Jonas Bjorkman - Donald Young

Jonas Bjorkman - Donald Young :Bjorkman@1.91 expekt

Incredible odds here on Bjorkman. Young is a great talent , had excellent results at the junior level , but this can be to much for him. Defeated Capdeville and Querrey relatively easily , and although had a horrible start of season ,excepting the Davis cup, I trust Bjorkman to overcome in this encounter.They have never met again before. Young lost in the first round in the last 3 tournaments he participated. Some would say Bjorkman should be affected by fatigue at this stage of the tournament.
Maybe a 3 sets game, but I trust Bjorkman to give his best.

Bjorkman @1.91 expekt

Simone Bolelli -Sergiy Stakhovsky

Simone Bolelli -Sergiy Stakhovsky :Bolelli 2-0@2.64 betfair

Watched the hole game yerterday against Rochus and was impressed by his game.Served excellent, and was great from the baseline, hitting a lot of winners.
Dont't know anything about Stakhovsky, never seen him play, but he had some good results this week , defeating Karlovic and Troicki.All his game went in 3 sets, and he might be affected by fatigue.
Head to head is 2-0 from Bolelli , one game this year indoors, on hard.
Stakhovsky is a lucky looser, being defeated in the last round of the qualifications.

Value on Bolelli to win 2-0@2.64 betfair

Nicolas Massu - Nicolas Almagro

Nicolas Massu - Nicolas Almagro :Massu +5 game handicap@1.83 sportingbet

Really great handicap here, and I will go with maximum confidence.Even though Massu was defeated easily 2 weeks ago 6-3 6-2 , he seems to feel better now. Almagro has 3 full weeks of tennis behind him and the fatigue starts to show.He withdraw from Buenos Aires after being one set behind Chela. Head to head is 2-1 in favour of Almagro with the last two meetings won by him.Clay is the favourite surface for both and even though Almagro had the better results, Massu is considered a good claycourter.His serve and groundstrokes are good, comparable with Almagro's.I expect him to keep close , and why not , win.

Massu + 5 game handicap@1.83 sportingbet

Jonas Bjorkman -Sam Querrey

Jonas Bjorkman -Sam Querrey: Bjorkman@2.52 betfair

Had a bet against Bjorkman last round and was wrong.Outclassed Capdeville and was without mistake on serve. Querrey struggled agasint Russel last round, and had a injury time out during the second set. He never impressed be, having a game based only on his service, a strong one though. Bjorkman is an all around player, but lacks at the fitness department. Classic service-volley player , is 21-13 against big servers, and 4-1 during the last 12 months.Even though had a bad start of season, the first round match was quite impressive.Querrey was also bad in the last period losing to Gremelmayr indoors last week.
Odds represent value, and I choose experience over strong serve.
Bjorkman@2.52

Olivier Rochus -Simone Bolelli

Olivier Rochus -Simone Bolelli :Rochus@1.85 pinnacle

Followed Rochus throughout the tournament, and I was impressed by his apparent recovery.Watched him live against Santoro and he was great from the back of the court, hitting the ball hard, with little unforced errors. He has great movement around the court, and his serve is decent.Had no results this year, but now seems to have recovered to a decent form at least.Bolelli is mediocre, and suits in my opininion better clay.His serve is weak and his gave is overall under mediocre.But he had a good week, with one of his best results ever, and should be taken into consideration.
A well balanced game, but I trust Rochus's experience to win.
Rochus@1.85

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Augustin Calleri -Juan Ignacio Chela

Augustin Calleri -Juan Ignacio Chela :Calleri@1.80 paddy power

Head to head is 8-4...you can't say that these guys don't know each other..What is intersting is that the last 5 meetings were won by Calleri, excepting the last one, last year , when Caleri had to withdraw , but was leading 6-4 5-5.Calleri is one of my favourites , and in a good day he can challenge anyone.Unfortunatelly, those days are rare, and Calleri seems to have a lot of problems mentally.He can seem to concentrate when he is leading, and if he is behind, he does not fight.
Chela had a bad start of season, but seems to have recovered, reaching the final last week, when he lost 6-1 6-2 to Nanbandian.

I have great confidence in Calleri to win today and defend the points he won last year here.
Calleri@1.80

Gilles Simon - Robin Haase

Gilles Simon - Robin Haase :Simon@1.76 pinnacle

Although everyone seems to be on Haase, I see this as value.Simon had a great couple of weeks managed to get some good results, like the semifinal in Rotterdam , lost agasint Soderling. Haase plays best on indoor hard and managed to defeat Murray on home soil, in two sets. But Simon has the better groundstrokes, the mental consistency.I reckon Haase has the better serve, but it's enough for Simon to get one good return game each set, taking into consideration he would hold serve.
A well balanced game, but I think Simon's experience and form should prevail.
Simon@1.76 pinnacle

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John Isner - Jurgen Melzer

John Isner - Jurgen Melzer :Melzer@2 bet365

Still no odds available for this event in some bookmakers, but I will choose Melzer to win today, because I believe the odds will drop. Melzer has defeated Karlovic 3 times in the last year, and Karlovic is no different than Isner.In fact, at least Karlovic can almost be called decent on return. Isner is playing only with his serve, and can only return the ball in play when he is receiving. This can't be called tennis, and I believe Melzer's experience, along with Isner's poor record against left hand players, will give Jurgen the victory. He is 27-11 against big servers, and had some decent results in the last period.
Melzer to win@2 bet365

Paul Capdeville- Jonas Bjorkman

Paul Capdeville- Jonas Bjorkman :Capdeville@1.83 stanjames

There are a lot of people which say Bjorkman's tennis days are over.I agree.Aged 35, he can't move on the field efectivelly and will have dificulties mentaining the tempo thoughout the hole match. Capdeville has a strong serve, and even though he isn't so good from the baseline should get enough points on Bjorkman's second serve wo wn the match.Jonas is playing mainly service-volley and will win some points on serve, but he can't keep up the rythm for a long time and will have no chance to win, even if at the begining will keep close.Last week Bjorkman lost to a top 250+ player and the week before , during the Davis Cup , only managed a win over Levy , after loosing the first set 0-6.
Capdeville to win @1.83 stanjames

Ivo Karlovic - Michael Llodra

Ivo Karlovic - Michael Llodra :LLodra@2.60 betfair

The battler of the big servers..Karlovic has been serving like an animal all week long, making no mistake and leaving no chances for his opponents.Llodra , very similar, served in his usual way, defeating home boy Haase and playing decent from the back of the court. As we all know , Llodra is a great service-volley players, with excellent results in doubles, and will know how to return Ivo's powerfull serves. Plus, he will have some chances on Ivo's second serve, which along with a serve in the limits of what he has shown this week should give him the edge.Tie-break are expected.Head to head is 2-0 in faovur of Llodra, both indoors

Ivo Karlovic -Thomas Berdych

Ivo Karlovic -Thomas Berdych :Berdych @1.59 betfair

Not much to say. A clash between a server and an all around player. Karlovic is an excellent server, but is no more than mediocre on return. Everybody knows that. Berdych has always been seen as a great talent , with big potential , but has never proved he can constantly defeat top 10 players in order to be among the best.
Thet have met 2 times before, one victory for each, both though encounters, with 4 tie breaks in 5 sets.
I expect Berdych to win here, even before the tie-break, and even then, he has the first chance to win.
Berdych to win@1.59 betfair

Jarkko Nieminen -Fernando Verdasco

Jarkko Nieminen -Fernando Verdasco :Nieminen @1.74 pinnacle

Nieminen had a decent start of season , playing well at Australian Open , loosing in quater finals to Nadal. Verdasco has not passed second round in a tournament this year , and played his last tournament on clay in Vina Del Mar. Both lefties, they fell confortable on indoor hard, Nieminen being 53-37 on indoor hard.Also a strong record agasint left hand players for him 27-13 since 2000. Verdasco probably has the better serve, but he lacks mentally , and does often a lot of unforced errors , that eventually make him loose the game. I see this as a 60-40 match , so I choose Nieminen to win.

Nieminen@1,74 pinnacle

Andy Murray - Paul Henri Mathieu

Andy Murray - Paul Henri Mathieu :First set Mathieu @2.70 pinnacle

Generous odds offered by Pinnacle as the average odds are somewhere around 2.4. Mathieu has showed this week some great service capabilities , and although he played 4 tie-breaks , he lost his service only twice until now, offering an average of 2 break points per match to his opponents.
Murray has great potential , great overall skills, but lacks in the mentalily department.
Lost a set to Wawrinka , who was not impressive this week.Looking at his stats he seems to have often slow starts, loosing the first set in a lot of his recent encounters.
The odds represent value in my eyes, so I will take them.
Mathieu first set@2.70 pinnacle

Mardy Fish - Roby Ginepri

Mardy Fish - Roby Ginepri :Fish @1.84 betfair

The truth is that I never liked Ginepri. He gives me the impresion he isn't giving his best and usually gives up if he is behind. Only once he impressed me , somewhere last year at the Us Open , playing Haas, when he stood close for a long time.
Fish on the other hand has an impressive service and playes great from the back of the court, hitting powerfull the ball looking for the lines., but often makes a lot of unfforced errors .
They both enjoy playing on hard , as this is their best surface.
Head to head is 4-1 for Ginepri , but irrlevant from my point of view since , their last meeting was in 2006, won by Fish. Since then Fish improved, while Ginepri in clear on a downtrend. He did not manage any important win this year, his results being rather mediocre.

Fish to win@1.84 betfair

Gilles Simon - Paul Henri Mathieu

Gilles Simon - Paul Henri Mathieu :Mathieu@1.73 betfair

Even though Simon is the defending champion here, and even though he defeated Djokovic yesterday , Mathieu has the first chance today. Head to head is 3-0 in favour of Mathieu , loosing only 1 set from the 8 played. From what I have seen on Tv in matches involving Simon , I observed that his serve isn't that powerful , beeing well positioned though. Mathieu has a strong serve , being more advantaged by the surface. Yesterday's win over Djokovic does not impress me , because it was clear that Djokovic had problems last weekend, and those problems could not be over in just a couple of days. Mathieu on the other hand is playing constant well in the last period , and I favour him to win.

Mathieu to win@1.73 betfair

Victor Hanescu - LuKa Gregorc

Victor Hanescu - Luka Gregorc :Hanescu 2-0@2.20 betfair

Incredible value here, as Gregorc won only 1 game against a top 100 player in his last 50 matches.
Hanescu has a strong serve, and is quite confortable from the baseline. He played ok agasint Tsonga , beeing decent on serve, but not so convingly on return.
There is not much to say about Gregorc as he performs exclusively on challenger level , and ocasionally some atp matches, where he usually looses in the first round.
Hanescu is the better player, the most experienced and will prevail.
Hanescu 2-0@2.20 betfair

Michael Llondra - Andreas Seppi

Michael Llodra - Andreas Seppi :Llodra @1.84 pinnacle

I have seen Llodra on Sunday in the Davis Cup and he was playing very well, like he did in the last period.His serve was strong and was great at the net.
Seppi had a great last week , defeating Santoro and Benneteau but he simple can handle the type of game Llodra is playing. This is shown also by the 3-0 head to head record in favour of Llodra. Haven't seen him play recently , but I don't thik he has the skills to overcome Llodra.
The odds are good enough to try them.
Llodra , at home @1.84

Gasquet and Tsonga after Davis Cup..

Gasquet and Tsonga could be seen partying all night long on Saturday after the doubles match , in Club Liquid , Sibiu (Romania). Actually my home town...

James Blake - Stefan Koubek

James Blake - Stefan Koubek :Koubek @2 stanjames

Blake declared that it is insane to play again so soon in the Davis Cup and that the finalist should not play in the first round.
Even though Austria has little chances to go through , Koubek is in my opinion the favourite here. He enjoyes more clay than Blake who's results on clay aren't the best. Koubek had a good start of the season, defeating Moya and Calleri , before loosing in 5 sets to Mathieu. Blake on the oher hand came back from a 0-2 to win a long match agaisnt Grsojean in Australian Open.
They have met twice before , one victory for each, both hard matches, but all on Blake's favourite surface, hard.
Playing at home , Koubek should have the edge here.
Koubek@2 stanjames

Florian Mayer - H.T Lee

Florian Mayer - H.T Lee :Lee@2.50 stanjames

I don't know how were the odds set here, because Mayer is no more than madiocre lately. Yes it's clay and it's in Germany , but Lee plays better , and has more Davis Cup experience. He won 46 and lost 18 of his Davis Cup matches, having a 8-6 record on clay.
Mayer played only 4 games, winning 2, both on clay.He lost to Gouloubev and Dlouhy, his only good result this year is his win over out of form Chela.
Saw Lee in Davis Cup last year against Romania, and he played well. He is putting all the effort to win.Defeated Guccione and Mirnyi this year , and lost in a though match agasint Gonzalez.
Lee to win @2.50 stanjames

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