[gregm]

Betting on wnba was a mistake , I just cant read that sport. Really liking maria here and been watching this Sharapova line, going to put a little more on her. I was impressed with Halep against kuznetsova and really impressed with her service game, but would hard to take much from the match with Kuznetsovas injury but the service game and shot selection was impressive from Halep and pretty incredible rise in the rankings.

Hard not to go with the two best clay courters in tennis in the wta and atp this weekend, Nadal and Sharapova. Maria is 18-1 over the last year in clay, 53-4 on clay in the last 57 and I think she is by far the best clay courter in womens tennis today. Sharapova could move to number 5 in the world rankings as well with a win and number one in heading to singapore for the wta championships at the end of the year.

I actually read something yesterday, marion bartoli is now doing announcing after retiring. pretty good analysis from someone who has played both Halep and Sharapova

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/201...nch-open-final

“If Maria starts as badly as in the last three matches, Simona will win,” Bartoli said on Friday. “On the other hand, because Maria struggled so much during those last three matches, she will find a way to win. Especially in that third set yesterday, she played really well. I think she can carry on this momentum.

“And she will have more time against Simona, who will not play like Bouchard, stepping inside the court and trying to work out winners. So I think Maria will feel less pressed by her opponent. Muguruza was the same. I think [Maria] will have more time and that will help her to feel more relaxed. So I will favour Maria.”

I wouldnt surprised to lose this wager if Maria really struggles on serve, 9 double faults last match and 8 before that and those games ended up in 3 sets. Majority of punters on tennis insight are on Halep but they were on Halep in madrid and maria came back to win, after a miserable start, the last two sets 6-2,6-3 . Romanians do have some impressive clay court players but hard to go against Marias run on clay and she looks locked in to get her first grand slam of the year. Her last grand slam was here at the French against Errani in 2012

Sharapova -2 -115 risk 1.15 You can find a better -2 line than this at the cris books but I have been limited there and most of their offerings have been utter crap

[gregm]

S.Errani/R.Vinci(doubles)/Sharapova -2/ Nadal +158 risk 1

Nadal to win french open +135 risk 1 still open

Lynx(wnba)/Sharapova +111 risk 1

Sharapova -2 -115 risk 1.15

2-1 past two days +1.58

584-507 +48.97

Nadal -1.5 games +101 risk 1

[gregm]

Nadal to win french open +135 risk 1

Nadal -1.5 games +101 risk 1

2-0 today +2.36

586-507 +51.33

Mahut/Keys/Kohlschreiber -113 risk 1.13

[frugalgambler]

Hey Greg. GL on your tennis plays. I am gonna lay off tennis, probably until Wimby. I was just curious if you are liking any WC futures ? So far I am liking Belgium to win its group (and Argentina and Brazil but those are pretty juiced). And probably England not to qualify.

[Semper Fidelis]

Hey Greg. GL on your tennis plays. I am gonna lay off tennis, probably until Wimby. I was just curious if you are liking any WC futures ? So far I am liking Belgium to win its group (and Argentina and Brazil but those are pretty juiced). And probably England not to qualify.

These sound good, I have a future on Belgium winning it all, I feel they are very underrated and kind of a dark horse. And of course I couldn't help but placing a tiny amount on U.S. to win, and a small wager on us to qualify to the knockout round. I've found that parlaying a few of the heavyweights to win their respective groups pays decently in regards to the perceived less risk. Very excited about the World Cup starting, as not only is it fun to watch, but should be fun to make some decent coin as well!

[gregm]

587-507 +52.33

1-0 Monday +1.0

Mahut/Keys/Kohlschreiber -113 risk 1.13

I like that belgium pick, I am going to fade mexico and I think Croatia advances, croatia has some really big names and mexico shouldn't even be here.

I actually think england has a chance here to advance and I think US has a decent shot at this number to advance but I am not real excited to see some of these matches in these type of conditions. I think the whole world cup is going to be a mess but I hope I am wrong. The field looks horrible for italy/england match this weekend, $300 million to build a stadium that will not be used by any big Brazilian professional team after the World Cup is finished and the field has brown splotches and dead grass all over it. It looks like playing american football at candlestick park



The heat will also be in the 90s on sunday and 75% humidity on this field in the rain forest. At least it sounds like its better than Quatar.We get a world cup with stadiums in small towns in the rain forest, in 2018 a world cup in putins russia and then a 2022 world cup in Quatar where it averages 120 degrees during the period of the world cup. It was 117 degrees yesterday in Quatar. Fifa lol

[frugalgambler]

If Sochi were any indication of how Russia would organize the WC, it will be top-notch. All those silly complaints about toilets the Western media was trying to blow out of proportion died pretty quickly. That is if there will be Russia as a stable country in 2018.

As for Qatar, I think FIFA will have to have its first Winter WC. I am just wondering how many FIFA bureaucrats got their retirements paid by Qatar bribes.

I am kinda liking Croatia either 1H +0.5/+1 or FG +1.5.

[gregm]

hope you took that first half, croatia was robbed. You are right that the winter games were well run, fifa is still criminal though, you cant trust anything they do and why quatar with 120 degree temperatures gets the world cup? I was impressed with pitch and the crowd in this first game.

I am liking cameroon +.5, spain -.5 huge, chile -1 huge.

[Hardcoar]

It's not that the winter games were poorly run or organized, so much as it is that the well-being of the population (including the environment) was disregarded, not entirely unlike this year's WC mind you...