The final grass court tournaments before Wimbledon have been completed and now it is all eyes on the third Grand Slam of the season.
I will have a full preview of the tournament out shortly, but I think it is one of the best draws in the Men's draw that I have seen for some time with lots of intriguing matches coming up and plenty of threats for the big four players to be worrying about in the coming two weeks. Let's hope for some great weather and great tennis moving forward.
It wasn't a good week at all for the picks as players either tanked at the wrong time, or were just not capable of producing what I expected on the day... Suffice to say it is the worst week I had this season, but I would rather get that out of the way now and hope for a strong Wimbledon than have a terrible Grand Slam.
What does Andy Roddick's win at Eastbourne mean? I have read in a few places that people are once again considering the American as a credible outsider that could win Wimbledon because he won the event at Eastbourne, but anyone who saw him play will know Andy Roddick is far removed from the player that last reached the Final at SW19 back in 2009.
These wins were actually the first he had since March, and I think the fact he dropped a set against Fabio Fognini while not being as effective behind serve suggests he will not go too far at Wimbledon. His draw is not the kindest as I think he is in the toughest Quarter and I will be more than a little surprised if he is still around come the middle of the second week.
It was a good win for his confidence, but Roddick is not the same player he was and I don't put too much faith into what he managed to achieve at Eastbourne.
How much should someone take into account the form at exhibition tournaments? This has really come about due to the two defeats suffered by Andy Murray at the exhibition event held at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire over the last week, but I don't think it is as big an issue as some would like to believe.
How many readers know there are big exhibition tournaments before the Australian Open and the French Open too? How many would be surprised that the likes of Roger Federer have played in such events and actually performed better at the Grand Slam event they are preparing for?
That's all this is- it is players trying out a couple of things and just getting the feel of the grass underneath their feet as they get ready to start their Wimbledon challenge.
Those two defeats to Janko Tipsarevic and Novak Djokovic would not worry me in the slightest- the draw Murray has received at Wimbledon is a different matter though!
The Boodles exhibition tournament: I was fortunate enough to attend The Boodles event held at Stoke Park this year and it truly was an enjoyable event and one that I will definitely be adding to my calender in the coming years.
Having been to Queens for many years now, I wasn't sure there was a venue where we could get easier access to the top players in the game, but that was the case at Stoke Park where the players are happy to walk through public access areas and also very happy to pose for a photo and sign an autograph.
The court itself is in a very intimate setting and it is clearly enjoyable for the tennis players too who do have some fun (another reason I wouldn't be overly concerned by a couple of defeats for Andy Murray).
If you ever get a chance, I would recommend attending highly!
Weekly Final: - 10 Units (18 Units Staked)
Season 2012 Update: + 51.74 Units (528 Units Staked, 9.80% yield)
Season 2011: + 82.02 Units
Featured post
NBA Playoffs 2026- Conference Finals Game 1-4 (Monday 18th May-Monday 25th May)
We are going to be down to the final four teams in the NBA once Game 7 of the Second Round Series between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland ...
Showing posts with label Andy Roddick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andy Roddick. Show all posts
Saturday, 23 June 2012
Friday, 9 September 2011
US Open Day 12 Picks (Men's Quarter Finals)
The schedule has been changed by the organisers of the tournament in a manner they feel will best give all the remaining competitors a chance to win the prize.
The bottom half of the Men's draw is playing catch up, and it will still mean playing 3 matches in 3 days if they are to get through to the Final, which has been moved until Monday.
While the schedule change looks reasonable, they have given their sponsors and TV companies a Super Super Saturday as all 4 Semi Finals are scheduled to go on one after the other.
The two Men's Semi Finals take place in the afternoon and the Women have been given the night session to themselves, although personally I would have had the matches start at noon with the Women on first followed by one Men's match and then the last Semi Final played not before 7pm for a night game.
The Women's Final takes place on Sunday and the Men's, as I mentioned, is moved to Monday.
On to the Picks for the final two Quarter Finals:
Andy Murray - 5.5 games vs John Isner: This looks like a dangerous pick considering the way John Isner can serve, but I have a feeling the big man is just about running on fumes and he will be grinded down by Murray and put away in a similar fashion to Australia in 2010.
Isner was struggling against Gilles Simon yesterday, being broken NINE times, and will little rest between matches, I think he is going to struggle big time against a player that will force him to hit a lot of tennis balls.
Murray is also one of the best returners on the tour so we can expect him to start getting a lot of serves back and I think he will then be able to expose the lack of real movement in Isner and come away with a fairly routine win.
Murray has won his 2 previous meetings with Isner, winning all 5 sets- he beat Isner for the loss of just 11 games in Australia in 2010 and also won 6-4, 6-2 at the Hopman Cup earlier this season against the big serving American.
The British Number 1 will not want to spend unnecessary time on court so I expect him to be fully focused. He will break Isner's belief in a tight first set, before coming away with a 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.
Rafael Nadal to win 3-1 in sets vs Andy Roddick: Andy Roddick played very well in the sets I saw against David Ferrer yesterday, but this is an altogether different test for a player that has not been in the best of form this season.
Rafael Nadal is clearly keen to keep his time on court to a minimum if his performance in destroying Gilles Muller yesterday is anything to go by. However, he has thrown in a few erratic service games and that may be enough for Roddick to sneak a set, although I can't see him having any more success than that.
Nadal leads 6-3 in the head to head, and has won 4 of the last 5 meetings. However, they have split their last 2 meetings in Miami and at the O2 in London, with both matches going the full distance.
The Spaniard has been fortunate not to drop a set so far at this years US Open, with Gilles Muller, David Nalbandian and Andrey Golubev all having chances to do so. I think Roddick's mental belief will allow him to break that run, but I can't see him going any further as he falls 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 5.5 games @ 1.83 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Rafael Nadal win 3-1 in sets @ 3.75 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
US OPEN UPDATE: 26-16, + 27.03 Units
The bottom half of the Men's draw is playing catch up, and it will still mean playing 3 matches in 3 days if they are to get through to the Final, which has been moved until Monday.
While the schedule change looks reasonable, they have given their sponsors and TV companies a Super Super Saturday as all 4 Semi Finals are scheduled to go on one after the other.
The two Men's Semi Finals take place in the afternoon and the Women have been given the night session to themselves, although personally I would have had the matches start at noon with the Women on first followed by one Men's match and then the last Semi Final played not before 7pm for a night game.
The Women's Final takes place on Sunday and the Men's, as I mentioned, is moved to Monday.
On to the Picks for the final two Quarter Finals:
Andy Murray - 5.5 games vs John Isner: This looks like a dangerous pick considering the way John Isner can serve, but I have a feeling the big man is just about running on fumes and he will be grinded down by Murray and put away in a similar fashion to Australia in 2010.
Isner was struggling against Gilles Simon yesterday, being broken NINE times, and will little rest between matches, I think he is going to struggle big time against a player that will force him to hit a lot of tennis balls.
Murray is also one of the best returners on the tour so we can expect him to start getting a lot of serves back and I think he will then be able to expose the lack of real movement in Isner and come away with a fairly routine win.
Murray has won his 2 previous meetings with Isner, winning all 5 sets- he beat Isner for the loss of just 11 games in Australia in 2010 and also won 6-4, 6-2 at the Hopman Cup earlier this season against the big serving American.
The British Number 1 will not want to spend unnecessary time on court so I expect him to be fully focused. He will break Isner's belief in a tight first set, before coming away with a 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.
Rafael Nadal to win 3-1 in sets vs Andy Roddick: Andy Roddick played very well in the sets I saw against David Ferrer yesterday, but this is an altogether different test for a player that has not been in the best of form this season.
Rafael Nadal is clearly keen to keep his time on court to a minimum if his performance in destroying Gilles Muller yesterday is anything to go by. However, he has thrown in a few erratic service games and that may be enough for Roddick to sneak a set, although I can't see him having any more success than that.
Nadal leads 6-3 in the head to head, and has won 4 of the last 5 meetings. However, they have split their last 2 meetings in Miami and at the O2 in London, with both matches going the full distance.
The Spaniard has been fortunate not to drop a set so far at this years US Open, with Gilles Muller, David Nalbandian and Andrey Golubev all having chances to do so. I think Roddick's mental belief will allow him to break that run, but I can't see him going any further as he falls 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 5.5 games @ 1.83 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Rafael Nadal win 3-1 in sets @ 3.75 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
US OPEN UPDATE: 26-16, + 27.03 Units
Sunday, 4 September 2011
US Open Day 7 Picks
An interesting day yesterday as Serena Williams became a short priced favourite to win the Women's tournament and Roger Federer moved through after a fairly impressive win over Marin Cilic.
Novak Djokovic looks to be making easy progress through the draw, but may have a tougher time against Alexandr Dolgopolov than some may expect, while a match between Mardy Fish and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the next Round should be a classic.
The picks improved to 15-9 for the last 7 days and hopefully that trend can continue.
Day 7 Picks:
Rafael Nadal - 7.5 games vs David Nalbandian: David Nalbandian was one of the few players that would give both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal fits when he played them a few seasons ago, but he is clearly not the same player and I expect Nadal to roll.
The head to head is 2-2, with Nadal winning the last 2 matches including a comfortable win in Miami last season.
Nalbandian can push Nadal for a set, but his losses to Andy Murray, James Blake and Stanislas Wawrinka in the last 6 weeks shows he is still far short of matching it with the top 4 where he is in his career.
I expect Nadal to win 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
David Ferrer - 7.5 games vs Florian Mayer: David Ferrer was my tip to come through this Quarter of the draw and I expect he will be far too good for the awkward Florian Mayer tonight.
Mayer had lost his only 2 matches on the US hard courts this Summer before coming through the first 2 Rounds here, but he has been very fortunate with the draw and now faces a battle hardened Ferrer who beat Igor Andreev and James Blake.
Ferrer leads the head to head 3-2, winning their last 3 matches and he has not lost a set in those including a destruction here at the US Open in 2007.
I expect Ferrer's consistency to break down Mayer, and come through with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 win.
Andy Roddick - 4.5 games vs Julien Benneteau: I think Julien Benneteau has been overestimated in this match due to his excellent run at the Winston Salem Open last week, but that amount of tennis could catch up with him against Andy Roddick.
Roddick has looked in decent, if not spectacular, form in the tournament and his 3 wins last week at the Winston Salem Open will have gotten him in some shape. His serve will cause Benneteau problems and put the Frenchman under pressure on his own service games.
Roddick leads the head to head 3-1 but they have not played one another since 2008. In that time, I think Benneteau has regressed as a player and I expect the American to continue going forward.
I fancy a Roddick 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win
Sam Stosur - 3.5 games vs Maria Kirilenko: Both women have done very well to come through the draw to this 4th Round encounter, but it is Sam Stosur who has been showing better form over the last 6 weeks and I expect she will be too good for her Russian opponent tonight.
Stosur had a hard time against Nadia Petrova in the last Round due to the heavy hitting nature of her opponent, but Kirilenko is less likely to bludgeon her off court.
Stosur's serve should be the difference between the two players and I think she will increase her head to head advantage to 4-2 tonight.
I expect the Australian will come through 6-3, 6-4.
Vera Zvonareva vs Sabine Lisicki: Sabine Lisicki has been in wonderful form over the last 2 weeks as she won a tournament in Dallas and has made easy progress through the draw here at Flushing Meadows, but I feel her run will come to an end against Vera Zvonareva.
Zvonareva enjoys playing on the hard courts and has also been in decent form of late. She also has won all 3 previous meetings with Lisicki, including in San Diego recently.
I expect the match will go 3 sets, as have all their previous meetings, but I think last year's Runner Up will still be standing at the end of a titanic battle.
Juan Martin Del Potro to win 3-1 in sets vs Gilles Simon: This is definitely going to be a closer match than some people may imagine because Gilles Simon's style of play gives Juan Martin Del Potro fits.
Just take a look at their head to head record- Simon won the first meeting in 3 sets in New Haven, Del Potro won in 5 here at the US Open in 2008 and then won in straight sets at Wimbledon in June (7-6, 7-6, 7-5) in a match that could easily have gone a lot longer.
The difference in the match will come down to the fact Del Potro gets plenty more free points on his serve, because I think Simon can hang around in rallies, and so I do expect the Argentine to get through.
I just wouldn't be that surprised if Simon manages to take a set off of him on the way as Del Potro wins 7-5, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4.
Andy Murray to win 3-1 in sets vs Feliciano Lopez: These two players last met at Wimbledon in June in what was a routine straight sets win for Andy Murray but that was at a time when Feliciano Lopez was shattered after a long run in the tournament.
The Spaniard has been serving well in the tournament so far and usually plays some solid stuff on the hard courts with a big serve and good volleying skills.
He has only taken 1 set in 5 meetings against Andy Murray, whose strong returning game makes life a little awkward for Lopez, but I see him picking up his 2nd tonight as the British Number 1 has not been serving as well as he can.
I think the match will be close for 2 sets, which will be split between the players, before Murray's superior returning begins to tell on Lopez and he comes through 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3
MY PICKS: Rafael Nadal - 7.5 games @ 1.91 Stan James (2 Units)
David Ferrer - 7.5 games @ 2.10 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Andy Roddick - 4.5 games @ 2.18 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Sam Stosur - 3.5 games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Vera Zvonareva @ 2.05 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Juan Martin Del Potro win 3-1 in sets @ 3.80 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
Andy Murray win 3-1 in sets @ 3.75 William Hill (1 Unit)
US OPEN UPDATE: 15-9, + 13.29 Units
Novak Djokovic looks to be making easy progress through the draw, but may have a tougher time against Alexandr Dolgopolov than some may expect, while a match between Mardy Fish and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the next Round should be a classic.
The picks improved to 15-9 for the last 7 days and hopefully that trend can continue.
Day 7 Picks:
Rafael Nadal - 7.5 games vs David Nalbandian: David Nalbandian was one of the few players that would give both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal fits when he played them a few seasons ago, but he is clearly not the same player and I expect Nadal to roll.
The head to head is 2-2, with Nadal winning the last 2 matches including a comfortable win in Miami last season.
Nalbandian can push Nadal for a set, but his losses to Andy Murray, James Blake and Stanislas Wawrinka in the last 6 weeks shows he is still far short of matching it with the top 4 where he is in his career.
I expect Nadal to win 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
David Ferrer - 7.5 games vs Florian Mayer: David Ferrer was my tip to come through this Quarter of the draw and I expect he will be far too good for the awkward Florian Mayer tonight.
Mayer had lost his only 2 matches on the US hard courts this Summer before coming through the first 2 Rounds here, but he has been very fortunate with the draw and now faces a battle hardened Ferrer who beat Igor Andreev and James Blake.
Ferrer leads the head to head 3-2, winning their last 3 matches and he has not lost a set in those including a destruction here at the US Open in 2007.
I expect Ferrer's consistency to break down Mayer, and come through with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 win.
Andy Roddick - 4.5 games vs Julien Benneteau: I think Julien Benneteau has been overestimated in this match due to his excellent run at the Winston Salem Open last week, but that amount of tennis could catch up with him against Andy Roddick.
Roddick has looked in decent, if not spectacular, form in the tournament and his 3 wins last week at the Winston Salem Open will have gotten him in some shape. His serve will cause Benneteau problems and put the Frenchman under pressure on his own service games.
Roddick leads the head to head 3-1 but they have not played one another since 2008. In that time, I think Benneteau has regressed as a player and I expect the American to continue going forward.
I fancy a Roddick 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win
Sam Stosur - 3.5 games vs Maria Kirilenko: Both women have done very well to come through the draw to this 4th Round encounter, but it is Sam Stosur who has been showing better form over the last 6 weeks and I expect she will be too good for her Russian opponent tonight.
Stosur had a hard time against Nadia Petrova in the last Round due to the heavy hitting nature of her opponent, but Kirilenko is less likely to bludgeon her off court.
Stosur's serve should be the difference between the two players and I think she will increase her head to head advantage to 4-2 tonight.
I expect the Australian will come through 6-3, 6-4.
Vera Zvonareva vs Sabine Lisicki: Sabine Lisicki has been in wonderful form over the last 2 weeks as she won a tournament in Dallas and has made easy progress through the draw here at Flushing Meadows, but I feel her run will come to an end against Vera Zvonareva.
Zvonareva enjoys playing on the hard courts and has also been in decent form of late. She also has won all 3 previous meetings with Lisicki, including in San Diego recently.
I expect the match will go 3 sets, as have all their previous meetings, but I think last year's Runner Up will still be standing at the end of a titanic battle.
Juan Martin Del Potro to win 3-1 in sets vs Gilles Simon: This is definitely going to be a closer match than some people may imagine because Gilles Simon's style of play gives Juan Martin Del Potro fits.
Just take a look at their head to head record- Simon won the first meeting in 3 sets in New Haven, Del Potro won in 5 here at the US Open in 2008 and then won in straight sets at Wimbledon in June (7-6, 7-6, 7-5) in a match that could easily have gone a lot longer.
The difference in the match will come down to the fact Del Potro gets plenty more free points on his serve, because I think Simon can hang around in rallies, and so I do expect the Argentine to get through.
I just wouldn't be that surprised if Simon manages to take a set off of him on the way as Del Potro wins 7-5, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4.
Andy Murray to win 3-1 in sets vs Feliciano Lopez: These two players last met at Wimbledon in June in what was a routine straight sets win for Andy Murray but that was at a time when Feliciano Lopez was shattered after a long run in the tournament.
The Spaniard has been serving well in the tournament so far and usually plays some solid stuff on the hard courts with a big serve and good volleying skills.
He has only taken 1 set in 5 meetings against Andy Murray, whose strong returning game makes life a little awkward for Lopez, but I see him picking up his 2nd tonight as the British Number 1 has not been serving as well as he can.
I think the match will be close for 2 sets, which will be split between the players, before Murray's superior returning begins to tell on Lopez and he comes through 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3
MY PICKS: Rafael Nadal - 7.5 games @ 1.91 Stan James (2 Units)
David Ferrer - 7.5 games @ 2.10 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Andy Roddick - 4.5 games @ 2.18 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Sam Stosur - 3.5 games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Vera Zvonareva @ 2.05 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Juan Martin Del Potro win 3-1 in sets @ 3.80 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
Andy Murray win 3-1 in sets @ 3.75 William Hill (1 Unit)
US OPEN UPDATE: 15-9, + 13.29 Units
Friday, 24 June 2011
Wimbledon Day 5 Picks
It was the best day of the week as far as my picks were concerned yesterday and I am hoping to add a few more units to the coffers today.
My outright picks are also in good shape, with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic progressing through another Round with ease and bringing us one step closer to the top 4 seeds reaching the Semi Final.
Maria Sharapova's match with Laura Robson was postponed because of rain, so she will have to win 2 matches in 2 days if she wants to reach the 2nd week of the tournament.
The weather looks like it will be bright for the majority of play tomorrow, although showers are due to arrive in the area in the evening.
Now on to Day 5 Picks:
Andy Roddick win 3-1 in sets vs Feliciano Lopez: I actually thought Lopez had more than half a chance of winning this match before the tournament started, but I now feel Andy Roddick is playing very well and also holds a mental edge over his opponent in this match.
Roddick improved to 7-0 against Lopez at Queens just 2 weeks ago, coming through in 3 tight sets. That means Lopez has taken at least 1 set in 3 of the last 4 meetings between the players.
With this match likely to see a couple of tie breakers, I would not be surprised if Roddick drops his first set of the tournament, even though I think he is playing well enough to come through in 4 sets.
Tomas Berdych - 7.5 games vs Alex Bogomolov Jr: Tomas Berdych has started this Wimbledon in fine fashion as he looks to make an impact like he did last year. He has blasted Julien Benneteau and Filippo Volandri away, losing just 12 games in the 6 sets he has competed.
Bogomolov was a surprise winner over Juan Ignacio Chela in the last Round, but this is an altogether tougher test. The American has not fared well on the grass in the past and I think he has taken advantage of a decent draw this time around.
However, I feel Berdych will end his participation in this year's tournament with a bit to spare.
Richard Gasquet - 6.5 games vs Simone Bolelli: Simone Bolelli really surprised me with this win over Stanislas Wawrinka in the last Round, but much of that was down to the poor performance of his opponent when it came down to the big points.
Now he faces Richard Gasquet, a player very accustomed to the grass courts, and also one that has been playing some fantastic tennis of late. Gasquet is yet to drop a set in this tournament.
The Frenchman also holds a 3-0 head to head lead over Bolelli, winning 6 of the 7 sets they have contested. 1 of those wins came on grass, with Gasquet winning 6-3, 6-3.
Bolelli was a little fortunate in the last Round, and I expect Gasquet to come through this one while clearing the handicap.
Venus Williams - 4.5 games vs Maria-Jose Martinez Sanchez: This was supposed to be one of the highlights of the 3rd Round as it was supposed to be Venus Williams against Jelena Jankovic, but it was Maria-Jose Martinez Sanchez who put pay to that.
Williams struggled to get by Kimiko Date-Krumm in the last Round, but that match may just give her the confidence to make a really deep run in the tournament.
Williams has also won both previous matches against the Spaniard, including a straight sets win here at Wimbledon in 2008, and I expect she will be focused after the scare of Wednesday to come through easily enough this time.
Tsvetana Pironkova + 4.5 games vs Vera Zvonareva: Now I have already advised an e/w pick of Vera Zvonareva in the tournament, but I think Pironkova is being a tad underestimated here on the spread. I still expect Zvonareva to find a way to get through, I just wouldn't be surprised if it went the distance.
They share a 1-1 record on the head to heads, with Zvonareva beating Pironkova in 3 sets last year in the Semi Final here.
Pironkova had been out of form before the grass court season began, but she has made easier progress through the draw here and pushed Serena Williams all the way last week in Eastbourne.
Personally, I would not be surprised if she pushes Zvonareva before perhaps falling in 3 sets.
MY PICKS: Andy Roddick win 3-1 in sets @ 3.5 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Tomas Berdych - 7.5 games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Richard Gasquet - 6.5 games @ 2.05 BoyleSports (2 Units)
Venus Williams - 4.5 games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Tsvetana Pironkova + 4.5 games @ 2.14 Pinnacle (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: + 7.03 Units (+ 6.2 Units Day 4)
My outright picks are also in good shape, with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic progressing through another Round with ease and bringing us one step closer to the top 4 seeds reaching the Semi Final.
Maria Sharapova's match with Laura Robson was postponed because of rain, so she will have to win 2 matches in 2 days if she wants to reach the 2nd week of the tournament.
The weather looks like it will be bright for the majority of play tomorrow, although showers are due to arrive in the area in the evening.
Now on to Day 5 Picks:
Andy Roddick win 3-1 in sets vs Feliciano Lopez: I actually thought Lopez had more than half a chance of winning this match before the tournament started, but I now feel Andy Roddick is playing very well and also holds a mental edge over his opponent in this match.
Roddick improved to 7-0 against Lopez at Queens just 2 weeks ago, coming through in 3 tight sets. That means Lopez has taken at least 1 set in 3 of the last 4 meetings between the players.
With this match likely to see a couple of tie breakers, I would not be surprised if Roddick drops his first set of the tournament, even though I think he is playing well enough to come through in 4 sets.
Tomas Berdych - 7.5 games vs Alex Bogomolov Jr: Tomas Berdych has started this Wimbledon in fine fashion as he looks to make an impact like he did last year. He has blasted Julien Benneteau and Filippo Volandri away, losing just 12 games in the 6 sets he has competed.
Bogomolov was a surprise winner over Juan Ignacio Chela in the last Round, but this is an altogether tougher test. The American has not fared well on the grass in the past and I think he has taken advantage of a decent draw this time around.
However, I feel Berdych will end his participation in this year's tournament with a bit to spare.
Richard Gasquet - 6.5 games vs Simone Bolelli: Simone Bolelli really surprised me with this win over Stanislas Wawrinka in the last Round, but much of that was down to the poor performance of his opponent when it came down to the big points.
Now he faces Richard Gasquet, a player very accustomed to the grass courts, and also one that has been playing some fantastic tennis of late. Gasquet is yet to drop a set in this tournament.
The Frenchman also holds a 3-0 head to head lead over Bolelli, winning 6 of the 7 sets they have contested. 1 of those wins came on grass, with Gasquet winning 6-3, 6-3.
Bolelli was a little fortunate in the last Round, and I expect Gasquet to come through this one while clearing the handicap.
Venus Williams - 4.5 games vs Maria-Jose Martinez Sanchez: This was supposed to be one of the highlights of the 3rd Round as it was supposed to be Venus Williams against Jelena Jankovic, but it was Maria-Jose Martinez Sanchez who put pay to that.
Williams struggled to get by Kimiko Date-Krumm in the last Round, but that match may just give her the confidence to make a really deep run in the tournament.
Williams has also won both previous matches against the Spaniard, including a straight sets win here at Wimbledon in 2008, and I expect she will be focused after the scare of Wednesday to come through easily enough this time.
Tsvetana Pironkova + 4.5 games vs Vera Zvonareva: Now I have already advised an e/w pick of Vera Zvonareva in the tournament, but I think Pironkova is being a tad underestimated here on the spread. I still expect Zvonareva to find a way to get through, I just wouldn't be surprised if it went the distance.
They share a 1-1 record on the head to heads, with Zvonareva beating Pironkova in 3 sets last year in the Semi Final here.
Pironkova had been out of form before the grass court season began, but she has made easier progress through the draw here and pushed Serena Williams all the way last week in Eastbourne.
Personally, I would not be surprised if she pushes Zvonareva before perhaps falling in 3 sets.
MY PICKS: Andy Roddick win 3-1 in sets @ 3.5 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Tomas Berdych - 7.5 games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Richard Gasquet - 6.5 games @ 2.05 BoyleSports (2 Units)
Venus Williams - 4.5 games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Tsvetana Pironkova + 4.5 games @ 2.14 Pinnacle (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: + 7.03 Units (+ 6.2 Units Day 4)
Saturday, 11 June 2011
Andy Murray- There is still a long road ahead to becoming a Grand Slam Champion
It was certainly impressive- dismantling one of the best grass court players over the last 10 years in two straightforward sets in the manner Andy Murray did is definitely impressive.
Andy Murray was brilliant today as he beat Andy Roddick far easier than anyone could have possibly expected. He returned magnificently, he served brilliantly, and it seemed no shot was outside of the realms of possibility as winners and dropshots peppered Roddick into submission.
All of the above was true, but listening to some of the commentary and analysis on the BBC today was quite unnerving- do these people watch as little tennis as it sounds like they do? But it wasn't just the BBC that seemed to go overboard while watching this win over a good solid tennis player like Roddick, it seemed the media as a whole descended into 'crazy cuckoo land' on Twitter (I will exempt @simoncaney from this as he was in the minority who spoke with some sense).
Some people said this match proved Murray WILL win Wimbledon, others described it as 'his best ever performance', while the 'experts' on the BBC were talking about Murray in terms exceeding the current top 3 players in the World.
Now don't get me wrong, I was impressed with the performance today. But lets not forget that Andy Roddick is seriously under prepared in terms of match fitness of late and this week saw him win his first match on tour since March. Beating Andy Roddick will not lead to a Grand Slam win at Wimbledon (or in any other Grand Slam tournament in my opinion)- there is still the small matter of beating two of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer to negotiate no matter what.
I heard many times that no one in the World could have lived with the tennis Murray produced today- I would argue that the top 3 players are the top 3 players because they look to do something different when things are not going to plan. Today Andy Roddick tried to continue with the game plan he had, hoping that Murray would begin missing more than anything else. There was no variation in the shots, the serve was not being placed very well, and the approach shot was not deep enough to cause Murray troubles, but did Roddick do anything different in the two sets?
The likes of Nadal, Djokovic and Federer will change their approach, either becoming more aggressive or changing the rhythm of their shots. Mentally they are also on a different plane to any of the other players Murray can meet on the tour.
So while the top 3 may have struggled with the way Andy Murray was playing, I can't help but feel they would not ALLOW Murray to keep playing in the same manner without making tactical changes, something Roddick failed to do.
The average viewer of the tennis may remember Roddick from previous performances at Wimbledon, but it is clear the American is not playing up to a great level at this moment, but that is something the media choose to ignore, building up expectations of the average fan rather than try to tone them down.
Instead they are perhaps looking to build up Murray so all the articles about 'lack of mental strength', and how he 'should stop shouting at his team if he wants to win a Grand Slam' can be rolled out on July 4th if Andy Murray fails to win Wimbledon this year.
With Federer, Djokovic and Nadal all in the draw, there is still a long road ahead for Murray to finally satisfy the British public's need for a Men's Wimbledon Champion.
Andy Murray was brilliant today as he beat Andy Roddick far easier than anyone could have possibly expected. He returned magnificently, he served brilliantly, and it seemed no shot was outside of the realms of possibility as winners and dropshots peppered Roddick into submission.
All of the above was true, but listening to some of the commentary and analysis on the BBC today was quite unnerving- do these people watch as little tennis as it sounds like they do? But it wasn't just the BBC that seemed to go overboard while watching this win over a good solid tennis player like Roddick, it seemed the media as a whole descended into 'crazy cuckoo land' on Twitter (I will exempt @simoncaney from this as he was in the minority who spoke with some sense).
Some people said this match proved Murray WILL win Wimbledon, others described it as 'his best ever performance', while the 'experts' on the BBC were talking about Murray in terms exceeding the current top 3 players in the World.
Now don't get me wrong, I was impressed with the performance today. But lets not forget that Andy Roddick is seriously under prepared in terms of match fitness of late and this week saw him win his first match on tour since March. Beating Andy Roddick will not lead to a Grand Slam win at Wimbledon (or in any other Grand Slam tournament in my opinion)- there is still the small matter of beating two of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer to negotiate no matter what.
I heard many times that no one in the World could have lived with the tennis Murray produced today- I would argue that the top 3 players are the top 3 players because they look to do something different when things are not going to plan. Today Andy Roddick tried to continue with the game plan he had, hoping that Murray would begin missing more than anything else. There was no variation in the shots, the serve was not being placed very well, and the approach shot was not deep enough to cause Murray troubles, but did Roddick do anything different in the two sets?
The likes of Nadal, Djokovic and Federer will change their approach, either becoming more aggressive or changing the rhythm of their shots. Mentally they are also on a different plane to any of the other players Murray can meet on the tour.
So while the top 3 may have struggled with the way Andy Murray was playing, I can't help but feel they would not ALLOW Murray to keep playing in the same manner without making tactical changes, something Roddick failed to do.
The average viewer of the tennis may remember Roddick from previous performances at Wimbledon, but it is clear the American is not playing up to a great level at this moment, but that is something the media choose to ignore, building up expectations of the average fan rather than try to tone them down.
Instead they are perhaps looking to build up Murray so all the articles about 'lack of mental strength', and how he 'should stop shouting at his team if he wants to win a Grand Slam' can be rolled out on July 4th if Andy Murray fails to win Wimbledon this year.
With Federer, Djokovic and Nadal all in the draw, there is still a long road ahead for Murray to finally satisfy the British public's need for a Men's Wimbledon Champion.
Tennis Picks 11th June 2011
It's almost the business end of the week as we reach the Semi Finals of the 4 tournaments running. We have had a few surprises, for example James Ward still being an active participant, but these things happen when the 250 point events arrive.
Rafael Nadal has not looked right all week and earned a well deserved rest following his defeat to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga yesterday in the Quarter Finals.
I mean you might not think that is the case if you have been following the BBC's coverage of the event over the week. In fact, you might believe Wimbledon had started a couple weeks earlier than usual with the emphasis they are putting on this event.
While it is nice for players to get a feel for the grass underneath their feet, do not forget a lot of players are honing their skills and getting used to the surface and the bigger picture is performing from June 20th-July 3rd for most of the players.
It is no surprise that the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic felt it was more productive resting up in anticipation of Wimbledon than taking part in an a small event for few ranking points.
In saying that, I am glad for James Ward that he is getting a bit of attention for his performances this week. HOWEVER, he needs to translate that game into the challengers if he wants to move into the top 200 because most of the British public will soon forget about him once Wimbledon is over.
Ward needs to start dominating challenger events so he can become a regular feature on the main tour, but too many British players show some form either here at Queens or in the early Rounds at Wimbledon and then disappear for good (example: Chris Eaton qualified for Wimbledon and made it through at least 1 Round before losing to Dmitry Tursunov. Many were expecting big things but he has won just 3 and lost 9 on grass since and was struggling to qualify for this event last time I noticed him).
On to the Picks:
Halle
Philipp Petzschner win vs Tomas Berdych: So I am going to have a small play on the underdog to cause a surprise here. Petzschner is seriously underestimated on the grass courts to cause a shock here against a player that has been more out of form in recent weeks and struggling to rediscover his high levels of form.
Petzschner beat the dangerous Milos Raonic in 3 sets yesterday, but his grass court pedigree was stamped last year when he lost to Roger Federer in 2 tight sets here in Halle at this stage, while also pushing eventual Wimbledon Champion Rafael Nadal to 5 sets at the Grand Slam.
Berdych beat Troicki yesterday in 2 sets, but has not really been playing well all week and Petzschner may just take advantage of that.
Berdych leads the head to head 3-1, but all the matches have been tight affairs. 3 of the 4 matches have gone the distance, while the other was won by Berdych 7-5, 6-4. Berdych has won all 3 matches on the faster hard courts, while Petzschner's win came on the clay.
I wouldn't go overboard with the stakes just because Petzschner can be a little erratic in his play, but the odds are just tasty enough for me to want to be involved.
Queens
Andy Murray - 2.5 games vs Andy Roddick: Andy Murray has definitely been moving more freely on his ankle and must feel this tournament is there for the taking for the 2nd time in his career. In fact, the winner of this match will feel they are the favourites to go through and win this tournament.
The conditions at Queens have been a lot slower than previous years, even if the ace count has been particularly high in a couple of matches, and this will give the better returner in Andy Murray a chance to win this match.
Roddick has not played a lot of matches in recent weeks, but has looked better in each passing match this week. However, he is giving up a few chances on his own serve and that could spell the end for him here.
The American is clearly one of the better grass court players around, but I have Murray only behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on this surface.
Murray has the better groundstrokes and should win the majority of rallies once they get past shots 4-5 and the British Number 1 has been serving pretty well in his 2 matches this week.
Murray leads the head to head 6-3 (not including non-ATP matches), although it is 1-1 on grass courts.
This is their first meeting since THAT Wimbledon Semi Final in 2009 which was won by Roddick in 4 sets and I think it would take a similar level of performance if Roddick wants to win this one today.
MY PICKS: Philipp Petzschner win @ 2.88 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Andy Murray - 2.5 games @ 2.10 BetFred (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: + 5.95 Units (- 0.34 Units yesterday)
Rafael Nadal has not looked right all week and earned a well deserved rest following his defeat to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga yesterday in the Quarter Finals.
I mean you might not think that is the case if you have been following the BBC's coverage of the event over the week. In fact, you might believe Wimbledon had started a couple weeks earlier than usual with the emphasis they are putting on this event.
While it is nice for players to get a feel for the grass underneath their feet, do not forget a lot of players are honing their skills and getting used to the surface and the bigger picture is performing from June 20th-July 3rd for most of the players.
It is no surprise that the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic felt it was more productive resting up in anticipation of Wimbledon than taking part in an a small event for few ranking points.
In saying that, I am glad for James Ward that he is getting a bit of attention for his performances this week. HOWEVER, he needs to translate that game into the challengers if he wants to move into the top 200 because most of the British public will soon forget about him once Wimbledon is over.
Ward needs to start dominating challenger events so he can become a regular feature on the main tour, but too many British players show some form either here at Queens or in the early Rounds at Wimbledon and then disappear for good (example: Chris Eaton qualified for Wimbledon and made it through at least 1 Round before losing to Dmitry Tursunov. Many were expecting big things but he has won just 3 and lost 9 on grass since and was struggling to qualify for this event last time I noticed him).
On to the Picks:
Halle
Philipp Petzschner win vs Tomas Berdych: So I am going to have a small play on the underdog to cause a surprise here. Petzschner is seriously underestimated on the grass courts to cause a shock here against a player that has been more out of form in recent weeks and struggling to rediscover his high levels of form.
Petzschner beat the dangerous Milos Raonic in 3 sets yesterday, but his grass court pedigree was stamped last year when he lost to Roger Federer in 2 tight sets here in Halle at this stage, while also pushing eventual Wimbledon Champion Rafael Nadal to 5 sets at the Grand Slam.
Berdych beat Troicki yesterday in 2 sets, but has not really been playing well all week and Petzschner may just take advantage of that.
Berdych leads the head to head 3-1, but all the matches have been tight affairs. 3 of the 4 matches have gone the distance, while the other was won by Berdych 7-5, 6-4. Berdych has won all 3 matches on the faster hard courts, while Petzschner's win came on the clay.
I wouldn't go overboard with the stakes just because Petzschner can be a little erratic in his play, but the odds are just tasty enough for me to want to be involved.
Queens
Andy Murray - 2.5 games vs Andy Roddick: Andy Murray has definitely been moving more freely on his ankle and must feel this tournament is there for the taking for the 2nd time in his career. In fact, the winner of this match will feel they are the favourites to go through and win this tournament.
The conditions at Queens have been a lot slower than previous years, even if the ace count has been particularly high in a couple of matches, and this will give the better returner in Andy Murray a chance to win this match.
Roddick has not played a lot of matches in recent weeks, but has looked better in each passing match this week. However, he is giving up a few chances on his own serve and that could spell the end for him here.
The American is clearly one of the better grass court players around, but I have Murray only behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on this surface.
Murray has the better groundstrokes and should win the majority of rallies once they get past shots 4-5 and the British Number 1 has been serving pretty well in his 2 matches this week.
Murray leads the head to head 6-3 (not including non-ATP matches), although it is 1-1 on grass courts.
This is their first meeting since THAT Wimbledon Semi Final in 2009 which was won by Roddick in 4 sets and I think it would take a similar level of performance if Roddick wants to win this one today.
MY PICKS: Philipp Petzschner win @ 2.88 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Andy Murray - 2.5 games @ 2.10 BetFred (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: + 5.95 Units (- 0.34 Units yesterday)
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Tennis Picks June 7th 2011
So it was a good day yesteday with all both picks coming in thanks to all the players winning in straight sets.
There was some good news for the Queens tournament with the confirmation that both Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray will take part, but Halle lost Roger Federer to the disappointment of the tournament director.
That once again shows the minefield in picking outright winners a week after a Grand Slam, especially with the short time between the French Open and Wimbledon.
Talking about Roger Federer, did anyone else find it amusing when he essentially said if he 'plays well', he beats Rafael Nadal. Now I am not downplaying what Federer has achieved in his career, but it is clear that he can be a little condescending to other players. Maybe someone will have the nerve to ask him if he has played badly in 6 of the 8 Grand Slam Finals where he has played Nadal, considering he has not beaten the Spaniard on such an occasion since 2007!
I will update my overall profit/loss at the end of the week rather than every day, but I will update weekly profit/losses when making new picks.
Queens
TREBLE: Andy Roddick vs Feliciano Lopez, Michael Llodra vs Julien Benneteau and Sam Querrey vs Rainer Schuettler: This is a pretty risky treble for the day at Queens club.
Andy Roddick has not played much competitive tennis in recent weeks, choosing to rest his shoulder during the clay court season so he could be right for the grass. He has been honing his grass court game in London for a few days now and also holds a 6-0 head to head over the dangerous Feliciano Lopez.
Michael Llodra's serve-volley game should fit perfectly with the grass courts and he did win Eastbourne last year and reached the Quarter Finals here in London. Julien Benneteau can certainly play on the surface, but has struggled for form in recent weeks.
Sam Querrey made a solid start to the defence of his title with an easy enough win over the talented Kei Nishikori, and I think he will have too much for the veteran Rainer Schuettler. Querrey leads the head to head 3-1 and also beat Schuettler here last year.
Kevin Anderson win vs Ivo Karlovic: Now I will say that Ivo Karlovic has the perfect game to be a danger on the grass courts, but I just feel Kevin Anderson is being underrated here.
Karlovic missed the grass court season last year, but has a 22-6 record in previous years. He has reached the last 8 in each of the last 3 times he has played at Queens so the question remains why am I picking Anderson?
The first reason is Karlovic has not been in the best of form this season since coming back from his injury and I am beginning to wonder if he has much left in the tank.
Add to this the fact Anderson is having his best season on the main tour and has the weapons to be effective on this surface and he has a live chance in a match that could be decided by 1 or 2 points in a tie break.
MY PICKS: Andy Roddick, Michael Llodra and Sam Querrey Treble @ 3.42 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Kevin Anderson win @ 2.45 Canbet (1 Unit)
WEEK UPDATE JUNE 6-12: + 4.42 Units
There was some good news for the Queens tournament with the confirmation that both Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray will take part, but Halle lost Roger Federer to the disappointment of the tournament director.
That once again shows the minefield in picking outright winners a week after a Grand Slam, especially with the short time between the French Open and Wimbledon.
Talking about Roger Federer, did anyone else find it amusing when he essentially said if he 'plays well', he beats Rafael Nadal. Now I am not downplaying what Federer has achieved in his career, but it is clear that he can be a little condescending to other players. Maybe someone will have the nerve to ask him if he has played badly in 6 of the 8 Grand Slam Finals where he has played Nadal, considering he has not beaten the Spaniard on such an occasion since 2007!
I will update my overall profit/loss at the end of the week rather than every day, but I will update weekly profit/losses when making new picks.
Queens
TREBLE: Andy Roddick vs Feliciano Lopez, Michael Llodra vs Julien Benneteau and Sam Querrey vs Rainer Schuettler: This is a pretty risky treble for the day at Queens club.
Andy Roddick has not played much competitive tennis in recent weeks, choosing to rest his shoulder during the clay court season so he could be right for the grass. He has been honing his grass court game in London for a few days now and also holds a 6-0 head to head over the dangerous Feliciano Lopez.
Michael Llodra's serve-volley game should fit perfectly with the grass courts and he did win Eastbourne last year and reached the Quarter Finals here in London. Julien Benneteau can certainly play on the surface, but has struggled for form in recent weeks.
Sam Querrey made a solid start to the defence of his title with an easy enough win over the talented Kei Nishikori, and I think he will have too much for the veteran Rainer Schuettler. Querrey leads the head to head 3-1 and also beat Schuettler here last year.
Kevin Anderson win vs Ivo Karlovic: Now I will say that Ivo Karlovic has the perfect game to be a danger on the grass courts, but I just feel Kevin Anderson is being underrated here.
Karlovic missed the grass court season last year, but has a 22-6 record in previous years. He has reached the last 8 in each of the last 3 times he has played at Queens so the question remains why am I picking Anderson?
The first reason is Karlovic has not been in the best of form this season since coming back from his injury and I am beginning to wonder if he has much left in the tank.
Add to this the fact Anderson is having his best season on the main tour and has the weapons to be effective on this surface and he has a live chance in a match that could be decided by 1 or 2 points in a tie break.
MY PICKS: Andy Roddick, Michael Llodra and Sam Querrey Treble @ 3.42 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Kevin Anderson win @ 2.45 Canbet (1 Unit)
WEEK UPDATE JUNE 6-12: + 4.42 Units
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)