[MiddleMan]

The Hopman Cup begins in two days. Does anyone have enough interest to have a wager on the outright winner, or will you only be placing wagers on head to head matches?

I got on the Australian team of Sam Stosur and Bernard Tomic @ $5.70 (+470) to win the event. Tomic should be well rested and hopefully remotivated for a bigger year, while Stosur is a good competitor most of the time in both singles and doubles. Home soil obviously a big key factor in my prediction.

The nations

Australia
Sam Stosur (ranked #18)
Bernard Tomic ranked #51)
Last played together: NA

Canada
Mils Raonic (ranked #11)
Eugenie Bouchard (ranked #32)
Last played together: NA (both making their Hopman Cup debut)

Czech Republic
Petra Kvitova (ranked #6)
Radek Stepanek (ranked #44)
Last played together: NA

Spain
Tommy Robredo (ranked #18)
Medina Garrigues (ranked #100)
Last played together: 2007 (two wins, one loss)

Italy
Andreas Seppi (ranked #25)
Flavia Pennetta (ranked #31)
Last played together: NA

Poland
Agnieszka Radwanksa (ranked #5)
Grzegorz Panfil (ranked #288)
Last played together: NA (both making their Hopman Cup debut)
* The pre tournament favourite lost their key man Jerzy Janowicz (no longer favourite)

France
Jo Wilfred Tsonga (ranked #10)
Alize Cornet (ranked #27)
Last played together: NA

USA
Sloane Stephens (ranked #12)
John Isner (ranked #14)
Last played together: NA
This is a Hopman Cup debut for Stephens, but Isner is a Hopman Cup veteran, and won the event in 2011.

[rankslash]

Team Canada is the play for me. I believe that Bouchard will be the star of this season. Raonic is a serve bot, but still ... Otherwise, Czech Republic are the big favorites.

[Chi_archie]

France looks strong

[w@lt]

What does everyone think about Genie Bouchard +158 against Stosur on Saturday? It seems like Genie could be a star in the making, and Stosur can suck at any time.

[ClutchOnandWin]

What does everyone think about Genie Bouchard +158 against Stosur on Saturday? It seems like Genie could be a star in the making, and Stosur can suck at any time.

My assesment of her is exceptional talent but doesn't play the big points great and thinks about the scoreboard a lot.

Looking at her game, she doesn't matchup that well against Stosur's heavy forehand IMO. Just doesn't possess the movement to neautralise it. Sam beat her 2 sets to 1 toward the end part of last season and finished the season very strongly overall. If there's a play, it'd be overs if you could get on a games like between 19-21 ... anything above 21 isn't worth it IMO. Although I really wouldn't be suprised if it finished 2 and 2 stosur.

[ClutchOnandWin]

Then again, Stosur is notorious for being a massive choke in "Australia". So whilst this may be a little early for Bouchard, there's no saying the weight of expectation on her shoulders won't mean she throws in a stinker tomorrow.

Bouchard's odds are dropping pretty rapidly, I'm personally staying away. WTA is a mindless ballbashing web of annoyance. Unless Isee something clearcut in the women's game or of ridiculous value, I generally take this stance. Bouchard's odds are not value. Anything below 3.00 isn't IMO.

[w@lt]

So far, so good for Canada!