The last month or so has not been the best for the tennis picks I have been producing, probably the worst four weeks since putting them down on this blog.
Today we will see the start of the WTA Premier Event in Montreal and the turn out here has actually been much stronger than I thought it may be and is certainly stronger than the ATP event taking place in Toronto.
Serena Williams is the only major absentee from Montreal as she takes a well earned rest following her exploits since the French Open as she won at Wimbledon, Stanford and took the Gold Medal at the Olympic Games.
Yesterday the picks went 1-1, but could easily have gone either 2-0 or 0-2 although it was weird that the one that looked guaranteed to be a loser won, and the other which was well on the way to winning lost.
Kevin Anderson v Mikhail Youzhny: This is set as a pick 'em match and I have to say I like the South African to win the match as he has been spending a lot more time on the hard courts in North America, while Mikhail Youzhny has been dividing his time between the grass courts and the clay courts in Europe.
Kevin Anderson reached the Quarter Final at Washington last week and he has a solid 38-19 record on the hard courts over the last two seasons (16-9 on the hard courts of North America since July 2011).
He has the serve that can earn him cheap points and that may see him put enough pressure on Youzhny who also doesn't have the best record in Masters Events that have taken place in Canada. He has failed to go beyond the Second Round in tournaments held in Toronto, although the Russian has never been beaten in the First Round.
However, this looks like a tough test and I think Anderson will be more accustomed to the conditions and that may see him pick up the win.
Carla Suarez Navarro - 2.5 games v Maria-Jose Martinez Sanchez: Both of these girls will be heading to Montreal after competing at the London Olympics, but I think the younger Spaniard has the advantage in the contest, one that should see her through to the Second Round.
Carla Suarez Navarro has a very solid and effective backhand and that negates the left handed Maria-Jose Martinez Sanchez' advantage, something that seems to be highlighted by the 3-1 head to head lead for Suarez Navarro.
Martinez Sanchez has also recently returned from an injury and it is no surprise to see she has just a 3-8 record on the Main Tour this season so far. She has also had a tough time on the hard courts, although previously showing her effectiveness including a Third Round appearance in Canada last season.
The last two matches between these players has needed a deciding set and it wouldn't surprise me if that is the case again. However, I do like Carla Suarez Navarro to be a little too strong for her elder compatriot in this one.
Julien Benneteau - 3.5 games v Wayne Odesnik: Wayne Odesnik is better known for being banned from the sport after being found guilty of importing human growth hormones, but he is now back on the Tour and had to win a couple of qualifying matches to get to the First Round proper.
He will meet Julien Benneteau who can be a bit of a head case on the tennis court, but a player who has enjoyed some real successes on the hard courts at a couple of events over the last twelve months, including reaching the Final at Winston Salem ahead of the US Open in 2011.
The Frenchman should be too strong for Odesnik as long as he has his head on straight and I expect him to find some joy against the American's serve in this one. They haven't met before, which can be a concern, but Benneteau should be strong enough to record a 6-4, 6-4 win.
MY PICKS: Kevin Anderson @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Carla Suarez Navarro - 2.5 games @ 2.01 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Julien Benneteau - 3.5 games @ 1.92 188Bet (2 Units)
Weekly Update: 1-1, - 0.32 Units (4 Units Staked)
No comments:
Post a Comment