Tennis: Hamburg Masters Betting May 12th to 18th
May 12, 2008
TENNIS – HAMBURG MASTERS SERIES
Match Betting
Bet on overall winner
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You can bet on the Hamburg Masters with Ladbrokes, VC Bet, Stan James and skybet.
The Hamburg Masters, established in 1892, is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Hamburg, Germany. The event is part of the ATP Masters Series on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour. The tournament is played on clay courts. It is currently held every year in May. Prior to the establishment of the Tennis Masters Series in the early-1990s, the event was known as the German Open.
It has been announced that, from 2009, the tournament will be downgraded from a Masters event, seriously hindering its ability to attract the top players.
In 2007, Carlos Moya and Lleyton Hewitt were surprise semi-finalists. This year, both the Spaniard and the Australian are determined to repeat their successful runs at Rothenbaum. “I like playing in Hamburg; I’ve had some very good results here in the past.” Last year, the 27-year-old from Adelaide cruised into the quarter-finals, defeating Juan Ignacio Chela, Nikolay Davydenko, and Nicolas Almagro on the way. In the semis, however, he fell to Rafael Nadal from Spain in a tough three set match.
Tennis: French Open Betting preview
April 15, 2008
TENNIS – FRENCH OPEN – May 26 to June 8
Tournoi de Roland-Garros, commonly known as the French Open, is a major tennis tournament held over a fortnight between late-May and early June in Paris, France. It is the second of the Grand Slam tournaments and the most prestigious clay court tennis tournament. The slower clay playing surface and the five-set men’s singles matches with no final set tiebreak, lead the tournament to be considered the most physically demanding event in the tennis calendar.
HISTORY
The event began as a national tournament in 1891 as the Championat de France International de Tennis. The first women’s tournament was held in 1897. Both events were played on grass. In 1912, the tournament was held played on a red clay surface (”terre battue”), made up from the crushed wastes of red brick. In 1925, the French Championships was opened to international players, with the event held on a grass surface, alternately between the Racing Club de France and the Stade Français. In 1927, the famous “Mousquetaires” (René Lacoste, Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet, and Jacques Brugnon) won the Davis cup, in America. For the 1928 Davis Cup renewal, a new tennis stadium was built at Porte d’Auteuil, named after the World War I hero, Roland Garros. The new Stade de Roland Garros hosted the Davis Cup challenge and ever since the tournament has gained prestige. In 1968, the French Championships became the first Grand Slam tournament to allow amateurs and professionals to compete alongside each other.
THE FRENCH OPEN TODAY
In comparison to grass or hard courts, clay courts tend to slow the ball down producing a higher bounce. As a result, certain players, whose skills are suited to the surface, develop into clay court specialists. Such players often prevail at the French Open. For example, Pete Sampras, who won fourteen Grand Slam singles titles, never won a French Open. Similarly, Roger Federer, the current World Number One, has won Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and Australian Open, but never a French Open. Contrastingly, “clay specialists” like Rafael Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten have won the French Open, but no other Grand Slam event. Of the last fifteen Men’s Singles titles, thirteen have been won by players who have not won any other Grand Slam event. The story is similar in the Ladies’ game, with the likes of Maria Sharapova and Martina Hingis, prevailing in the other three Grand Slam tournaments, but failing in Paris.
Recent Winners
The most recent winners of the Men’s and Ladies Singles titles have been, respectively:
2007 Rafael Nadal, Justine Henin-Hardenne
2006 Rafael Nadal, Justine Henin-Hardenne
2005 Rafael Nadal, Justine Henin-Hardenne
2004 Gasón Gaudio, Anastasia Myskina
2003 Juan Carlos Ferrero, Justine Henin-Hardenne
2002 Albert Costa, Serena Williams
2001 Gustavo Kuerten, Jennifer Capriati
2000 Gustavo Kuerten, Mary Pierce
BETTING ON THE FRENCH OPEN
Just about all online betting sites will be offering prices on the French Open. Best prices at 17th March.
Men’s Outright
4/6 R. Nadal (Blue Square), 7/2 R. Federer, 7/1 N. Djokovic, 20/1 D. Nalbandian (all vcbet), 24/1 D. Ferrer (Stan James), 33/1 N. Almagro (Boylesports) 40/1 BAR. Each-way terms 1/2 the odds 1, 2.
Ladbrokes also offer a special bet of 5/2 about a Nadal-Federer final.
Ladies’ Outright
13/8 J. Henin (Paddy Power), 7/1 M. Sharapova, 8/1 S. Williams (both vcbet), 10/1 A. Ivanovic (Blue Square), 14/1 V. Williams (vcbet), J. Jankovic (Blue Square), 16/1 A. Mauresmo (vcbet), 20/1 BAR. Each-way 1/2 the odds 1, 2.
Online betting sites will offer a vast array of opportunities to bet on the ultimate Championship winners, individual matches or any of the other available markets.
The playing surface invariably leads to some unexpected results, making The French Open Tournament an exciting prospect on which to bet.
For those contemplating a bet on the French Open, primary considerations should be:
Seeding
It goes without saying that the tournament is not necessarily won by the top seed. However, highly seeded players do have a good record, though unseeded players have occasionally prevailed.
Form
Current form is also a key factor in making a selection or selections for The French Open. Beware players recovering form injury, as this may still affect their performance.
Stamina is often an important attribute in performing well in the French Open. From an online betting perspective, avoid players who have played in a lot of tournaments prior to Roland Garros. Additionally players who have been involved in long matches in previous rounds of the championship itself may also be fatigued.
Style
Style of play is perhaps the most important consideration when weighing up prospects for an online bet at the French Open. Players with a history of success on clay courts tend to perform well. “Baseline” players tend to perform better than “serve and volley” players.
Tennis: Italian Open Betting
March 25, 2008
TENNIS – May 12-18 – ITALIAN OPEN
HISTORY
The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. The men’s competition is a Masters Series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour. The women’s competition is a Tier 1 event on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tour. Its current official sponsored name is the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The Italian tennis championship was first held in 1930 in Milan, where it was played until 1934. In 1935, it moved to its current venue, the Foro Italico in Rome. The event was not held between 1936 and 1949. It became an event open to amateurs and professionals in 1969. Many tennis fans consider the Italian Open to be the second most prestigious clay court tennis tournament in the world, after the French Open.
Most Successful Competitors
The most successful male players, with 3 wins each have been Rafael Nadal (2005 – 2007) and Thomas Muster (1990, 1995 and 1996). Chris Evert is the most successful woman with 5 wins (1974, 1975, 1980-1982), although Conchita Martinez won 4 consecutive singles titles from 1993 to 1996.
THE ITALIAN OPEN TODAY
Recent Winners
2007 Men’s Singles: Rafael Nadal, Ladies’ Singles: Jelena Jankovic
2006 Men’s Singles: Rafael Nadal, Ladies’ Singles: Martina Hingis
2005 Men’s Singles: Rafael Nadal, Ladies’ Singles: Amelie Mauresmo
2004 Men’s Singles: Carlos Moya, Ladies’ Singles: Amelie Mauresmo
2003 Men’s Singles: Felix Mantilla, Ladies’ Singles: Kim Clijsters
2002 Men’s Singles: Andre Agassi, Ladies’ Singles: Serena Williams
2001 Men’s Singles: Juan Carlos Ferrero, Ladies’ Singles: Jelena Dokic
2000 Men’s Singles: Magnus Norman, Ladies’ Singles: Monica Seles
Spain has had something of a stranglehold on the Men’s Singles event in recent years, providing the last four champions and six of the last eight (Nadal x 3, Moya, Mantilla and Ferrero). The Ladies’ Singles has been a little more open, though Amelie Mauresmo, of France, has been an almost omnipresent force in recent years, winning the title twice and being beaten in the final three times, since 2000. Since the tournament is played on clay courts, players specialising on this surface, which produces less ball speed, but a higher bounce, usually come to the fore in Rome. As a case in point, Rafael Nadal and Amelie Mauresmo can be considered “specialist” clay court players.
BETTING ON THE ITALIAN OPEN
As with all tennis events, online betting will focus around the singles events. No prices are available on the Italian Open at present. Online layers will, however, be offering a range of markets on the event. These are likely to include:
Outright Betting
Individual Match Bets
Correct Score Betting
“In-running” Bets
Online layers will offer a wide range of “in-running” bets on individual matches. These include:
- Fluctuating prices on the match winner
- Predicting the winner of a particular set
- Predicting the score in a particular set
- Predicting the number of games in (i) a particular set (ii) the whole match
BETTING STRATEGY
The following hints and tips may assist in forming a betting strategy for placing bets on tennis matches and tournaments:
Set a Betting Limit
Set aside a betting bank for a particular day or event and do not exceed it under any circumstances. Avoid placing a large number of bets at the same time, as this can exhaust the bank very quickly.
Avoid Odds-on Favourites and Big Outsiders
Backing odds-on favourites is essentially “buying money,” as the stake required is greater than any potential winnings. This practice is fraught with danger, offers no value and should be avoided like the plague! Similarly, backing outsiders at long prices is clutching at straws, with only a minimal chance of a return.
Avoid “Playing Up” Winnings
After a winning bet, avoid the temptation to reinvest on another bet. Plan your bets carefully, and place only those bets. If fortunate enough to win, keep the money for another day.
Focus on Lesser Events
Do some in-depth research and make yourself expert on some of the lesser tennis tournaments. This will give you a marked advantage over any online bookmaker, who will not have your in-depth knowledge. Many value bets can be found in this manner.
Current Form
When looking at the current form of a player, bear these points in mind:
The Psychology of Winning
A “winning run” of tennis matches can put a player at a psychological advantage. Preparation for an important match is often easier off the back of several wins. Examine players’ performances in tournament finals. Players with previous tournament winning form generally have the edge over “maidens.”
Injuries
Even if a player is in the midst of a winning streak, injuries (even minor ones) can adversely affect their performance.
Head-to-Head Form
If players have a long history of playing each other in competition, this should be taken into consideration, along with recent form. A player who has been performing badly may find the chance of beating a long-standing rival a great incentive to play better.
Playing Surface
Professional tennis is played on grass, clay or hard courts. Be aware of which players specialise on which surface(s) when planning your bets.
Fatigue Factor
A player who has been involved in many matches (or some long matches) in a short time, may not be performing at their best, due to the fact that they are simply tired.
Indian Wells Pacific Life Open Betting
February 11, 2008
TENNIS: INDIAN WELLS PACIFIC LIFE OPEN
The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in the city of Indian Wells, California. The official name of the event, for sponsorship reasons, is the Pacific Life Open.
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN WELLS PACIFIC LIFE OPEN
The Pacific Life Open started as an ATP fund-raising event in Tucson, Arizona before moving to Mission Hills Country Club in the Coachella Valley, California, in 1976. Charlie Pasarell, who had at one time, been the top-ranked U.S. player, was an ATP Board Member and Tennis Director at the La Quinta Hotel. He successfully promoted the Coachella Valley to the ATP Board, whilst concurrently encouraging the hotel’s owners to build facilities befitting such an event. His efforts led to La Quinta becoming the home of the event in 1981. The development of the tournament coincided with the completion of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in 2000, bringing the tournament a new name (Indian Wells Tennis Masters). The change to another superior venue brought about increased media attention for the event. This, in turn, led to greatly increased attendance and prize money, with the event acquiring international status. Originally the women’s tournament was held a week before the men’s event. In 1996, the championship became one of the few fully combined events on both the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tours. The event has previously been titled the Newsweek Champions Cup, the Pilot Pen Classic and the Congoleum Classic. The women’s tournament was also previously called the Virginia Slims of Indian Wells (1989-1990), the Virginia Slims of Palm Springs (1991) and the Evert Cup (1992-1999) in honour of Chris Evert.
THE INDIAN WELLS PACIFIC LIFE OPEN TODAY
The event is part of the ATP Masters Series on the men’s tour and is a Tier 1 event on the women’s tour.
It has become one of the largest events on both tours. The tournament is played on hard courts and is the best-attended tennis tournament outside the four Grand Slam tournaments, with over 300,000 spectators attended during the two-week event. The ladies’ singles usually starts on a Wednesday with the final on the Saturday of the following week. The men’s singles’ event starts on a Friday, with the final on the Sunday of the following week. Both singles events include 96 players, with 32 “seeds” getting a bye into the second round. The Pacific Life Open for 2008 will be held from March 10th to 23rd. In both the men’s and ladies’ events, the fields are suitably competitive for an event of this nature. All four semi-finalists from the recent 2008 Australian Open have entered. In the men’s tournament, Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are likely to be leading lights. For the ladies, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, Daniela Hantuchova and Jelena Jankovic seem sure to make their presence felt. Additionally, it has recently been reported that former ladies’ World No.1 Lindsay Davenport ( a three-time Grand Slam winner) has also entered this year’s tournament.
BETTING ON THE INDIAN WELLS PACIFIC LIFE OPEN
Types of Bet Available
Outright Betting
Prices are offered, (though as of 4th February, none are available) by most online betting sites, for the men’s and ladies’ singles and doubles. However, the majority of betting centres on the singles events. The market for the men’s event will undoubtedly be dominated by reigning champion Rafael Nadal, along with Roger Federer, champion for the preceding three years. In the ladies event, following the withdrawal of Belgium’s Kim Clijsters, through injury, the market seems likely to centre on the above-named lady players. Each-way betting is available on both events, with ½ the odds a place 1, 2.
Individual Match Bets
Many online bookmakers with price up individual matches in the tournament. The top 32 players in each event receive a bye into the second round. This means that first round matches tend to be quite competitive, making bets on individual matches a viable proposition. Once the higher-ranked players enter the tournament, there are bound to be (theoretically, at least) some one-sided matches. There is little value to be found in backing the favourites in such matches, at ridiculously cramped odds. However, especially in the men’s event, with its three-set format, upsets have occurred.
“Handicap” Betting
For apparently one-sided matches, online bettors may offer prices on the match with the “underdog” receiving a certain number of games “start.” Bets are then settled on the total number of games won. The price will obviously be shorter, but gives fanciers of the lower-ranked player a chance of a financial interest, at a “sensible” price.
Correct Score Betting
Online betting sites offer prices on the correct set score in individual matches, e.g. Nadal to win 2-1, Hantuchova to win 2-0 etc. These may provide better value than the outright match prices, the downside being that they are more difficult to predict.
“In-running” Bets
Online bettors will offer a wide range of “in-running” bets on individual matches. These include:
Match Winner
Fluctuating prices throughout the match, dependent on the score at the time.
Predicting the winner of a particular set
Predicting the score in a particular set
Predicting the number of games in:
(i) a particular set
(ii) the whole match
Wimbledon Bookmaker Specials
June 27, 2007
Well it goes on for a fortnight, and the Bookmakers are offering some very special offers on Wimbledon Bets. Those bookies who are offering offers on Wimbledon betting include:
6-0 Winning Bonus
Place a bet on the result of any Wimbledon Woman’s Singles match, and if your selection wins 6-0 6-0, we will Double your winnings to a max return of £5,000.
Place a bet on the result of any Wimbledon Men’s Singles match, and if your selection wins 6-0 6-0 6-0, we will Treble your winnings to a max return of £5,000.
Singles Only
Tennis: Two Sets to Love Refund
Place a bet on the result of any Wimbledon Men’s Singles match, and if your selection leads two sets to love and goes on to lose the match, we will refund your entire losing bet.
Singles Only
Treble Tiebreak Loser
Incentive: Place a bet on the result of any Wimbledon Men’s Singles match, and if your selection loses 3-0 in three consecutive tiebreaks, we will refund your entire losing bet.
Singles Only
All offers run from the 25th June until the start of the Men?s Singles Final on the 8th July.
Free Bet Special
If you place a losing match bet on any match that is decided over 5 sets Paddy Power will give you a Free Bet to the same stake on any other Wimbledon match.
