Copa Telmex 2nd Round Betting: Ferrer and Andreev aim for quarters

Buenos, Aires – Top seed David Ferrer and sixth seed Igor Andreev are slotted to meet in the Copa Telmex quarterfinals, supposing they win their second round encounters. David Ferrer will have to overcome Portugal’s Frederico Gil while Andreev will have to beat Marcel Granollers. All four have serious clay-court skills so surface edge is cancelled out; the seeds have the slight edge in experience and ranking. Even such an advantage can be dismissed on any given day. It comes down to which player is better on that day.

The market on both these matches is in full swing and here is a look at some of the odds already taking shape.

Tennis Betting Line: Marcel Granollers +150 Igor Andreev -200
First Set Line: Marcel Granollers +135 Igor Andreev -175

Match Time: 11:45 AM Eastern Time Thursday February 18, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: Marcel Granollers will aim to snatch the quarterfinal spot from under Igor Andreev in the Copa Telmex. Granollers, who upset Soderling at the Aussie Open first round, is a much better clay courter than he is a hard courter so if he were to mastermind the upset this would be the place to do it. Granollers is an encouraging 5-3 on the season, which includes a quarterfinal appearance in Santiago, Chile a fortnight ago. He is fresh off a doubles title at Costa do Sauipe (with Pablo Cuevas). He also won the doubles title with Santiago Ventura in Chennai. Tennis bettors could do worse than back Granollers for the upset methinks.

Andreev will be no cakewalk though. In fact, the bookies favour Andreev at -200. The Russian clay-court guru, who spent his junior years training in Spain and honing his clay court game, is a formidable threat on any surface but never more so on clay. He has struggled on form this season but that is nothing new for Andreev. He can be inconsistent and streaky. He has accepted that and so have his backers. Andreev is after a semi-final finish in Costa do Sauipe. If he finds the same form in Buenos Aires, he could be the player to watch.

Tennis Free Picks: Andreev in three sets

Tennis Betting Line: David Ferrer -1000 Frederico Gil +500
First Set Line: David Ferrer -500 Frederico Gil +300

Match Time: 11:45 AM Eastern Time Thursday February 18, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: David Ferrer takes a 2-0 edge and a whopping -100 price tag into his second round encounter. The market is that confident in the world No.19 Ferrer. Ferrer arrived in Buenos Aires 4-3 on the season, a mark that he has improved to 5-3 with a first round victory over Simon Greul 6-2, 7-6(3). Ferrer was tested in the second set but that is down to Greul’s competitiveness and going for broke at that point rather than a lack of prowess on Ferrer’s part. He is a bit of a clay-court aficionado, he is.

Ferrer is appearing in his first event since finishing in the semis at Johannesburg and his first clay-court event on the season. Ferrer is the top seed and many favour him to reach the final.

Frederico Gil, 24, ranks outside of the top 100 and by virtue of his ranking, he is considered out of his depth in this match. He is not without some clay-court skills but he is without experience. He is only 31-34 lifetime at the ATP and he arrived in Buenos Aires, 1-4 on the season. He has yet to string a winning streak on the season and expecting him to do so against a top player such as Ferrer is asking a little much. It would be the biggest upset of the tournament should he accomplish the unthinkable.

Tennis Free Picks: Ferrer in straight sets