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When looking at placing bets on tennis it’s all very well looking at the favourites and the players in form, but you mustn’t forget to check the draw as well.
Who each player is set to play is very important in determining to will progress and who won’t. Some players have easier routes through to the quarter finals than others.
This year Rodger Federer has been handed a kind draw although he has hardly needed any help to win a Grand Slam in the past. He will face Brian Dabul and either Michael Berrer or Andreas Beck, then a possible meeting with Lleyton Hewitt in the third round. All are easily beatable by Federer even though he hasn’t been on top form for much of this year.
Once in the quarter-finals Federer is likely to be paired with Robin Soderling if he comes through his first three matches. Federer has lost his last two matches against Soderling and at 26.0 Soderling could be a good punt for US Open title bets.
The winner of the possible Federer – Soderling quarter-final would go on to play one of Novak Djokjovic, Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick, Marcos Baghdatis, Gael Monfils or Nikolay Davydenko.
In that group the talent is so matched it’s hard to say who will come through, but Mardy Fish has shown excellent form this summer and at 65.0 to win the US Open those are odds you can’t miss.
Andy Murray and Rafa Nadal are in the other half of the tournament to Federer and have been dished out far tougher draws. Murray always attracts a lot of bets and although his form is rising again, the odds are always too short considering he is yet to win a Grand Slam. At 5.0 you are better off splitting your money between a few players with longer odds. The likes of Tomas Berdych who beat Murray in the French Open are much more attractive at 28.0. Or for a long shot, John Isner at 180.0
Murray will be hoping that both these players won’t have recovered from recent injuries. At the moment Isner is looking the least likely to be fully fit, which would explain his very long odds.
Rafa Nadal doesn’t have an easy start either with Teimuraz Gabashvili and Denis Istomin both likely to be tough opponents that have no trouble playing on hard courts. Philipp Kohlschreiber is his third round opponent and gave him a good match in the Rodgers Cup in Toronto.
If he makes it through, Nadal is to play one of David Ferrer, David Nalbandian, Fernando Verdasco or Ernests Gulbis. Then a likely meeting with Tomas Berdych is on the cards.
Nadal has the potential to reach the quarter or semi-finals, but considering he hasn’t ever won the US Open the best value lies in Berdych and Soderling at 27.0 and 28.0 at Betfair.
