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2008 Pilot Pen Betting

2008 PILOT PEN TOURNAMENT BETTING – 18th TO 24th AUGUST

The Pilot Pen tennis tournament, held at the Connecticut Tennis Centre at Yale University in New Haven, is the last stop before the U.S. Open in New York, the final Grand Slam of the season. The last event in the season-long U.S. Open Series, the Pilot Pen offers a combined $1.25 million in prize money for men’s and women’s tournaments, held concurrently in the 15,000-seat stadium and the adjacent 22 field courts. The men’s tournament features a 48-player main draw and the women’s event a 28-player main draw. Get a free £25 Bet on the 2008 ATP Pilot Pen when you open an account with Blue Square

Leading Contenders

MEN’S SINGLES
The men’s competition includes just eight of the world’s top 50 ranked players, with Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, the world no.13, by far the highest-ranked competitor. Verdasco was runner-up in the 2007 St. Petersburg Open, playing some brilliant tennis to reach the final without losing a set. However, he lost the final to Scot Andy Murray 2-6, 3-6. Although capable on all surfaces, he has only won two ATP titles, the most recent ATP victory in Umag, Croatia earlier this season. His only previous win was in Valencia in 2004. However, he reached the fourth round at the French Open and at Wimbledon, where he lost to Mario Ancic in a five-set thriller, the last set lasting over 90 minutes and ending 13-11.

Argentinean Juan Monaco reached the fourth round of the French and US Opens in 2007 and the third round of the 2008 Australian Open. A clay court specialist, he has 3 ATP singles titles (Argentina and Austria twice, in 2007) and a hard court Challenger Tour singles title, dating back to January 2004. This season he has won two ATP doubles titles, in Auckland and Valencia.

Italian Andreas Seppi made the semi-finals of the 2008 Hamburg Masters. His only other recent form is a Challenger Tour success, on clay, in Bergamo, Italy in February 2008.

Russian Igor Andreev is a clay court specialist with one of the best forehands in the game. His best Grand Slam performance has been a 2007 quarter-final appearance at the French Open. His 3 ATP singles titles date back to 2005, but he has been runner-up twice in 2008, at Gstaad in Switzerland and Umag in Croatia.

Mardy Fish, from the USA, reached the quarter-finals of the 2007 Australian Open. He hasn’t won on the ATP tour since 2006, but was runner-up to Novak Djokovic on the hard courts at Indian Wells, losing 2-6, 7-5, 3-6. He also partnered compatriot John Isner to success in a doubles event, on clay, at Newport, USA in July 2008.

Croatian Marin Cilic reached the fourth round of both the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2008. However, he has never won on the ATP tour and his other recent form amounts to two Challenger Tour victories, on clay, in 2007.

Italian Simone Bolelli reached the third round of the French Open and Wimbledon in 2008. He is another not to win an ATP event, though he picked up two Challenger Tour events, one on hard courts, in 2007.

LADIES SINGLES
Former World No. 1 and dual Grand Slam champion Amelie Mauresmo of France, along with 10 of the world’s top 25 players lead the 2008 women’s field.

Mauresmo, who won the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006, will be making her eighth trip to the Pilot Pen where she has had success, reaching the quarter-finals five times (1998-9, 2001-2 and 2006), the semi-final (2003) and final (2005).

Pole Agnieszka Radwanska is enjoying a season that has propelled her to a career-high ranking, reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon. It was her second appearance this year in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam, with the first coming at the Australian Open. In addition, this year she has won WTA Tour titles in Pattaya City, Istanbul and Eastbourne.

25-year old Slovakian, Daniela Hantuchova, won last year’s US Open and reached the semi-final of this season’s Australian Open, but disappointed at Wimbledon, exiting in the second round.

Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli, who reached the 2007 Wimbledon final by defeating World No. 1 Justine Henin, has had a successful 2008, reaching the semi-finals in Paris and Eastbourne.

Hungarian Agnes Szavay got as far as the fourth round at Wimbledon 2008. She had a great run at the Pilot Pen Tennis last year as a qualifier, playing nine matches in eight days. A back injury forced her to retire in the final when leading 6-4, 0-3, against then world No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova. This year she has continued her ranking improvement and impressive results include reaching the final in Paris and the quarter-finals in Amelia Island, Charleston and Berlin.

Russian Dinara Safina, who had originally committed to the event, has withdrawn as she has just been added to the Olympics singles competition in addition to the doubles.

All odds correct at time of writing. Please click here for the latest odds