3pts There clearly is only one winner on this surface and that is Steve. Despite Menendez having some good hustle, Steve shouldn't have a problem taking this one. Zeballos to beat James Mcgee at 1.76 with Pinnacle 4pts This is a little bit of a one sided encounter interms of matchup, Mcgee has no weapons whatsoever, other than the occasional serve. His backhand isn't brilliant and he'll be playing a lot of them, granted Zeballos isn't a headcase, he should come through pretty much unscathed. The forehand and serve will be enough to see him home, even on a hardcourt. Mott vs Sugita over 22.5 games at 1.8 with Bet365 4pts Mott to beat Sugita at 2.4 with Pinnacle 3pts Should be a close one this, Sugita has the counter-punching finesse to take care of young Mott, however the kid has firepower and will be able to take charge of the points on return when Sugita is serving second serves. I feel we will have a close encounter here and it is for me, particularly in Australia, a 50/50 encounter. Gonzalo Lama vs Igor Sisling Over 18.5 games at 1.8 Bet365 5pts Gonzalo Lama to beat Igor Sisling at 5.52 with Pinnacle 3pts Lama is an out and out claycourter, but as I have mentioned before, claycourters can easily transition to hardcourt without as much fuss as most people think. Especially the claycourters that rely on big, controlled aggressive tennis, with the forehand. In Lama's case he's got the serve and the forehand, heavy, heavy topsin powered serve and forehand. The problem is his backhand is a largely inexistent shot. Sisling's backhand is also a largely inexistent shot and he hasn't come out this season firing. If Sisling doesn't serve well, he's barely a challenger level player IMO. Andrew Harris vs Marcus Baghdatis Over 20 games at 1.92 with Pinnacle 4pts Andrew is a good match-player with game, his shot selection is staggeringly good already, even for his age. I expect he'll push Marcus in this one here with the home support behind him. Bolt vs Harrison Over 22 games at 1.84 with Pinnacle 3pts Bolt to beat Harrison at 2.79 with Pinnacle 2pts I believe this to be a slightly closer encounter than the bookies and punters suggest. Ryan struggles with lefties and I believe he'll struggle with this one.

Simona Halep, mate . :)))) SimonA. Ty for tips.

[CzechPunter]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 Back T.Berdych/D.Ferrer - Over 2.5 sets for a 7/10 stake at 2.50 with Paddy Power Hard to argue against Berdych winning, but Ferrer should be able to give him a good test in my opinion - matches between the two have rarely been one-sided, after all. Moreover, the Czech is hardly the best player around when it comes to pressure situations. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/berdych-vs-ferrer-betting-a-long-match-might-be-on-the-cards-for-berdych-and-ferrer-in-the-doha-finals Back S.Wawrinka/D.Goffin - Over 2.5 sets for a 7/10 stake at 2.37 with Paddy Power This also looks like a good price to me, as both guys have looked pretty good so far in Chennai. Wawrinka the obvious favorite, but Goffin has enough quality and variety from both wings and should get at least a set. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/wawrinka-vs-goffin-betting-stanislas-wawrinka-and-david-goffin-look-set-to-play-an-epic-match-in-chennai

[CzechPunter]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 A disgusting - and dare I say unlucky (especially Berdych's set points, which he completely threw away) - string of losses. Hopefully, things are going to improve soon.

[CzechPunter]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 Back Lucie Safarova (-2.5) to beat Samantha Stosur for a 7/10 stake at 1.79 with Unibet A horrible match-up for Stosur, who's also started the new season with a disastrous loss against Lepchenko. Safarova, on the other hand, played really well in the Hopman Cup, so I expect her to win this one with minimal fuss. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/safarova-vs-stosur-betting-lucie-safarova-to-crush-the-local-hero-yet-again

[CzechPunter]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 Back Kurumi Nara (-2.5) to beat Klara Koukalova for a 7/10 stake at 1.83 with Unibet Since the two last met last year (with Nara winning quite comfortably), they've been pretty much going in the opposite directions - Nara still seems to be improving, while the Czech seems to be in a pretty horrible decline. I expect that to be evident tomorrow. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/nara-vs-koukalova-betting-klara-koukalova-s-comeback-might-not-be-on-the-cards-just-yet

[BallsforTennis]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11

Grigor Dimitrov +1.5 sets handicap vs Roger Federer at 1.84 with Pinnacle 4pts Grigor Dimitrov vs Roger Federer over 22 games at 1.85 4pts Dimitrov played a horrendous match the last time these two met and it was 100% down to the fact he was playing his idol. On this occasion I expect the anxiety to be less and him to perform a little more. His serve has been on this tournament and he has the minerals defensively to get into the Federer service games. The low knife cutting slice is something that will trouble Roger and neutralise his attack, particularly when we consider his (Federer's) forehand isn't what it used to be. Grigor has the best slice backhand in tennis at this moment and it's one of the reasons he rarely loses to heavy hitting ball-strikers. Grigor's right-out-of-the-federer-textbook forehand will need to be on-song today and granted it is, I see a fairly close encounter. Simone Halep vs Timea Baschinskzy Under 20 games at 2.02 4pts Can't see how she's pushing her, especially not in a final where Simone will be fully focused from start to finish. Maria Sharapova vs Ana Ivanovic Over 20 games at 1.94 with Pinnacle 5 pts Ana Ivanovic to beat Maria Sharapova at 3.8 with Pinnacle 2pts Bookies are snorting coacine. Truly, snorting the fucking white stuff. Ivanovic is a difficult match-up for Sharapova, on every surface bearing the red muddy clay. This is going to be a close encounter and is pretty much a coin toss IMO. Only thing that gives Maria the edge is experience, but then again Ana has picked a lot of that up over the last year and is pretty sound in high pressure situations now a days. It's banal, you don't need to have any sort of mild even profound understanding on the sport of tennis to be taking this pick. They're clear obvious, strikingly obvious, picks to be taking. Steve Darcis -3 games handicap vs Menendez-Macerias at 1.77 with Pinnacle 3pts There clearly is only one winner on this surface and that is Steve. Despite Menendez having some good hustle, Steve shouldn't have a problem taking this one. Zeballos to beat James Mcgee at 1.76 with Pinnacle 4pts This is a little bit of a one sided encounter interms of matchup, Mcgee has no weapons whatsoever, other than the occasional serve. His backhand isn't brilliant and he'll be playing a lot of them, granted Zeballos isn't a headcase, he should come through pretty much unscathed. The forehand and serve will be enough to see him home, even on a hardcourt. Mott vs Sugita over 22.5 games at 1.8 with Bet365 4pts Mott to beat Sugita at 2.4 with Pinnacle 3pts Should be a close one this, Sugita has the counter-punching finesse to take care of young Mott, however the kid has firepower and will be able to take charge of the points on return when Sugita is serving second serves. I feel we will have a close encounter here and it is for me, particularly in Australia, a 50/50 encounter. Gonzalo Lama vs Igor Sisling Over 18.5 games at 1.8 Bet365 5pts Gonzalo Lama to beat Igor Sisling at 5.52 with Pinnacle 3pts Lama is an out and out claycourter, but as I have mentioned before, claycourters can easily transition to hardcourt without as much fuss as most people think. Especially the claycourters that rely on big, controlled aggressive tennis, with the forehand. In Lama's case he's got the serve and the forehand, heavy, heavy topsin powered serve and forehand. The problem is his backhand is a largely inexistent shot. Sisling's backhand is also a largely inexistent shot and he hasn't come out this season firing. If Sisling doesn't serve well, he's barely a challenger level player IMO. Andrew Harris vs Marcus Baghdatis Over 20 games at 1.92 with Pinnacle 4pts Andrew is a good match-player with game, his shot selection is staggeringly good already, even for his age. I expect he'll push Marcus in this one here with the home support behind him. Bolt vs Harrison Over 22 games at 1.84 with Pinnacle 3pts Bolt to beat Harrison at 2.79 with Pinnacle 2pts I believe this to be a slightly closer encounter than the bookies and punters suggest. Ryan struggles with lefties and I believe he'll struggle with this one.

Mediocre day. Dunno what Dimitrov was playing at, complete muppet. Lesia Tsurenko to beat Evgeniya Rodina at 2.09 with Pinnacle 5pts Bookies snorting cocaine two days running. Trsuenko is the vastly superior on hardcourt and her ground game is on another par. She came through two strong qualifier and I feel she will make the main draw. Rodina is nothing special IMO, dismissed Franny who's currently in 'I can't wait for the claycourt season' mode and Date Krum in her 40s, who served 7 doubles, so that tells you all you need to know about her level. Nicole Gibbs to beat Tsvetana Pironkova at 3.59 with Pinnacle 1.5pts So what if she won the tournament last year, beating Kvitova and Kerber back to back in a semi and then the final. Does it really matter? No. No, no no, no, noooo. Doesn';t, matter. Nothing is to suggest she is playing that same level of tennis. Gibbs can contend with her variety and I feel this is closer to 50/50 than many think. The tournament will bring Pironkova a feel good factor, but that doesn't mean she should be bloody 1.3. lol Marcus Baghdatis to beat Ryan Harrison -3 games handicap at 1.72 with Pinnacle 2pts Still the most over-rated player on the challenger tour, Mr Ryan Harrison, occasional big forehand, occasional big serve, yeah, so what. zzzz. Marcus has the more well rounded game, shot selection, movement and will win the backhand to backhand duels. Soler Espinosa to beat Brengle at 2.79 with Pinnacle 4pts Hysterical odds. She wins the match-up for me. The Daveed Ferrer of the women's game IMO and the early taking on-the-rise forehand to smother Brengle in rallies.

[cornelinho]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 try not to blame bookies in your argument. You might wake up someone :) and will not be in our advantage! In rest you are doing a great job!

[linkoln]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 M.Keys to beat S.Kuznetsova @ 1.80 Pinnacle Svetlana was utter crap last week. I mean she managed to lose to Hradecka who is barely singles player anymore. Keys was very convincing against Cibulkova, firing on all cylinders (aces in two figures; devoted surely much time to serve in off-season) but then succumbed to Lepchenko when she couldn't put ball into play going shot after shot for the lines. Don't see Kuznetsova raising her level in just a week, worth a shot taking Keys here. S.Stephens to beat M.Niculescu @ 1.65 Pinnacle Just love to oppose Niculescu when she is playing with Top 30 players. Don't like her game as it comes down to slicing and more slicing game after game and it usually doesn't gives result against more versatile players. Remember how Stephens disposed Hercog at FO'14 with her slices and spins, looking forward to that happening here.

[linkoln]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 Can't edit last post... Considering whether to take Safarova and Kanepi :unsure Safarova owns Sam in H2H but lately can't get on the top of matches involving Sam. @BallsforTennis Thanks for tips, keep them coming. Looking forward to AO. :cheers Just curious, do you have background in playing/coaching tennis more profesionally or it came from vast experience from betting? :) PM me if don't want public.

[BallsforTennis]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 Andrey Golubev to beat John Patrick Smith at 1.57 with Pinnacle 2pts Okay. JSP has come a long way with his game and he is a much better match-player now a days, really match-hardened, but I just don't really feel he has enough in his locker to take out Andrey here. Andrey has just far too much fire-power and really these odds are mostly the product of the fact Mr JSP is at home. The lefty serve into the single handed backhand may prove a little bit of a problem, but realistically speaking, unless Andrey is cold tonight, he shouldn't be losing this match. Tobias Kamke to beat Igor Sisling at 1.7 with Pinnacle 5pts Everything about Sisling's game CENTERS around his serve, without that firing, there really is no dice. Tobias is probably one of the most talented players that looms around between the challenger and atp main tour mark, it's often his shot selection that catches him out, but his game from the back of the court is too much for Igor and he will find the Sisling wayward single handed backhand enough throughout the duration of this match to get the W imo. Sisling's just not serving well enough at this minute to cause Tobias any problems. Roger Vaseline to beat Joao Souza -1.5 sets handicap at 2.1 with Bet365 3pts Vaseline has far too much experience and game on a hardcourt for Souza, who will be looking to hide the backhand and dictate with the forehand throughout the match. I just can;'t see it, Roger Vaseline is just too savvy all over the court. He will smother Souza when Joao is on the backfoot on the backhand by closing the net down. Krejicikova to beat Kozlova at 1.93 with Pinnacle 2 pts Krejicikova has too much court smarts for Kozlova and from what I've seen she fares well against generic ball-strikers that are lacking in the movement department. An adept touch for absorbing pace and an all over complete game, which works most effectively indoors, but never-the-less should be able to execute enough with it here to get the W.

[BallsforTennis]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11

Can't edit last post... Considering whether to take Safarova and Kanepi :unsure Safarova owns Sam in H2H but lately can't get on the top of matches involving Sam. @BallsforTennis Thanks for tips, keep them coming. Looking forward to AO. :cheers Just curious, do you have background in playing/coaching tennis more profesionally or it came from vast experience from betting? :) PM me if don't want public.

No worries. Yeah mate. I have played competitively at a performance level, both in high amateur and University (College) leagues within the UK. Professionally? Not really. Only two 10k futures tournaments to speak of, both of which I went out in the first round of qualies to. lol. Gave it a thought (And shot), but it was evident I never had a game big enough to make playing in the PRO's a reality. I am qualified as a level 2 coach assistant with the LTA, but other than a little shadowing here and there as part of my work experience, I've never coached, not for a living, no. During University I was paid by dads to hit with their daughters and have a feel for how the modern girls coming through are trained and coached. Been betting and trading on tennis for four years now, it's been serious for three. No it's okay. One thing I will say is tennis is an incredibly psychological sport, one of the most psychological out there, alongside Golf I'd imagine. I don't know everything though. PS: I'm concerned about Soler Espinosa's odds, she has drifted SEVERELY! Are there any rumours of injury going on around twitter or anything? I can't find shit man.

[BallsforTennis]

Re: Pre-Season - January 11 Ohhhhh SOLER ESPINOSA is already through as a lucky loser. Disgusting unprofessionalism.