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French Open: Men’s Draw

Timothy Masters — Sun, 27 May 2012 12:59:38 +0000

For the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal the first week at Roland Garros is all about solidity and fitness as they focus more on their potential quarter- or semi-final opponents, but there are a few unseeded players who will be looking to give themselves a chance come next Sunday. After last season being dominated by one man the signs are good for the next few months, with Nadal and Djokovic taking wins off each other and some good play from those below them in the rankings.

If the opening seven days turn out to be a formality for the superstar players the longer matches are likely to be those between the less fancied player, both unseeded and the lower seeds. Potential quarter-finalists are mainly listed with BetFair at this stage, but the 19/10 on Tosnga to make it there looks fair, Richard Gasquet can also count on some home support at 57/20, and Nicolas Almagro is 57/20 to probably meet Rafa Nadal in the quarters.

Of course, the Spaniard is the king of clay, and most fans now recognise him as the greatest player ever to grace the red stuff. His draw, right at the other end to his Serbian nemesis, sees him take on Simone Bolelli of Italy in the first round, with Florian Meyer further down the road and Nicolas Almagro in the distance. SportingBet have him at 7/10 as winner, and Bet365 offer a measly 1/5 on Nadal getting to the final, so you can appreciate just how fancied he is from that.

At the top of the draw there is a match-up between Lleyton Hewitt and Djokovic, if they both make it through the first round that could be a good draw for the crowds, but it looks as though Fernando Verdasco will be the first big challenge he faces. At 8/13 with Bet365 to reach the final he is not as fancied as Nadal, and the 11/4 on him as winner with BetFred probably reflects the fact this is not his preferred surface. If the Serb can come away with the trophy he’ll have completed a Grand Slam of his own, and must be considered an all-time great.

David Ferrer, the sixth seed, is another Spaniard to watch and a 39/100 shot with BetFair to get into the quarters. From there is gets a bit more complicated, and it’s Bet365 who have 14’s on him making the final. Once there he is a 40/1 shot with PaddyPower to win the competition, but he does have the skill to trouble the likes of Djokovic and some of the more power-orientated players, even if the top men may have too much for him.

I’m sure a lot of domestic interest will focus on Andy Murray, at 12/1 with Bet365 for the final and 40/1 with BolyeSports as a winner not someone you’d call fancied, but the Scot actually spent quite a lot of his youth on clay courts in Spain, and the lack of immediate pressure in terms of the French press, who’ll focus on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon (both 300/1 as winners with SportingBet) could work in his favour, up to a point.

That point will be Nadal, of course, and the one man who knows more about that than anyone else is Roger Federer. The former champion is 3/1 with Bet365 to reach the final, but 10/1 with StanJames as winner and that seems generous given his ability and record. A lot of questions will have been answered by this time next week, and the process of finding those answers should be fascinating.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

French Open: Men’s Draw

Irish 1000 Guineas Preview

Bet123 — Sun, 27 May 2012 07:57:54 +0000

The Irish 1,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile this Sunday and is one of the highlights of the Irish racing calendar.

The event was established in 1922, a year after the launch of the Irish 2,000 Guineas. The inaugural running was won by Lady Violette.

It is Ireland’s equivalent of the 1,000 Guineas, held at Newmarket, and in recent years it has taken place three weeks after that race.

The field usually includes horses which previously contested the English version, and two have achieved victory in both events. The first was Attraction in 2004, and the second was Finsceal Beo in 2007.

It is one of the five Irish Classic races, which also include the Irish 2,000 Guineas, Irish Derby, Irish Oaks and St Leger.
The Irish 1,000 Guineas was initiated based on the popularity of the English 1,000 Guineas, first raced at Newmarket on 28 April, 1814. The 1,000 Guineas takes its name from the original prize fund offered for the English race.

Top trainers to back in the betting include Aidan O’Brien, James (Jim) Bolger and Dermot Weld. O’Brien, Bolger and Weld count as the current top trainers in flat racing, and have each already made several entries for the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

The leading horses from the Irish 1,000 Guineas often go on to compete in the following month’s Coronation Stakes. The last to win both races was Attraction in 2004.

O’Brien’s Homecoming Queen is the current favourite and it would be a remarkable feat after the filly also landed the English equivalent at Newmarket. Maybe and Yellow Rosebud are also towards the top of the betting.
After, Devotion and Ishvana have also stood their ground for in-form trainer O’Brien.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Irish 1000 Guineas Preview

Norway v England

Timothy Masters — Sat, 26 May 2012 08:30:21 +0000

For their first game under Roy Hodgson I’m certain the majority of the England team will want to play well, such is the competition for places within the starting eleven. In truth, that competition has more to do with a lack of truly outstanding players than the manager having a wealth of options, but it should at least make for some decent viewing in the warm-up matches. Realistically, at this stage only Joe Hart, Steven Gerrard (as captain), Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney can be truly sure of a spot in the first eleven, injuries aside, so expect a good level of performance this evening from the away side.

Another interesting point will be noting how Hodgson sets the side up, and with Andy Carroll due to start there are concerns that they will be playing some long-ball football. While I’m sure the new manager has more than one plan, it is worth noting that his previous experiences at this sort of level have come with sides who could best be described as ‘pleased to be involved’, so there may be a bit of adjustment required on his part. From the point of view of the players Roy will be disciplined, and that may be no bad thing given how some of the squad have let themselves down recently.

Norway are actually a pretty decent side, and finished level on points with Portugal in their qualifying group, just missing out on a place in the play-offs through goal difference, and England will have a challenge on if they are to win with any degree of comfort, but given the short amount of time the new boss has had to work with the squad I expect the chance to play a better side was welcomed. The worry is that if things should go wrong in this game then the time remaining to formulate a Plan B will be extremely limited.

For this match Hodgson has already confirmed Rob Green, Andy Carroll and Steven Gerrard will feature, but not much else, which may be down to his own uncertainty as much as anything. England are 6/5 favourites with PaddyPower, and 10/1 to win 2-0 with BetFred. In the longer term this will also give us a good idea of how the side may set up and perform in Poland and Ukraine.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Norway v England

Temple Stakes Preview

Bet123 — Sat, 26 May 2012 07:51:57 +0000

The betfred.com Temple Stakes takes place at Haydock Park this Saturday afternoon, with 19 high-class sprinters in the running for the £80,000 contest.

Run over five furlongs, the Group Two event is the first race in the sprint division of the QIPCO British Champions Series. The contest is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older.
The event was established back in 1965 and it was originally held at Sandown Park. It was transferred to its present venue in 2008.

The leading horses from the Temple Stakes often go on to compete in the King’s Stand Stakes, the second instalment of the British Champions Series. The last horse to win both races in the same year was Cassandra Go in 2001.

The winner in 2010 was Sir Michael Stoute’s Kingsgate Native, who had just returned to racing after an unsuccessful time at stud. He could still run with the best however, as he won by half a length. He nearly repeated that victory in 2011 but had to settle for second place behind impressive Irish horse Sole Power – the winner of the 2010 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes.

Sole Power, just beaten in the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai last time out, faces a rematch with the Bryan Smart-trained Tangerine Trees this year, who became a Group One star himself when winning the Prix de l’Abbaye and has not appeared since that very day.

With Johnny Murtagh likely to be in action at the Curragh on the same day for the Irish Guineas meeting, Lynam is on the lookout for a jockey to partner last year’s winner Sole Power.

Sole Power currently leads the betting, with the Roger Charlton-trained Bated Breath, beaten just a nose in the Sprint Cup at the Lancashire course last season, just behind at him. They are both closely followed by Tangerine Trees.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Temple Stakes Preview

Maria Sharapova Profile

Sarah Connolly — Thu, 24 May 2012 18:59:06 +0000

Maria Sharapova is a professional Russian tennis player who seems to have been in and around the world of tennis for many years now. It may surprise many to know that she is still only 25-years-old.

Ever since winning Wimbledon in 2004, Sharapova has been a household name and one that is still at the front of people’s minds today. She has been ranked as World No.1 before too, while she is currently at No.2 in the world rankings.

There is no doubt that she has had an up and down career so far, but ever since turning professional in 2001 she has been on an incredible journey and it is one that she hopes to continue for many years to come.

Grand Slam History

As mentioned, Sharapova tasted success extremely early in her career when she won Wimbledon in 2004 at just 17-years-old. Defeating defending Champion Serena Williams in the final, she confirmed her name in the history books. It was a famous afternoon at SW19.

Since this victory, Sharapova has had to be patient for Grand Slam success. She won the US Open in 2006, proving many doubters wrong in the process. It was then 2008 by the time she picked up her third Grand Slam at the Australian Open.

This was the 25-year-old’s last Grand Slam title too, although she did make the final of Wimbledon in 2011 and the French Open semi-final earlier that year.

Chances of success

In the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, Sharapova looked extremely strong. She hadn’t dropped a set going into the final and it will still hurt her today that she lost Petra Kvitová in straight sets.

This should provide her with plenty of motivation to succeed this summer. Wimbledon will always hold a special place in her heart and she will not the 2004 title to be her only success in this famous tournament.

With the women’s draw wide open, Sharapova has a fantastic chance of success. 2012 has seen her suffer with an ankle injury, but there has also been a tournament win at the Italian Open. She is a massive contender for Wimbledon this year.

Odds

Looking at the odds for Sharapova to be successful, she is 7/1 for the win and is generally considered as the fourth favourite.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Maria Sharapova Profile

Euro 2012 Previews: Group D

Timothy Masters — Thu, 24 May 2012 18:08:38 +0000

Group D is possibly the most difficult of all to predict, as the teams expected to do well in it are very changeable, and come in with a lot of questions to answer, so it should be a great spectacle. New England boss Roy Hodgson has a system to build and dressing-room to fortify in a very limited amount of time, and after the debacle for the French side at the World Cup who knows what they may end up producing.

As a result of this the bookies have been quite cautious over predicting who could win the group, BoyleSports having England at 9/5, with France the same price over at PaddyPower. The importance of coming top of this group lies in the fact that the runners-up are most likely going to take on Spain in the second round, unless Italy can get something special going. The Spaniards are not perfect, nor are the Italians easy pickings for that matter, but it would still be preferable to avoid playing the defending champions too early.

For those more adventurous types Ukraine are a 5/1 shot with Bet365, and Sweden reside at 13/2 with SkyBet. Those seem the wrong way around to me, but I suppose the Ukrainian’s home advantage has been taken into account, but the Swedes have a bit of class up front and some imagination in behind, plus their travelling support can be just as good as a home crowd on the right day.

If you fancy another French meltdown StanJames have 6/4 on them not qualifying, and 13/8 on England for the same thing. It would be a shame if the two bigger sides weren’t in the quarter-finals, but it could mean the home side are and that is always good for a tournament. BetFred offer 2/1 on Sweden being in the last eight, with BlueSquare listing Ukraine at 11/8 to be in the knockout stages if a spot is available.

Overall, the 9/5 on England and France going through with PaddyPower is the best bet, but 9/2 with BlueSquare on France and Ukraine being the two qualifier may satisfy the more curmudgeonly Englishman. Admittedly you can get the same price on England and Ukraine making it out, with a massive 16/1 on Ukraine and Sweden causing an upset (888Sport).

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Euro 2012 Previews: Group D

Euro 2012 Team Previews: Sweden

Timothy Masters — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:52:27 +0000

Historically, the Swedes have rather a good record on the international scene, with a final appearance in a World Cup as well as a couple of third-place finishes in the same competition, but since 1992 the team hasn’t made it past the first knockout round of the European Championships. Now, with a few talented stars reaching their last chance at this level, it may be time for Sweden to shine in a tournament packed with good teams.

Although they were beaten to top spot in their qualifying groups Sweden were very happy to be the best runner-up, and therefore avoid the play-offs and qualify directly for Poland and Ukraine. A home win against Holland in their last match of that group will have given the side a lot of confidence that they can perform at the top level, a criticism that has been levelled at a few of their men in the past.

In the English press no man has had this said of him more than Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the ultra-talented Milan striker with one of the best CV’s in club football, but even if he fires he’ll need support in this endeavour. Sebastian Larsson of Sunderland and Lyon’s Kim Kallstrom are crucial parts of the Swedish midfield, and in defence former Manchester City keeper Andreas Isaakson will need to marshal some experienced, if stately players in the back four.

In Euro 2008 they will have been disappointed to not make it out of the group, but the heavy loss to Spain did not set the Swedes up well and Russia eventually edged them out for second spot in the table. In Portugal before that they made the quarters, but this is a tougher group than the one in 2008 and head coach Erik Hamren will know he must get the maximum out of his team from the first minute of the first game for them to stand any chance.

If you’re willing to look you can get 80/1 on Sweden as winners with 888Sport, not bad when you look at the odds for the same thing on other, seemingly inferior teams, but in reality the competition will almost certainly be won by Spain, Holland or Germany. Of the rest, though, they Swedish side is fairly well-equipped to take advantage of any lax play, and could certainly upset France or England to make the second round.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Euro 2012 Team Previews: Sweden

Euro 2012 Team Previews: Ukraine

Timothy Masters — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:37:43 +0000

As co-hosts the Ukraine will be certain of great support for this tournament, and that can be a factor in the tight games, but their record at this level is virtually non-existent and as a result the are the side England and France will need to beat as a minimum. Historically, the country has only once appeared at a major tournament, six years ago at the World Cup in Germany, so this represents their first taste of European Championship football.

As hosts they did not have to qualify, obviously, and although their draw is not as kind as the one given to co-hosts Poland the manager Oleg Blokhin will not be displeased with the outcome. England and France may well be forced to rest players against Ukraine in order to have their best line-ups fit later on, which could play well into the hands of the home nation.

Andriy Shevchenko is still part of the national set-up, although no longer in his deadly prime, and should a chance fall his way striker is capable of putting it away even in his elder years. Anatoliy Tymoshchuk is another key man approaching his twilight years, but the Bayern midfielder will be important in guiding younger men, with less time at the top level through the vagaries of tournament play.

With no previous record at this level it is hard to judge their overall potential, but there is a feeling in the football world that the hosts of this tournament are the weakest teams involved, and that will provide a lot of motivation for the Ukrainian players. Their World Cup run didn’t include wins over any major footballing nations though, and that is a minimum if they want to go beyond the group.

BoyleSports have 50/1 on Ukraine doing a Greece and winning the whole thing, but I suspect that has been adjusted in due to them being on home soil. Realistically, qualification for the quarter-finals would be a fantastic achievement, but will most likely require one of the two bigger teams in Group D to have a meltdown. Still, stranger things have happened.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Euro 2012 Team Previews: Ukraine

Monte Carlo GP: Odds

Timothy Masters — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:17:03 +0000

Monaco is always a tough result to predict, and with practice on a Thursday you’re even further from the start when trying to get a handle on who might be bothering the podium come the chequered flag. A good example of this was given when a weather-affected section finished with Jenson Button (10/1 for pole, Bet365) atop the leaderboard in the 1:15’s, while his teammate was eleventh.

This makes judging the absolute pace of the McLaren a difficult thing to do, and for me that is crucial in picking a favourite as it is clear Hamilton (19/2 for pole, Bwin) was the fastest man on the track last weekend. As poor as his team have been so far, which is not to downplay the errors made by Button’s pit crew, Lewis must at least start the weekend assuming he’ll have a chance at the win (3/1, BlueSquare).

Button (10/1, VictorChandler) himself was practicing his starts from pole, perhaps somewhat optimistically. As talented and sanguine as Jenson is, the move to McLaren has left him in the tough spot of being alongside a faster man, if not always a better driver and that means whenever his car is good, he’ll be looking for Lewis. For what it is worth, Coral have 2/1 on an unspecified McLaren winning the race, making them the favourite team.

Fernando Alonso (8/1 for pole, BetFred) has the race craft to win here, and the natural drop in pace that occurs when you race on such narrow courses will reduce the gap in ultimate performance between his Ferrari and the faster teams. If the Spaniard were to win (9/2, BetFred) it would be a remarkable result, and the same at the very least can be safely said for his struggling team-mate, Felipe Massa.

Other contenders will be Sebastian Vettel (8/1 for pole, StanJames) and Kimi Raikkonen (12/1 for pole, PaddyPower) although in practice the Red Bull did not look promising. A Vettel win (8/1, VictorChandler) or even one for the Finn (7/1, PaddyPower) would be a small surprise, but I like the odds on young Romain Grosjean (12/1 for pole, Bodog) having seen his pace in Thursday practice. The Frenchman could well take his first win (12/1, BetFred) on a sort-of home circuit, and the Renault side of his garage would love that.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Monte Carlo GP: Odds

Euro 2012 Team Previews: France

Timothy Masters — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:39:31 +0000

Looking at the current France team, and in fact every one since Zidane rode off into the sunset on an ignominious cloud of glory, you wonder how much they are held back by comparisons with the incredible side that swept all before them around the turn of the millennium. The expectations hadn’t been all that high for the French historically, but since those triumphs the side is part of the footballing elite, at least in the minds of the French fans, and that may weigh on them a little.

Although they won a qualifying group that looked a little bit tricky, the France squad and management will have been disappointed to lose a match to Belarus in the process, and the draw has put them alongside England which will mean masses of focus. The game with the English is sure to be fraught with tension and lazy cliché, at least from the English side of things, but the French will back themselves on talent.

Having just come from a difficult Champions League final against Chelsea, key playmaker Frank Ribery will need to pick himself up and shake off his ankle knock, as he is a vital part of the French team. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is a top-level performer, and may need to be, but there are plenty of familiar names to Premiership fans including Laurent Koscielny, Gael Clichy, Yohan Cabaye, Samir Nasri and Hatem Ben Arfa.

In the 2008 tournament France finished bottom of an admittedly tough group, and were ranked 15^th of the 16 teams that took part, a far cry from the glory of 2000. Finishing below the Netherland was no disgrace, but even Romania managed more points than the French, and the change in management has been welcomed by fans bored of the frankly absurd antics of the side and it’s leaders in the early part of the millennium.

If they can win the group, and play convincingly well in doing so then the 12/1 pre-tournament odds with BetFred as winners doesn’t look bad, and they’ll probably avoid having to play Spain early on. The main issue for France will be confidence, and whether they can gel as a team, but there is lots of talent in their squad and a decent level of experience to go with it, so we could see a revival this summer.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Euro 2012 Team Previews: France