Olympic Tennis Betting Preview - Nadal to take on Gonzalez for gold in Beijing
Online sportsbook odds - Olympic Tennis Betting
- Federer eliminated from competition
- Nadal big favorite to claim the gold
- Gonzalez aiming to shock the world
Sports betting fans know Rafael Nadal already had the inside track to win the gold medal in the men's single tennis at the Beijing Olympics.
Now, with No. 1 seed Roger Federer falling in the quarters and James Blake controversially eliminated, Nadal has to be the overwhelming favorite against Chile's Fernando Gonzalez when the two square off in the final on Sunday morning at 4 a.m. ET.
(2) Rafael Nadal vs. (12) Fernando Gonzalez – Sunday, 4:00 AM, August 17
Nadal edged out Serbia's Novak Djokovic in a thrilling three-set semifinal match that went 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in favor of the Spaniard. While Nadal is incredibly skilled, his heart may be his biggest attribute.
After getting trounced in the second set, Nadal could have easily rolled over for the Serbian. But as he did at Wimbledon, when Federer fought back to even the score after being down two sets, Nadal never gave up a single point.
Gonzalez fought an epic three-set battle with the American, Blake, eventually holding out for a 4-6, 7-5, 11-9 marathon by Olympic standards. However, Blake claims that Gonzalez broke an etiquette rule when the Chilean failed to tell the umpire that a ball from Blake hit his racket before going out.
This incident occurred when the score was 8-9 in the final set and could have been a huge turning point. But Gonzalez did well to fight off three match points from Blake prior to that, and with an ATP ranking of No.15 in the world, he is not to be taken lightly.
Nadal and Chilean have split their six career meetings, with Nadal taking the last two. Both of those wins have come on Nadal's preferred surface of clay, but he's eager to show that he is an improved all-around player, as his win on the grass at Wimbledon showed.
This could go the distance, as both players refuse to give up. However, this is Nadal's year, so bet on Olympic tennis and expect the Spaniard to add a gold medal to his list of honors.
Full list of Olympic Tennis odds
Braden Bailey 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.
