ATP US Open Betting 2nd Round – Monfils vs. Andreev

New York, USA – Another scorching day in New York, another day of exciting early round tennis betting. An attention worthy clash is on the books with Gael Monfils and Igor Andreev as they get set to decide a spot in the US Open third round, Wednesday when they collide at Grandstand stadium.

Already Grandstand has earned the reputation of being the unlucky court. The bizarre train of events began early this morning, when Azarenka up and collapsed mid-match and had to be wheeled off court. (She is currently in the hospital undergoing tests but a statement was released to the public, just a few moments ago, that insisted her condition wasn’t heat related.)

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Following the Azarenka vs. Dulko clash, seventh seed Tomas Berdych took to court against Michael Llodra. The Czech who was a French Open semi-finalist and Wimbledon finalist was hugely favoured to advance into the second round, and potentially give Murray or Nadal, or both a run for their money deeper into the tournament.

Well, three sets later and Berdych was unceremoniously dumped by the Frenchman. His exit marks the biggest upset yet in the men’s game at this event.

Currently on court is Francesca Schiavone, the French Open champion this year. Might she succumb to the curse of Grandstand?

For that matter, what about Monfils? Might he be fated for an upset.

Monfils takes to court immediately after this match and he is set to take on Igor Andreev, a tricky opponent to say the least.

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Tennis Betting Line:

Gael Monfils -3½ -125 -200 39 O -125 U -115
Igor Andreev +3½ -115 +150 39 O -125 U -115

First Set Line: Gael Monfils -175 Igor Andreev +135

Match Time: 05:30 PM Eastern Time (02:30 Pacific Time) Wednesday September 1, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: The market on this match is rather conservative considering Monfils is a top 20 ranked player and Andreev is ranked just outside the top 100. There are several reasons why this is the case.

Where Monfils is concerned, there are many questions hanging over his head, namely his fitness and form are suspect. There is also the fact that Monfils hasn’t made good on the predictions made on his behalf and more often than not plays with the consistency of a top 30 player.

Where Andreev is concerned, tennis bettors shouldn’t be fooled by his current ranking. He was once a top 20 player and has some serious chops. His slip is largely due to injury concerns and the drop off in form that usually follows a long layoff.

Importantly, Andreev seems to be finding form these days. And he has the benefit of a 4-1 lifetime edge over Monfils, which includes wins over the Frenchman on both clay and hard courts.

Of course, Monfils is the favourite listed at -200 and you would expect him to win. The match is on his racquet. However, Andreev at +150 is the sort of player that can trouble Monfils and frankly, if he does win, I wouldn’t be surprised. It would be a huge upset in terms of ranking but not in terms of their H2H.

Tennis Free Picks: Andreev in five sets