It’s that time of year again, and BetUS has all the clay court action at Roland Garros. The biggest names in tennis are in Paris to contest the 2010 French Open, so strap yourself in for a fortnight of riveting tennis betting.
The tournament kicked off yesterday, and already we’ve been privy to some five-set thrillers. While most of the stars sailed through their opening fixtures, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had to fight for his life as young German international Daniel Brands pushed him to five sets.
Other upsets included Rainer Schuettler bowing out in straight sets to 32nd seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, while in the women’s draw both Victoria Azarenka and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez were beaten by their unseeded opponents.
BetUS has all the odds for this year’s French Open, so keep updated throughout the next fortnight for the latest picks.
Roger Federer: -10000
Peter Luczak: +1800
This one should be a sure thing. Roger Federer is back to his best, having already picked up the Australian Open title this year and looking to earn back-to-back French Open Championships. Rafael Nadal has returned to the tournament, and the clay court veteran will likely pose a threat further into the event, but for now Federer only has to concentrate on his initial matchup.
Peter Luczak has yet to make it past the first round of the French Open, and with Roger Federer standing in his way you’d suspect that he’ll be waiting at least another year for a shot at a second round berth. The 30-year-old Australian missed out on a qualifying place last year, but has picked up his form in recent weeks and will doubtless play as if he has nothing to lose.
Andy Murray: -225
Richard Gasquet: +175
Still without a Major to his name, Andy Murray now has to turn his sights to Roland Garros. After putting in all the hard work to reach the final of the Australian Open, it was disappointing to see the Brit so comprehensively beaten. However, after producing his best finish in the tournament last year, you’d have to tip Murray to at least reach the quarterfinals again.
Murray’s first match won’t be an easy one though, according to BetUS. Richard Gasquet is a hometown hero, nicknamed Baby Federer in his formative years. The Frenchman hasn’t had much success in the French Open, especially in previous outings. After reaching Number 7 in the world three years ago, Gasquet has continued to slip down the ranks and now sits at 68th. A few weeks ago, Gasquet would have been at much longer odds, but thanks to his ATP Tour win over Fernando Verdasco on Saturday he is considered an outside chance to cause an upset.
Serena Williams: -5000
Stefanie Voegele: +1200
It’s been a long struggle to get back to World Number 1, but Serena Williams has finally pulled it off. After plenty of controversy regarding Dinara Safina’s long stay at the top of the women’s ranking – despite never winning a Major title – Williams and her sister Venus are back to first and second seeds. Her opener shouldn’t be a struggle, but in a tournament such as this, anything is possible.
Young Stefanie Voegele will face her toughest test tomorrow when she takes on Serena Williams. The Swiss has never qualified for Roland Garros before, but thanks to her best finish at the Australian Open earlier this year the 20-year-old will attempt to cause the biggest upset of the tournament. Voegele has already taken on one of the Williams sisters, losing to Venus in the first round at Wimbledon last year, but Serena is an entirely different package.
Follow the 2010 French Open over the next couple of weeks at BetUS. The online bookmaker will provide you with the latest lines and odds, and for new members you can receive up to 155% in bonuses straight away. If you’d like to know more about online tennis betting, take at look at our comprehensive tennis betting guide.