06/01/08 Full Card
WTA Hobart: Casey Dellacqua (AUS) vs Anabel Medina Garrigues (SPA) - Today, 01:30 GMT
Casey Dellacqua started last Summer to fulfill her potential. After a challenger win in the USA, she had a good run in the Asian tournaments in the Autumn and last week, she forced Nicole Vaidisova to a third set, after a great exhibition of Dellacqua on her country. This week she continues to play on her country, this time on Hobart. The Australian player use to have a big advantage over her opponents, as the weather conditions in this country are always tough and her opponents will always struggle with the heat, while they are used to it. Dellacqua is confident right now and her powerful strokes can rip almost every player in the circuit apart. Her serve is improving and the crowd on her side, she has a good chance to have a good week in here.
Anabel Medina Garrigues is a very good claycourt, who struggles to play well outside clay on a consistent way. She went 12-18 last season outside clay, with some losses against players with a ranking way lower than Dellacqua. An interesting fact is that Medina Garrigues in 0-7 outside clay against Top 100 players playing on their homecountry, just like it is the case of today's game. Medina took a set off Davenport last week, but that was just thanks to a bad moment of the American player, as after she regrouped she easily destroyed Medina by 6:0 in the third set.
Medina moves well around the court, but she will struggle against a motivated Dellacqua, who will just rip her serve apart, with the crowd just going nuts for her. These odds are just wrong for this one. Take Dellacqua to win this one.
Play 1* unit on Casey Dellacqua to win @ +162
ATP Adelaide: Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) vs Michael Llodra (FRA) - Today, 05:00 GMT
Jarkko Nieminen took advantage of the horrible performance of Tsonga yesterday to easily defeat him by 6:2 6:4. The Finnish player is returning very well this week and he will be the first player to really make Llodra struggle on his service games this week. Nieminen likes to play serve & volley players and he has defeated Llodra and Mahut in the last two seasons on indoor surfaces, two players that have a good serve and like to finish the point to the net. Nieminen also doesn't have problems in facing fellow left handed players and he has also very calm and patient and doesn't get pressured for being on a ATP final. He is confident and hitting the ball extremely well. His experience on this level will be important, just like his returning skills that will rip apart Llodra's second serve.
Michael Llodra is playing well this season, but Nieminen isn't Sirianni, Korolev or Becker. Nieminen is a Top 30 player, a former Top 15 player and one hell of a returner unlike all his opponents but Simon this week. Llodra is 3-9 against good results since 2006 outside clay, as after they are capable of breaking him, there isn't much Llodra can do to recover to continue to fight for the match.
Nieminen is as experienced as Llodra, but he is way more talented than the French player. The Finnish player is a world class returner and once he starts reading Llodra's serve, it will be all over for Llodra. Take Nieminen minus the games in here.
Play 1* unit on Jarkko Nieminen (-4 Games) @ -112
ATP Chennai: Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) vs Rafael Nadal (SPA) - Today, 11:30 GMT
After a shaky start, Youzhny has regrouped and conquered two very convincing wins over Malisse and Cilic in this tournament. He didn't get broken in the last two games, something remarkable after serving so badly in the first two rounds of this tournament. Youzhny is a bad matchup for Nadal and he has defeated the Spanish player the last two times these two players have faced each other on hardcourt. Youznhy's powerful strokes will make Nadal struggle and even though, I'm not sure this will be enough to beat the Spanish player, this should be enough to keep the match close.
Rafael Nadal is coming from the longest three-set match ever on the history of the ATP tour. Four hours of running and playing high class tennis against his hero Carlos Moya. Should I fade just because of that? No way! Nadal is a running machine and it looks he never gets tired. But after four hours of play and less than 24 hours to recover, I'm not expecting Nadal to firing all the cylinders today. He will play a good match, that's for sure, but Youzhny has played his semi final first, while Nadal was literally dieing on court to reach this final.
Youzhny has the weapons to make Nadal struggle, as he is a bad matchup for Nadal. I would make the same pick without the four hours marathon of Nadal, but of course this gives me a little bit more of confidence on this handicap. Youzhny should make this close today, at least. Take the Russian plus the games in here.
Play 1* unit on Mikhail Youzhny (+3,5 Games) @ -121
Good luck!
WTA Hobart: Casey Dellacqua (AUS) vs Anabel Medina Garrigues (SPA) - Today, 01:30 GMT
Casey Dellacqua started last Summer to fulfill her potential. After a challenger win in the USA, she had a good run in the Asian tournaments in the Autumn and last week, she forced Nicole Vaidisova to a third set, after a great exhibition of Dellacqua on her country. This week she continues to play on her country, this time on Hobart. The Australian player use to have a big advantage over her opponents, as the weather conditions in this country are always tough and her opponents will always struggle with the heat, while they are used to it. Dellacqua is confident right now and her powerful strokes can rip almost every player in the circuit apart. Her serve is improving and the crowd on her side, she has a good chance to have a good week in here.
Anabel Medina Garrigues is a very good claycourt, who struggles to play well outside clay on a consistent way. She went 12-18 last season outside clay, with some losses against players with a ranking way lower than Dellacqua. An interesting fact is that Medina Garrigues in 0-7 outside clay against Top 100 players playing on their homecountry, just like it is the case of today's game. Medina took a set off Davenport last week, but that was just thanks to a bad moment of the American player, as after she regrouped she easily destroyed Medina by 6:0 in the third set.
Medina moves well around the court, but she will struggle against a motivated Dellacqua, who will just rip her serve apart, with the crowd just going nuts for her. These odds are just wrong for this one. Take Dellacqua to win this one.
Play 1* unit on Casey Dellacqua to win @ +162
ATP Adelaide: Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) vs Michael Llodra (FRA) - Today, 05:00 GMT
Jarkko Nieminen took advantage of the horrible performance of Tsonga yesterday to easily defeat him by 6:2 6:4. The Finnish player is returning very well this week and he will be the first player to really make Llodra struggle on his service games this week. Nieminen likes to play serve & volley players and he has defeated Llodra and Mahut in the last two seasons on indoor surfaces, two players that have a good serve and like to finish the point to the net. Nieminen also doesn't have problems in facing fellow left handed players and he has also very calm and patient and doesn't get pressured for being on a ATP final. He is confident and hitting the ball extremely well. His experience on this level will be important, just like his returning skills that will rip apart Llodra's second serve.
Michael Llodra is playing well this season, but Nieminen isn't Sirianni, Korolev or Becker. Nieminen is a Top 30 player, a former Top 15 player and one hell of a returner unlike all his opponents but Simon this week. Llodra is 3-9 against good results since 2006 outside clay, as after they are capable of breaking him, there isn't much Llodra can do to recover to continue to fight for the match.
Nieminen is as experienced as Llodra, but he is way more talented than the French player. The Finnish player is a world class returner and once he starts reading Llodra's serve, it will be all over for Llodra. Take Nieminen minus the games in here.
Play 1* unit on Jarkko Nieminen (-4 Games) @ -112
ATP Chennai: Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) vs Rafael Nadal (SPA) - Today, 11:30 GMT
After a shaky start, Youzhny has regrouped and conquered two very convincing wins over Malisse and Cilic in this tournament. He didn't get broken in the last two games, something remarkable after serving so badly in the first two rounds of this tournament. Youzhny is a bad matchup for Nadal and he has defeated the Spanish player the last two times these two players have faced each other on hardcourt. Youznhy's powerful strokes will make Nadal struggle and even though, I'm not sure this will be enough to beat the Spanish player, this should be enough to keep the match close.
Rafael Nadal is coming from the longest three-set match ever on the history of the ATP tour. Four hours of running and playing high class tennis against his hero Carlos Moya. Should I fade just because of that? No way! Nadal is a running machine and it looks he never gets tired. But after four hours of play and less than 24 hours to recover, I'm not expecting Nadal to firing all the cylinders today. He will play a good match, that's for sure, but Youzhny has played his semi final first, while Nadal was literally dieing on court to reach this final.
Youzhny has the weapons to make Nadal struggle, as he is a bad matchup for Nadal. I would make the same pick without the four hours marathon of Nadal, but of course this gives me a little bit more of confidence on this handicap. Youzhny should make this close today, at least. Take the Russian plus the games in here.
Play 1* unit on Mikhail Youzhny (+3,5 Games) @ -121
Good luck!