Tennis Betting - Nadal, Federer collide at Rogers Cup
Posted on 10/3/2008 12:14:04 PM
By Braden Bayley
Tennis Odds on The Rogers Cup
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Can Rafael Nadal dominate the hard courts?
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Will Federer rebound at the Rogers Cup?
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Is Djokovic part of the Big Three, or is it just the Big Two now?
Today, in men's tennis, the only two relevant names in sports betting are Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Prior to Wimbledon, the perception existed of a “Big Three”, which would have included Novak Djokovic. But after a lot of trash talking and an early exit, the 2008 Australian Open Champ is clearly a step behind Federer and Nadal.
The young Nadal, though, might be soon leaving everyone in his dust.
Nadal came up as a defensive specialist on the clay court and, with his
blazing speed, he was nearly impossible to beat on the red surface. He
won a record 81 consecutive matches on clay.
But his game has grown, most notably his power strokes and his sharp
serve. Nadal can now stand on the baseline and kill the ball, which has
added a new element to his defensive game. In addition, Nadal's serve
is very accurate, allowing him to dictate points from the get-go.
There's no way around the Wimbledon results: Federer was knocked down a
peg when Nadal broke the Swiss' five-time winning streak at Wimbledon.
On paper, only a handful of points were the difference, but the mental
makeup of this rivalry has changed.
At the French Open, Nadal was always the bet and pounded
his opponent. Federer would then return the favor at Wimbledon. Now,
the Spaniard owns both titles and must only prove his superiority on
the hard court to establish himself as the emphatic No. 1 player in the
world.
He'll get his first chance at the Rogers Cup in Toronto. Both players have yet to meet up since Wimbledon.
Wageringon
Nadal on clay and grass, where the surfaces are more forgiving and
allow him to slide around when necessary, is sharp. But there's far
more pressure involved when Nadal takes to the hard court, let alone
when nursing a bad knee as he is now.
Nadal went 12 tournaments without a title between Stuttgart, on clay
last July, and Monte Carlo, on clay this past April. He was also
crushed in the U.S. Open quarter-finals last year, which took place on
a hard court.
Nadal's sore knee promotes Federer to Roger's Cup favorite. Djokovic
offers some good value on tennis betting odds, but Federer still owes
him a beating since Djokovic called the Swiss “vulnerable”.
Rogers Cup Trends:
-Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer 7–6(2), 2–6, 7–6(2) in the Rogers Cup Final last year
-Federer has won two of the last three Rogers Cups he has played
-Djokovic, Nadal and Federer have combined to win the last four Rogers Cups
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Braden Bayley could whip you on the court, and he
could do it with his picks, too. He has no patience for other sports ? it’s
tennis, tennis, tennis for the Englishman. So, for everything tennis
handicapping, keep reading Braden’s BetOnline.com articles. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.