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Day 3 at the Australian Open could see players battling scorching temperatures after they rose to over nearly 120 degrees on Day 2 in the direct sun. The tournament’s extreme heat policy could come into effect, meaning the retractable roofing could be closed for the matches held on the courts where that feature is available.
Physical fitness could play a major role again like it did on Day 2. Women`s No. 1 seed Maria Sharapova struggled through three long sets and needed medical treatment in her match against 62nd-ranked Camille Pin. David Nalbandian`s opponent Janko Tipsarevic was a casualty in the fifth set after retiring due to exhaustion.
Marion Bartoli (-180) vs. Victoria Azarenka (+170)
Bartoli is a player the average tennis bettor may not have heard of, which is probably why this French woman is being a little undervalued at the Aussie Open so far. She dusted off Vera Dushevina 6-0, 6-3 in a little over an hour in the first round at -140 and savvy bettors quickly helped bet her up from -170 to -180 shortly after this line opened at pinnaclesports.com.
Bartoli played progressively better as the season went on last year and jumped from 37 to 21 in the world rankings, finishing the season with a title in Quebec City.
Her opponent, Belarussian Azarenka, has won $310 in prize money this year and at 17 years old, she probably needs the cash.
She has played in each Grand Slam just once and this is her first time advancing past the first round. She showed her inexperience in the first round, racking up 55 unforced errors in a tough match that went three sets against Yuliana Fedek, the world’s No. 82. At 92 in the world, Azarenka is overmatched here.
Pick: Bartoli
Serena Williams (-900) vs. Anne Kremer (+775)
Though Serena should win this match, she is grotesquely overvalued. Even though she destroyed her first round opponent, Mara Santangelo, the score of 6-2, 6-0 is a little deceiving.
Serena struggled out of the gate against Santangelo and the rust of a four-month layoff since her return from a knee injury was apparent. Fortunately, Santangelo doesn’t move around the court well and Williams was able to work out some kinks. Serena’s shots and serve got sharper as the match went on and Santangelo committed too many errors (23 to Serena’s 14). Williams was able to defeat her without breaking much of a sweat.
Kremer could be a different story. The 31-year-old veteran is far more mobile than Serena’s first round opponent and she is great at getting balls back to the other side of the court. Kremer will test the American’s fitness, which is not at its finest right now - Serena neither looked nor played as though she was in top shape in the first round and if yesterday is any indication, that could prove costly.
Kremer had to qualify for the Aussie but she has so far swept through her matches without losing a set. In her first round match she beat Michaella Krajicek, ranked 37th in the world, which should help boost her own ranking at No. 146.
Kremer won’t rack up the winners, but it’s not out of the question she could upset Williams if she can wear her down so she might be worth a small wager at this price. I don’t think Williams will get past the third round if she does win this one, so you will have a chance to get your money back if you lose.
Pick: Kremer
Marcos Baghdatis (-245) vs. Gael Monfils(+225)
The only thing harder than making the Australian Open finals might be making them the next year.
Baghdatis has admitted he is feeling intense pressure this year in Melbourne after storming to the finals last year where he lost to Roger Federer. That was when he ranked 54th in the world and his entourage consisted of his coach and his then-girlfriend.
Now his family is accompanying him at the Aussie and he says he’s having trouble adjusting to the added pressure that brings. He has said he may even adjust his training schedule to give him more privacy, meaning he won`t have the same routine he did during last year`s run. The nerves showed in Baghdatis’s first match when he served just 43 percent on first serves against Rainer Schuettler.
He managed to pull through in four sets, but it wasn’t as smooth a match as he would have liked. That seems to be the style of Baghdatis though, who isn’t really flashy in any area, but doesn’t seem to have any real weaknesses either. He isn`t afraid to mix in some cheeky drop shots or crash the net, and is decent on the baseline too.
That is what will ultimately will help him pull past Monfils, a 20-year-old Frenchman with a heavy serve who prefers the clay court. Monfils has a bullet serve and can rack up aces, but he struggles against more complete players.
Monfils needed five sets and 3 1/2 hours to slug past 66th-ranked Italian Daniele Bracciali in the first round. Bracciali attacked the net 77 times and converted 46 of those points, while the less agile Monfils approached the net only 15 times and prefers not to get into that game.
Baghdatis is an excellent returner and a smart player who`ll ultimately play to his opponent’s weaknesses. When the Cypriot beat Monfils last year on hard court in Cincinnati, he served just 37 percent on first serves yet managed to win 7-6, 2-6, 6-1.
Pick: Baghdatis
Vincent Spadea (-110) vs. Dominik Hrbaty (+110)
Hrbaty leads the series between these two players 2-1 but they haven’t met since 2003. Hrbaty is the higher seed at No. 22 in the world, but he shouldn’t overlook Spadea.
The American seems to have gotten tired of getting knocked out of the first round in Melbourne and played more tennis leading into this year’s Aussie Open. He`s played four matches and went to two tournaments in 2007 before defeating Igor Andreev in straight sets in Round 1 as a slight -120 favorite.
Hrbaty had a tougher time in his first match, defeating Jiri Vanek in four sets. Hrbaty committed a sloppy 66 unforced errors and 10 double faults. He’ll need to be sharper if he hopes to get past Spadea.
I can see this one going five sets, which ultimately favors Hrbaty. Last year all four of his matches at the Aussie Open went five sets before he finally fell to Davydenko. Hrbaty has advanced to at least the third round in the last three Australian Opens and he has made the quarterfinals twice in his career (2001, 2005).
Pick: Hrbaty
Physical fitness could play a major role again like it did on Day 2. Women`s No. 1 seed Maria Sharapova struggled through three long sets and needed medical treatment in her match against 62nd-ranked Camille Pin. David Nalbandian`s opponent Janko Tipsarevic was a casualty in the fifth set after retiring due to exhaustion.
Marion Bartoli (-180) vs. Victoria Azarenka (+170)
Bartoli is a player the average tennis bettor may not have heard of, which is probably why this French woman is being a little undervalued at the Aussie Open so far. She dusted off Vera Dushevina 6-0, 6-3 in a little over an hour in the first round at -140 and savvy bettors quickly helped bet her up from -170 to -180 shortly after this line opened at pinnaclesports.com.
Bartoli played progressively better as the season went on last year and jumped from 37 to 21 in the world rankings, finishing the season with a title in Quebec City.
Her opponent, Belarussian Azarenka, has won $310 in prize money this year and at 17 years old, she probably needs the cash.
She has played in each Grand Slam just once and this is her first time advancing past the first round. She showed her inexperience in the first round, racking up 55 unforced errors in a tough match that went three sets against Yuliana Fedek, the world’s No. 82. At 92 in the world, Azarenka is overmatched here.
Pick: Bartoli
Serena Williams (-900) vs. Anne Kremer (+775)
Though Serena should win this match, she is grotesquely overvalued. Even though she destroyed her first round opponent, Mara Santangelo, the score of 6-2, 6-0 is a little deceiving.
Serena struggled out of the gate against Santangelo and the rust of a four-month layoff since her return from a knee injury was apparent. Fortunately, Santangelo doesn’t move around the court well and Williams was able to work out some kinks. Serena’s shots and serve got sharper as the match went on and Santangelo committed too many errors (23 to Serena’s 14). Williams was able to defeat her without breaking much of a sweat.
Kremer could be a different story. The 31-year-old veteran is far more mobile than Serena’s first round opponent and she is great at getting balls back to the other side of the court. Kremer will test the American’s fitness, which is not at its finest right now - Serena neither looked nor played as though she was in top shape in the first round and if yesterday is any indication, that could prove costly.
Kremer had to qualify for the Aussie but she has so far swept through her matches without losing a set. In her first round match she beat Michaella Krajicek, ranked 37th in the world, which should help boost her own ranking at No. 146.
Kremer won’t rack up the winners, but it’s not out of the question she could upset Williams if she can wear her down so she might be worth a small wager at this price. I don’t think Williams will get past the third round if she does win this one, so you will have a chance to get your money back if you lose.
Pick: Kremer
Marcos Baghdatis (-245) vs. Gael Monfils(+225)
The only thing harder than making the Australian Open finals might be making them the next year.
Baghdatis has admitted he is feeling intense pressure this year in Melbourne after storming to the finals last year where he lost to Roger Federer. That was when he ranked 54th in the world and his entourage consisted of his coach and his then-girlfriend.
Now his family is accompanying him at the Aussie and he says he’s having trouble adjusting to the added pressure that brings. He has said he may even adjust his training schedule to give him more privacy, meaning he won`t have the same routine he did during last year`s run. The nerves showed in Baghdatis’s first match when he served just 43 percent on first serves against Rainer Schuettler.
He managed to pull through in four sets, but it wasn’t as smooth a match as he would have liked. That seems to be the style of Baghdatis though, who isn’t really flashy in any area, but doesn’t seem to have any real weaknesses either. He isn`t afraid to mix in some cheeky drop shots or crash the net, and is decent on the baseline too.
That is what will ultimately will help him pull past Monfils, a 20-year-old Frenchman with a heavy serve who prefers the clay court. Monfils has a bullet serve and can rack up aces, but he struggles against more complete players.
Monfils needed five sets and 3 1/2 hours to slug past 66th-ranked Italian Daniele Bracciali in the first round. Bracciali attacked the net 77 times and converted 46 of those points, while the less agile Monfils approached the net only 15 times and prefers not to get into that game.
Baghdatis is an excellent returner and a smart player who`ll ultimately play to his opponent’s weaknesses. When the Cypriot beat Monfils last year on hard court in Cincinnati, he served just 37 percent on first serves yet managed to win 7-6, 2-6, 6-1.
Pick: Baghdatis
Vincent Spadea (-110) vs. Dominik Hrbaty (+110)
Hrbaty leads the series between these two players 2-1 but they haven’t met since 2003. Hrbaty is the higher seed at No. 22 in the world, but he shouldn’t overlook Spadea.
The American seems to have gotten tired of getting knocked out of the first round in Melbourne and played more tennis leading into this year’s Aussie Open. He`s played four matches and went to two tournaments in 2007 before defeating Igor Andreev in straight sets in Round 1 as a slight -120 favorite.
Hrbaty had a tougher time in his first match, defeating Jiri Vanek in four sets. Hrbaty committed a sloppy 66 unforced errors and 10 double faults. He’ll need to be sharper if he hopes to get past Spadea.
I can see this one going five sets, which ultimately favors Hrbaty. Last year all four of his matches at the Aussie Open went five sets before he finally fell to Davydenko. Hrbaty has advanced to at least the third round in the last three Australian Opens and he has made the quarterfinals twice in his career (2001, 2005).
Pick: Hrbaty