Tennis Sports News & Betting

Any ideas on how to break a gambling habit

I bet constantly online on betting websites on any sport football, tennis, rugby anything and i hardly ever win but i cant stop doing it. I have self included myself before and put deposit limits but i always find a way to get my bet on and im always left with no money because i waste it. I know its a mugs game yet i cant stop doing it,??i have on self control lol .any ideas

• well if its only online betting you could block all your betting sites you possibly know and have a friend or relative change the password so you cant use those sites anymore.

  hopes this helps

• Blocking the sites and having a friend change the password so you don’t know it are good ideas, but they do NOT address the real problem you have.

  You need serious help for a serious problem. You obviously have not even come close to hitting rock bottom. Your tone would be much different if you had.

  You’ve got 2 choices: You can either take REAL, concrete steps to get yourself REAL help, or just keep playing this game of making it harder to wager when you know deep down that you’ll find a way to gamble anyway. If you don’t get yourself REAL help, you will very soon see a very deep darkness come over your life. I’ve been there and it’s a very lonely and horrifying place to be. You’ll wish you were dead, and you won’t know how to get yourself out of the hole you’ve dug for yourself. You’re life as you currently know it will be over.

  So what should you do? Get to a gambler’s anonymous group. Search on-line for their website. Most important is to speak with family and friends about this problem. If you’re not ready to admit your problem to your family and friends, then you’ve got tough times ahead of you.

• Go to Gambler’s Anonymous & say “My name is __________ & I have a gambling problem.”
• I know how you feel. The best thing to do is to try and weign yourself off it gradually. Think positive! I know you probably dont want to go this route but check out a site that got me out of a few holes. www.moneybethome.com
• I’ll say you should not visit gambling sites, it is one way to break your gambling interest. Try to turn your interest of some other things that you think it’s not boring for you. Like for example make friends, socialize to other people, shopping and many other physical activities.

Tennis Question Professional

I’m having a match with an college friend and there’s pride involved I have a questioner; Detailed answer easy 10 points- 1. Are there still benefits to training hard this late if my match is in two weeks- 2. Whats the best tactic against an opponent with a weak ankle? 3. Are 4 Alleve’s my best bet as an anti-inflammatory? My arm is tortured at this point. I think tennis has somehow destroyed my deltoids. Now they are underdeveloped, and my whole arm is subject to tightness and inflammation. 4. What do you think of pre-workout products like Hemo Rage for use in tennis?

yes, practice moving ur opponent from one end to the other especially with a weak ankle it’ll be hard to get from one side to the other, and u can practice slices, as well as lobing ur opponent and keeping the ball in

never had that happen to me and dont know wat hemo rage is

good luck

Yes no problem, you can make the opponent run one side to another and either he will hit an error or he will let your shot be a winner…Try slices, Drop Shots and Lobs..
When your opponent is way at the baseline hit a drop shot, he will have a problem hitting it and if he hits it, you can hit a lob or a winner

if you could decribe your skills and your game a little bit, we could help you a lot more, because sure we can give you tips and a good match tacic, but you are probably going to loose that match with that tactic because it’s not made for your game.
And yes practice always helps. Even the day before the match.

Why does my mom always compare me to my boyfriend

For starters, my boyfriend and I are both sophomores, but at different high schools. I’ve known my boyfriend for some time now. He and I sometimes seem like total opposites. He plays basketball, football, and runs track.
I am self conscience because of this health issue i have:( and i don’t do sports i tried tennis and failed, so i’m in band now and i like it. My moms always like i wish my child did sports i love to go to games, and she’s always at my boyfriends game when she is free. He is also like super duper skinny, i am not humongous but hey i’m a curvy girl with meat on her bones. She’s is constantly comparing our sizes. (like oh i bet if yu even lie your head on his chest he’d crack) And he has a lot of problems with his family and living situation, and lately i haven’t had so many but in the past i have. And if i appear to be not happy for any reason she rants and says what do you have to worry about you have no problems at all, your boyfriend on the other hand he does i don’t want to hear anything from you. It really bothers, and nowadays it is impossible to talk to her:( and i don’t want to tell my bf either. why does she do this what can i do about it? IT REALLY BOTHERS ME IT’S LIKE I CAN’T BE BETTER THAN MY BF, HELP:(???

• The only way you will for sure know why is to talk to her about her.
• u need to talk to her , kids should always come first there is absolutly no reason for her to compare you to her b f …
• first of all, your mom needs to mature a bit more ( no offense) no parent should ever harassse rude things to their child, ever!
  secondly, its totally not you, like she may want certain things in a daughter that youre not doing but she should be rooting you on and being supportive no matter what. your boyfriend is well a boy and boys usually play sports and stuff. playing in band is really a skill that most people dont have and if youy can play then you must be better than your bf at something. i know how you feel about the weight thing, i have issues with that too but your mom making fun of you is harrassment and mental and emotional abuse. i highly doubt that you laying your head on his chest would not crack it, your mom is on crack. anywaysss, dont worry, i think you should just ignore your mom and know who you are and know that you are perfect just the way you are and you have a right to do whatever you want so tell her to go fly a kite. i hope things workout and i also think you should let your bf know whats going on.

  ps. thats wierd that your mom goes to his games -.-

Tennis section, let’s bet on answering points

Last week I got a little short of hitting the 300′s and I am in the 140′s as of now… bet on the number of points I will have gathered via answers. I wanted a kind of "price is right" thing and that’s the best I came up with. It will be amusing mostly because no one can tell how many points I will get – I cannot tell or try to aim for it myself since I don’t know if and how many BA’s I will get. So, let’s start. Best answer goes to the nearest number.
I’ll try to get as much as I can… but note that I can answer on any section, not only here.
I was saying "bet on the number of POINTS" I will gather through answering… number of answers do not matter.
I’m already at 327 points as I write this added detail post. LOL It would be nice to hit the 500′s. I’m racing like hell to pile up BA’s and points… I’ll soon enough be on that top ten scoreboard!

• Ohhhhhhh. Just answers or “Best answers”?

  Uhmm …. lets see. Logged in 7 days. 140-7=133.

  I’ll assume you got 8 Best Answers because you still have your TC Badge. 133-80 = 53.

  I think you voted for yourself 3 times. 53-3 = 50.

  So I think you answered 25 questions. 25*2 = 50.

  **** Thanks for making me do math during the summer -.-

  EDIT – I hate getting math wrong. Im bad @ word problems XD Lolllllllll

  Uhmmmm …. I’ll still assume you get 8 BA’s. Let’s go with … 348 points through answering. I had bout 40 more last week so I’m assuming you get about as much as me.

  EDIT – Changing my answer again. 348+7=355. 5 Votes for yourself. 360 points this week (:

• 296 pts

  :):)

• Mexi you made the question look so complicated for me!

  Is all we have to do guess how many points you will get this week and that’s it?
  Well a lot more questions are being asked here this week so I think you will end the week with 405 points!

  Best of luck!

• umm, you probably gonna get a lot more than last week cuz there are much more to answer now, 392 maybe :S

British Open Betting – Donald Breaks Through For First Major Championship

Most sports betting players have seen how Europeans are lording over golf right now: half of the top 10 in the world rankings hail from Europe, and they’ve won four of the last five majors. Expect that to continue at the 140th anniversary of the British Open (known elsewhere as the Open Championship), which will be held for at Royal St. Georges for the first time since 2003, when there was a shock winner. This time, the world’s No.1 player will lift the Claret Jug in his home country.

What: Golf Betting
When: Thursday, July 14th-Sunday, July 17th
Where: Royal St. Georges Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent, England
Pick: Luke Donald

The Favorites

U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy (+550) has finished in the top 15 in his last four starts in a major championship, and he was the first-round leader at St. Andrews last year, massacring the Old Course with a 63 on Thursday, but then he got swept up in a windy 80 on Friday. McIlroy still fought back for a T-3, and after his romp at Congressional, the young Northern Ireland player was always going to be favored here. The top three players in the world, Luke Donald (+1015), Lee Westwood (+1215) and Martin Kaymer (+1415) are all there as well, and the Englishmen (Donald and Westwood) both missed the cut at Royal St. Georges in 2003, but they’re much better golfers now. Kaymer, the PGA Championship winner from Germany, wasn’t around then, but he has won a major. All three finished in the top 11 at St. Andrews last year.

And then there is Tiger Woods (+1215), who finished T-4 when Ben Curtis shocked everyone for a win at Royal St. Georges, but the former world No.1 skipped the U.S. Open because of leg injuries, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he skipped the British Open as well. Be sure to check in your online sportsbook before you lay a wager on the 14-time (and three-time British Open champion) major winner.

The Second Tier

This group is loaded with talent: 2010 U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell (+2050) is coming off a T-14 at Congressional, and he is always a threat if he has a sniff of the lead on Sunday. Phil Mickelson (+2050) can be avoided as he has never played well in this event, and he finished T-59 here in 2003. Combined with a T-54 at Congressional, Mickelson has some things to work on. England’s Justin Rose (+2850) has a pair of top-15s in his last three British Open starts, and he’d love to win the Claret Jug in his home country. Masters champion Charl Schwartzel (+2850) is still hanging in there after his win at Augusta, rattling off three top-30s, including a T-9 at the U.S. Open, and his 66 was the low round on Sunday.

But how about this group for golf betting players to ponder: Spain’s Sergio Garcia (+3050) is slowly coming around and finished T-10 here in 2003; Ian Poulter (+3250) and Paul Casey (+3250) will have their home country behind them; Ireland’s Padraig Harrington (+3250) has won three majors, including two British Opens (and he was T-22 in 2003); and Australia’s Jason Day (+3250) may be the biggest threat of all after finishing T-2 at Augusta and Congressional, and he has now finished in the top 10 in his last three major starts.

The Longshots

After the surprising win of Louis Oosthuizen (+7050), and the fact that Curtis was a massive longshot to win in 2003, you have to take a look at the darkhorses. The South African finished T-9 in the U.S. Open, but he has been a bit inconsistent since last year’s huge win at St. Andrews. Steve Stricker has top-10s in both majors this year, has finished in the top 20 in his last seven starts, and that includes a win at the Memorial. With 22-year-old McIlroy ruling over Congressional, some are looking at 18-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero (+4050) to make some noise after a T-54 in the U.S. Open, and he has won a couple times on the European Tour in the last few months.

South Korea’s K.J. Choi (+5050), Matt Kuchar (+5050), and two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen (+6050) also offer some good value, and Goosen, the veteran South African, finished T-10 here in 2003 (Choi finished T-22). He is coming off a T-23 at Congressional, and his experience could make him a threat. Finally, there are no odds out for Fredrik Jacobson, but if you can find them, jump all over it; the Swede is coming off a T-14 at Congressional and he finished T-6 at Royal St. Georges in 2003.

How It Will Play Out

McIlroy will be the story after his comeback from the Augusta collapse to destroy the field at the U.S. Open, but he’s going to have some stiff competition. Westwood has three top-four finishes in his last seven British Open starts, including the last two, and he’s getting ever so closer. Donald beat Westwood in a playoff in England a few weeks ago for the No.1 ranking, so he now has the taste of winning, and there are a number of other players who can win it as well.

The smart play is Donald, who has been playing the most consistent golf all season, despite his T-45 at the U.S. Open, and he at least finished strong at Congressional with a 69. A European is going to win the British Open as they’ve taken over the golf world, and Luke Donald should be your diamond sportsbook pick.

British Open Betting Pick: Luke Donald

Online Women’s Wimbledon Betting – Serena Should Face Tougher Challenge In Second Wimbledon Defense

With the tennis season well underway, the online sports betting world will watch and wait as the top ATP and WTA stars converge on the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, England in late June for the 125th edition of the Wimbledon Championships. While the majority of the focus will be on the phenomenal play of rising star Novak Djokovic as he continues to prove his merit against names like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, there is reason to look forward to the women side as Serena Williams looks to defend her title for the second time in as many years.

While Serena’s biggest challenge at the third major of the season could hinge on the health of her sister Venus, there will be some added intrigue with a much more competitive field in 2011. Since Venus clinched her first Wimbledon championship back in 2000, one of the Williams’ sisters has staked her claim at Wimbledon in nine of the past 11 tournaments. Venus and Serena have met in the finals three times before, with the older sister Venus winning the tournament five times compared to Serena’s four, although the latter has been the more dominant recently by taking the last two trophies. Serena will be the favorite to win again this year at Wimbledon based on that recent success, but Venus’ injuries have allowed a couple of other top WTA superstars the chance to pull ahead of her in terms of the early sports betting bonus odds for the event.

The toughest challenge should come from the current world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who has looked absolutely dominant ahead of the 2011 Belmont Stakes betting race. The Danish superstar had already almost matched her career-high for most titles in a single season with four ahead of the French Open by winning 38 of her first 45 contests, although she has struggled against Julia Goerges in particular with a couple of key losses just ahead of Roland Garros. Her poise is what has set Wozniacki apart so far this season, and as long her fitness holds she should be a lock to reach the semi finals. Not far behind on the list of challengers to the dominance of the Williams’ sisters are the experienced Kim Clijsters and Vera Zvonareva, who sit second and third in the world rankings. Clijsters has always had the ability to wear her opponents down, although that has never come easily against the talented Williams’ sisters. Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic are a couple of dark horse contenders that could compete for a title if their fitness levels hold for the tournament, and it will be interesting to see how they fare on the grass courts once again.

Ultimately however, it will come down to the fitness levels of the Williams’ sisters at this year’s tournament, and if they are able to stay healthy they should be able challenge for a spot in this year’s Wimbledon finals.

Wimbledon Betting – Nadal Claims Another Title In London

Online betting players would compare Wimbledon to The Masters; when it comes to tradition, there is no other tennis tournament on the planet. The 125th edition of Wimbledon will begin on June 20th in London, and you can expect to see a familiar face standing tall above the rest of the field.

What: Tennis Betting
When: June 20th-July 3rd
Where: All England Lawn Tennis And Croquet Club, London, England
Pick: Rafael Nadal

The Favorites

Regardless of what happens at the French Open, expect to see Rafael Nadal as the favorite to win at Wimbledon as the defending champion, and he has also won two of the last three editions of Wimbledon. The Spaniard won three straight Grand Slam tournaments before falling in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, which was won by Novak Djokovic, who has been on fire to start the 2011 season. Djokovic reached the semifinals in 2007 and 2008, and even though he went out in the quarterfinals last year, you can’t count the Serbia out considering how great he’s played this season. Of course, Roger Federer will be in the mix as a six-time champion at Wimbledon, even though he hasn’t won a Grand Slam championship since the Australian Open in 2010. This is his longest major drought since losing the first three of 2008, but the Swiss legend will be out to prove he still has something to offer in the tennis world.

An Englishman hasn’t won Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936, and once again Andy Murray will have the weight of the country on his shoulders as he tries to end that streak. Murray has reached the semifinals in each of the last two years at Wimbledon, and he lost to Nadal in the finals of the Australian Open. If he manages to win at the French Open, Murray will have his first major under his belt, but that’s not likely.

The Second Tier

After the top four, tennis betting players may have a tough time picking a winner from this group. Robin Soderling got to the quarterfinals of last year’s tournament, and he has been improving over the last few years, but we’re not sure if he’s ready to take the leap to Wimbledon champion. Tomas Berdych lost to Nadal in last year’s final, and he should be rested as he was upset in the first round of the French Open. Reaching the final again will be more of a mental test than physical for Berdych, who was leading qualifier Stephane Robert by two sets before collapsing in a five-set loss. Spain’s David Ferrer could be on the verge of a great season after reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open, but he has never gotten past the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Austria’s Jurgen Melzer is another player who could be making the jump to the next level, and he’s the only player in the world to be ranked in the top 10 in both singles and doubles action. He also won the doubles title last year at Wimbledon, so that should give him some confidence, but we’re not sure what that will do for his tennis betting odds. France’s Gael Monfils could also earn some consideration, but the 24-year-old hasn’t made it past the third round at the All England Club, and he’s still relatively inexperienced, although he is one of the more exciting players on the tour.

The Longshots

Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick will fly the American flag at Wimbledon, but it’s not even certain that Roddick will play as he had to withdraw from the French Open because of a shoulder injury. He has been a Wimbledon runner-up three times, losing all three times to Federer, and his window of opportunity is closing fast. Fish hasn’t made it past the quarterfinals of any Grand Slam tournament, but he is probably the best shot the Americans have to win their first Wimbledon since Pete Sampras in 2000.

France’s Jo-Wilfred Tsonga may be the best longshot bet you can make after last year’s trip to the quarterfinals, and if he can keep his head in the game, he has the talent to win at Wimbledon; but he tends to get frustrated, and that’s the one thing you can’t do.

How It Will Play Out

Three of the top four favorites made it to the semifinals, and only a major upset of Federer by Berdych stopped it from being a clean sweep. Either Federer or Nadal has won the last eight Wimbledon titles, so it wouldn’t be insane to think that will continue. But Federer has lacked an aura of invincibility for a couple years now, and it looks like there are cracks in Nadal’s armor as well. Then there is Murray, who has far too much pressure on him in regards to the British media.

Djokovic has been playing out of his mind as of late, but Nadal still has something left in the tank and he’ll prove that at the All England Club. It’s a shame that Nadal’s balky knees have caused him so much trouble, but he’ll make it through Wimbledon. Go with Rafael Nadal in your sports betting picks.

Wimbledon Betting Pick: Rafael Nadal

Betting On The French Open – Wozniacki Claims First Grand Slam Of Young Career

Sports betting players saw an upset at last year’s French Open, the second major championship of the season, but this year’s winner will be a 20-year-old who has risen to the top of the rankings, and she’ll validate her quick ascent by overcoming the field at Roland Garros.

What: Tennis Betting
When: May 22nd-June 5th
Where: Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France
Pick: Caroline Wozniacki +500

The Favorites

Kim Clijsters (+475) has emerged as the favorite at Roland Garros this year as she closed out 2010 by winning the U.S. Open, then she opened up 2011 by winning the Australian Open. Clijsters has never won the French, making it to the final in 2001 and 2003, but she hasn’t played at Roland Garros in four years due to her retirement, which she ended at the 2009 U.S. Open, and she skipped last year’s event. Caroline Wozniacki (+500) currently holds onto the No.1 spot in the WTA rankings, and she’s still looking for her first Grand Slam title after losing in the semifinals in the last two Grand Slam tournaments. She did win a clay tournament in the United States last month and finished second at a clay event in Germany, so she looks to be improving on this surface.

Samantha Stosur (+750) is next on the tennis betting list, and she could be ready to break through after reaching the semifinals and finals in her last two appearances at Roland Garros. She hasn’t won a tournament yet this year, but it’s all about peaking at the right time, so the Aussie definitely has a shot. Vera Zvonareva (+800) is right behind her, but she’s never made it past the quarterfinals in the French Open, and that was in 2003, so the Russian may not be a smart play. Victoria Azarenka (+900) and Svetlana Kuznetsova (+900) bring up the rear for the tennis betting favorites at Roland Garros, and Kuznetsova could be the better choice as she won the 2009 Open, although she did fall in the third round last year. Azarenka won a clay tournament in Spain last month, but she has to keep her temper under control.

The Second Tier

Defending champion Francesca Schiavone (+1200) leads the next group, and she’s reached the quarterfinals in the last two Grand Slams, showing that last year’s win at Roland Garros was no fluke. She may run into Jelena Jankovic (+1550), who has reached the semifinals in three of the last four years in the French Open, and the Serbian just seems to be on the verge of winning a Grand Slam. The French Open is probably her best chance to do so, despite her game being suited for hard courts. Another Serb, Ana Ivanovic (+1600) will be a threat as a former champion at Roland Garros, but she hasn’t gotten past the fourth round in two years at any Grand Slam. She’ll have to shake off a first-round loss in Madrid, and this will be a real test of Ivanovic’s mental strength as the former No.1 looks to find the form that put her at the top of the rankings in 2008.

You could get some value in your sportsbook for Li Na (+1800), who lost to Clijsters in the finals of the Australian Open, becoming the first Chinese player of either gender to reach a final in a Grand Slam. She’ll be eager to prove that was not a fluke, although she hasn’t made it past the fourth round in four trips to Roland Garros. The Williams sisters, Serena (+1900) and Venus (+2000), and even though they have 23 Grand Slams between them, they have one win at Roland Garros, by Serena in 2002, and she had to go through Venus to do it. Serena probably won’t be playing as she just resumed training because of a number of medical issues. Venus hasn’t made it past the quarterfinals in Paris since 2006, and we doubt it’ll happen this year. Maria Sharapova (+2000) and Petra Kvitova (+2000) probably aren’t worth a pick, either, as Sharapova has made it past the quarters once, in 2007, and Kvitova is making her third trip to Roland Garros after getting booted in the first round last year.

The Longshots

Dinara Safina (+4000) will be a big name that some will gravitate to, and she’s on her way back up the rankings after freefalling from the top spot. Safina reached the finals of the French Open in 2008 and 2009, but she’s now lost in the first round in her last three Grand Slams. Maybe, now that she doesn’t have the pressure of being the No.1 player in the world on her shoulders, she could contend once again, but we wouldn’t bet on it.

Our longshot pick is Flavia Pennetta (+4000), who has reached the fourth round in two of the last three French Opens, and she’s won nine WTA tournaments: seven of them have come on clay. An Italian won last year’s event at Roland Garros, why can’t it happen again?

The Pick

We’re taking Wozniacki to come through with her first Grand Slam as she is playing superb tennis with three tournament wins in 2011, and she’s been consistent over the past couple of years, reaching the fourth round in every Grand Slam since 2009 at Wimbledon. She also doesn’t seem like she’ll break under the pressure of being No.1 like Safina did, and she’s on a roll right now, so go with Caroline Wozniacki in your online betting picks.

French Open Betting Pick: Caroline Wozniacki

French Open Betting – Wozniacki And Nadal Are Clear Favorites

The 2011 French Open will own a fair share of intrigue, but at the end of the day, two players are clearly in prime position to take home the respective singles championships.
Womens Tournament Overview

Its really not very complicated: Ever since the last French Open, when Francesca Schiavone defeated Samantha Stosur in an unexpected womens final, the big names have won majors on the WTA side of the tennis divide. Serena Williams romped to the Wimbledon title by hammering Vera Zvonareva and upholding the sports betting consensus. Then, at the U.S. Open, Kim Clijsters took advantage of Serenas absence and won the tournament by whipping Zvonareva in the final. At the Australian Open, Serena was still sidelined by injury, enabling Clijsters to defeat Li Na and win her first non-U.S. Open major title. As the WTA Tour prepared for the clay-court season, Clijsters was the favorite to win in Paris. However, an injury suffered by the Belgian a few weeks ago has removed her from the field. Serena and Clijsters, the last two major champions in womens tennis, will both be removed from the 128-player draw. This means that the worlds top-ranked player, Denmarks Caroline Wozniacki, has her big chance to claim an elusive first major. Wozniacki lost the 2009 U.S. Open final to Clijsters, and shes also made the semifinals of a major on two other occasions, at the 2010 U.S. Open and the 2011 Australian Open. Wozniacki has knocked on the door but hasnt quite been able to break through. Now, with the sports two best players on the sidelines, Wozniackis time has arrived. She has to be viewed as the favorite in the absence of a formidable challenger. Zvonareva could make noise and Schiavone might play inspired tennis in defense of her title, but Wozniacki is the most consistent performer other than Serena and Clijsters. Its her tournament to lose.

French Open Women’s Championship Pick: Caroline Wozniacki.
Mens Tournament Overview
The mens tournament is even less complicated than the womens event; it’s a tournament an MLB baseball betting whiz could figure out. If Caroline Wozniacki is the odds-on choice to win on the final Saturday of this two-week tournament, Rafael Nadal is an even more prohibitive favorite to win the mens championship on the final Sunday of this fortnight-long conclusion to the clay-court season.

The numbers are well-known and impressive: Nadal has lost just once at the French Open in his career, winning the event five times in six tries. The Spaniard has never been taken to five sets at the French, and hes one championship away from matching Bjorn Borgs sixth Coupe des Mousquetaires, which would establish Nadal as the best clay-courter of all time in the eyes of many tennis experts. Novak Djokovic is likely to be the number-two seed in this tournament, thereby gaining the opposite half of the draw and setting up a blockbuster final, but as good as Djokovic has been in 2011 (he hasnt lost a match heading into the final week of April), Nadals spiritual home is the red clay of Europe. It would be a significant upset if anyone other than Djokovic beat Nadal on the dirt, and a Djokovic win would still rank as a definite surprise. Nadal is unquestionably the one to beat in the mens tournament. His resume on clay demands that level of respect among betting analysts.

French Open Men’s Championship Pick: Rafael Nadal.

Women’s Australian Open Betting – Top Ladies In Tennis Meet On The Court

The 2011 Australian Open is decidedly harder to pick now that its best player won’t be participating. That’s the bottom line on a tournament that’s wide open, even though there’s a clear-cut choice to make when all is said and done.

Serena Williams should normally be the favorite in any major tournament other than the French Open. That’s something any tennis betting expert knows. Serena has unmistakably imposed herself on the rest of the women’s field, using her overpowering serve – the biggest and most decisive shot in women’s tennis over the past several years – and her signature mental toughness to eclipse everyone else on the WTA Tour by a considerable margin. However, Serena’s absence from this Australian summer – due to a foot injury – throws the event into a state of chaos, a blessing for the rest of the women’s tennis field.

Precisely because everyone in the sport has been off for roughly two months since the early-November season-ending championships in Doha, the Australian Open is the hardest major to predict; it’s even tougher to peg than anything Super Bowl betting analysts will dissect in a few weeks. Will players be rusty or fresh? Will the defense-minded players be comfortable running down balls, or will they lack the rhythm and fluidity they need? Will offense-first players be able to hit the ball cleanly on a regular basis, or will they have an overly difficult time getting into the flow at this two-week event? These are the kinds of questions that crop up when the Australian Open arrives, and with Serena Williams out, it makes the women’s side a little harder to pick.

The ranks of online betting students will be focused on a few players in particular when this tournament begins in Melbourne on Jan. 17. The favorite should be Kim Clijsters. The Belgian won the U.S. Open last September when Serena was also out of commission with her long-continuing foot injury. Clijsters has established herself as the best hardcourt player on the tour after Serena. It has to be said, though, that Clijsters has never won the Australian Open and suffered a shocking third-round loss last year to Nadia Petrova. Moreover, that loss was decisive; Clijsters lost in straight sets, and she didn’t win five games in either one of those sets. It could be that Clijsters won’t be in peak form, so she’s not a lock to win the title. At any rate, she’s the best choice in a field of questionable performers.

Another prime contender is Caroline Wozniacki. Though not blessed with huge weapons on the ground, Wozniacki’s consistent ball-retrieving ability makes the Dane a force to be reckoned with. She reached the semifinals at the U.S. Open last year and reached the finals the year before. In a weak field, Wozniacki is a solid choice to make the semis, and with the right draw, she could advance even further in the bracket.

The third main choice has to be Vera Zvonareva. The breakout player of 2010 on the women’s tour reached the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals. If the Russian picks up where she left off last season, she’ll be part of the final four and will have every opportunity to take home the title.

A betting perspective also needs to account for a few other factors: Justine Henin, last year’s finalist, is still recovering from an injury that ruined the second half of her 2010 season. Elena Dementieva has retired from women’s tennis. Dinara Safina is still battling back from an assortment of injuries and shows no signs of immediately returning to the form that made Marat Safin’s sister No. 1 in the world.

Pick Clijsters to win the title, although the draw has not yet been announced.