Djokovic, Nadal And Murray Head China Open Betting

China Open

Tennis
Published: 29/09/2014

The first round of the ATP China Open has begun today (29th September) in Beijing with Andy Murray`s odds tumbling after his success in last week`s Shenzhen tournament, the Brit lifting a trophy for the first time in over 14 months. Scottish Murray has been made third favourite with most bookmakers, best-priced 11/2 with Betvictor, to pick up back-to-back cups behind Spaniard Rafael Nadal (10/3 - Betvictor) who returns from injury and long-time favourite and current champion Novak Djokovic (5/4 - 32red, 888sport, Betvictor, unibet) who is hoping to secure his fifth victory in the competition since 2009.

The Serb is undefeated in the tournament, having played a total of 19 matches without a single loss. Twenty-seven-year-old Djokovic is the only man to have won the title four times, and is currently looking to tie Michael Chang`s record for consecutive wins. The American captured the title three times from 1993-1995 beating Greg Rudsedski then of Canada, Sweden`s Anders Jarryd and Italy`s Renzo Furlan respectively. Djokovic had been expected to take on this challenge back in 2011, having ruled victorious in both 2009 and 2010, though had to withdraw from the competition with a torn muscle. He gets his second opportunity to do so this time round, having beaten Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Nadal in the 2012 and 2013 finals.

Speaking to ATPworldtour.com, the reigning Wimbledon champion spoke of his affection for the tournament and for the people of China and told of how this encouragement has a positive impact on his game. `As soon as I arrive, I feel this generosity from the people and I feel their hospitality. That`s the first type of positive feeling that I get as soon as I`m on Chinese soil.

`Then the court itself and the balls and the conditions are pretty suitable to my style of playing the game. So for the last four, five years I`ve been playing some of my best tennis on the centre court.`

The commencement of his beloved China Open couldn`t have come soon enough for the world number one who is suffering from something of a down-turn in form following the successive third round exits that preceded a disappointing US Open semi-final defeat at the hands of Kei Nishikori. The 24-year-old Japanese high-riser, who is bizarrely coached by the aforementioned Chang, eventually losing out to Croatian Marin Cilic, who grabbed his first Gram Slam title (6-3, 6-3, 6-3). Champion Cilic has got his own tournament in China off to a flying start having put homegrown Yan Bai to the sword in straight sets (6-3, 6-4).

The wildcard was powerless to stop the 26-year-old Bosnia-born star despite Cilic appearing more than a little court-rusty. Bai failed to make the fourth seed pay when confronted with four opportunities to break serve, with his opponent managing to convert the two break points (from ten chances) required in each set to see himself through to the second round.

Speaking after the match, the victor told the press that he blamed the `different conditions` on him making hard work of his tie.

`I felt that I was playing a little bit better after the beginning, I was still a little rusty after a few weeks. Just to start the match, it was a bit different, different conditions.` Odds of 10/1 can be picked up on the US Open champion scooping up another title in Beijing.

British interest Murray is preparing for his first match since his maiden title of 2014. The Glasgow-born player will face Jerzy Janowicz of Poland tomorrow and is currently the 2/9 (Betvictor, betway, Coral, william hill) favourite to see himself through to the next round. Janowicz can be backed at 4/1 with sportingbet to cause an unlikely upset.

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Any odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of publishing (29/09/2014) but are subject to change.

29/09/2014     © Frixo 2024

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