WTA Monterrey Draw Betting Analysis: Jelena Jankovic leads the way

Monterrey, Mexico – Before us in the tennis betting market this week is a lone WTA event, the Monterrey Open in Monterrey, Mexico. Leading the way is top seed Jelena Jankovic and joining her is second seed Daniela Hantuchova. Both lassies will be tested by a modestly strong field of players, including third seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, fourth seed Dominka Cibulkova, fifth seed Agnes Szavay, sixth seed Anabel Medina Garrigues, seventh seed Aleksandra Wozniak and eighth seed Lucie Safarova.

The big story of this tournament will be whether Jelena Jankovic can find her former top form. The Serbian starlet has fallen out of top five favour, from a high-point as the world No.1 at the start of last year to her current position as the world No.9 player. Jankovic is without a title since August 2009 when she won the Cincinnati tournament.

Jankovic comes into Monterray on questionable form. She is only 5-3 on the 2010 term with performances no deeper than the third round of a tournament. She has yet to even reach the quarters of an event this year – something that is very concerning for Jankovic and her camp.

Having said that Jankovic has a rather favourable section of the draw with Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak her nearest seeded threat, a potential quarterfinal matchup. Should Jankovic come through on pre-tournament expectations and make the quarterfinal appointment, she would be favoured significantly over Wozniak. Should another opposite emerge, she would be favoured by a country mile and would have no excuse not to make the semis. En route to the semis there is a potential obstacle in Frenchwoman Alize Cornet, my dark horse pick in her section. Cornet is a player that could upset Wozniak, easily in my humble opinion, and go on to wreck more misery on Jankovic should they collide in the quarters.

Should Jankovic persevere and reach the semis, she could potentially face Anabel Medina Garrigues or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Should the former billing be confirmed, Jankovic should negotiate the Spanish woman easily to reach the final. In the latter matchup, Jankovic would once again be in trouble.

In the bottom half of the draw, Daniela Hantuchova has, arguably, a tougher path to the final. Hantuchova’s section is loaded with potential threats in Agnes Szavay, Dominika Cibulkova and Lucie Safarova; either of this trio would be a serious challenger for a spot in the final movement.

Hantuchova could potential meet leftie Safarova in the quarters, a matchup that would be a tossup in my opinion. Hantuchova is the second seed but make no mistake she is not always consistent enough to come through on her weight class. She would be in danger of an upset at this stage.

If Hantuchova would survive to reach the semis, she could meet either Agnes Szavay or Dominika Cibulkova, her compatriot and friend. Both matches would be tough contests for the statuesque Slovak and I can’t say she would be the firm favourite in either contest.

Ideally, if the tournament falls in line with the seeding, we should see a Jankovic vs. Hantuchova final. However, looking at the draw it looks more likely than not, that we will not see such a billing. I fancy Cibulkova or Safarova to emerge from the bottom half of the draw to meet possibly Jankovic but maybe even Cornet or Pavlyuchenkova.

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WTA Monterrey Open 1st Round Picks: Safarova and Medina Garrigues in action

Monterrey, Mexico – Sixth seed Anabel Medina Garrigues and eighth seed Lucie Safarova are set to open their Monterray Open campaigns in the first round today when they take on Klara Zakopalova and Julie Coin, respectively. As usual, BetOnline.com is there, bringing all the action to you with tennis betting lines and odds on these matches and more. Here is a look at the market trading this instant.

Tennis Betting Line:

Lucie Safarova -6 +105 -1000 18½ O -135 U -105
Julie Coin +6 -145 +500 18½ O -135 U -105

First Set Line: Lucie Safarova -500 Julie Coin +300

Match Time: 08:00 PM Eastern Time Monday March 1, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: France’s Julie Coin has masterminded a couple of big wins in her career with victories over Ana Ivanovic and Amelie Mauresmo, both on Grand Slam stages. But such performances come few and far in between for the French player and as such, they are not enough to set her up well in the market. She enters this match as the significant underdog and further underscoring her puppy odds are additional signs of her inconsistency – a ranking of No.88 and a season mark of 1-5.

Safarova, who is seeded eighth in this tournament, is the solid favourite at -1000. In fact, I would go to say she is the untouchable favourite. Safarova weighs in at No. 38 and she takes a 6-5 mark into her first round encounter against Coin, which includes a runner-up finish in Paris a fortnight ago.

Tennis Free Picks: The match is on Safarova’s racquet and she should win this match handily. Punters will want to complement bets on her fixed odds with plays on the handicap and totals; that is, if they want to walk away with a decent payout. Therefore, Safarova to cover the spread at -6 +105 is a good bet as well as the Under 18 ½ at -105.

Tennis Betting Line:

Klara Zakopalova +4½ -130 +250 20 O -125 U -115
Anabel Medina Garrigues -4½ -110 -400 20 O -125 U -115

First Set Line: Klara Zakopalova +200 Anabel Medina Garrigues -300

Match Time: 10:00 PM Eastern Time Monday March 1, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: Anabel Medina Garrigues is the solid -400 favourite in this match but I believe that to be more a function of her seeding rather than her prowess on hard courts. You see, Garrigues is predominantly a clay-courter; that is, clay is where she enjoys her best results. She is an adequate hard court player but a beatable one in my opinion. Klara Zakopalova is the +250 favourite, which is relatively modest in my opinion. Zakopalova has a shot in this match to upset Garrigues. Question is whether she will step up to do so.

Tennis Free Picks: Garrigues is a good bet to win this match because she is seeded and has the ranking edge over Zakopalova. The value bet though is on Zakopalova, and it is a play specifically for punters looking to buck the trend and take a chance on a bigger payout by backing a puppy. Zakopalova to in at +250 therefore is the pick with hedge bets on Garrigues to cover the spread at – 4 ½ -110, just in case she does avoid the upset. The Over 20 -125 is the totals play because this should be a closer match than the market would suggest.

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