US Open draws make Nole and Serena smash hits

The US Open men`s singles draw was kind to Novak Djokovic, who is worth backing at around 6-4 to retain the title that he won on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows last year.

Djokovic was the big winner when US Open officials conducted the draw last week, finding himself in the bottom half, away from the other two single-priced players, Roger Federer and London 2012 Olympic Games gold medallist, Andy Murray.

If everything goes according to the betting, Djokovic will meet 2009 US Open men`s singles champion Juan Martin Del Potro in the last eight. Del Petro is carrying a wrist injury and he has not recorded many victories over the sport`s big names in recent times. Also, he faces a tough examination from David Nalbandian in the opening round.

Djokovic is seeded to face fourth seed David Ferrer in the semi-finals, with Federer and Murray set to line up against each other once again in the top half of the draw. While Ferrer is a capable player - he is, after all, the highest ranked man outside the Big Four of Federer, Djokovic, the injured Rafael Nadal and Murray - he trails the Serb 8-5 lifetime on all surfaces and 7-2 on hard courts.

The bottom half of the US Open men`s singles draw looks like only producing one outcome - a finalist with the surname of Djokovic. And, if the semi-final in the other section goes all the way, which seems probable if Federer and Murray contest it, Djokovic may be advantaged by the policy of US Open organisers to play the semi-finals and the final on consecutive days. Everything has the potential to work out perfectly for the entertaining king of the hard courts.

Djokovic may have lost his last four matches against the Big Four but none of them took place on a hard court, which is the Serb`s best surface. Djokovic is 29-3 on hard courts this season, losing only to Murray in the Dubai semi-final, John Isner in the Indian Wells semi-final after holding match points and Federer in the Cincinnati final.

Likewise in the US Open women`s singles, there is only one player worth backing to win the championship. That player is Serena Williams, who is around evens to win on home soil.

Williams has won 36 of her last 38 matches and, if the New York hard courts play as fast as they did last year, her booming serve that was on show during Wimbledon and the London 2012 Olympic Games will be very tough to break.

Drawn in the US Open women`s singles third quarter and bottom half, the highly ranked seeds whom she may have to beat to reach the title decider are Agnieszka Radwanska, Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki. None of them is shorter than 25-1 if one takes into account top prices.

To win what be her fourth US Open women`s singles crown, Williams will only have to beat one of Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters, Petra Kvitova, Li Na and Maria Sharapova because they have been drawn together in the top half.

Neither Djokovic nor Williams is an original US Open title pick but they are best players on hard courts and they have been handed the best tournaments draws as well so get on.

Go To bet365

#Ad

28/08/2012     © Frixo 2024