Monte's Multiple / Jaymes Monte / 05 January 2009 /

I went in to New Year's Eve in confident mood that the night's exploits would be paid for by last week's Monte's Multiple. Yet I woke up to find that a hangover had been compounded by the knowledge that Roddick had all but failed to turn up in Abu Dhabi and lost in straight sets. Previous to that, Jelle Klaasen comfortably beat Andy Hamilton and Villa got a huge slice of luck to beat Hull and record the now somewhat inevitable two out of three.
This week is another combination of Darts, Tennis and Football.

Bet One: Darts - BDO World Championships

After the razzmatazz of the PDC World Championships it's now the turn of its poorer step-sister at the place where it all began, the Lakeside Country Club.

You won't see any supermodels or elaborate walk-ons at Lakeside, the prize money is not quite at the same level as the PDC and there isn't a great strength in depth in the competition, as can be seen by some of the first round three-dart averages. However, there are still a number of top quality players which was proven recently in the Grand Slam of Darts where four of the eight quarter-finalists were representatives of the BDO.

Two of those four players come up against each other in the second round of this year's World Championships, Simon Whitlock and Darryl Fitton. Whitlock, last years runner-up, was one of the most impressive BDO performers in that Grand Slam - he topped his group which included Andy Hamilton and Alan Tabern and had Phil Taylor on the ropes in his quarter-final match, before eventually succumbing 10-7 despite a 97.7 average.

Both players won their first round matches 3-0, but Whitlock was a lot more impressive in doing so, posting a 94.95 average in comparison to Fitton's meagre 79.11. My first selection (in true 180 placard fashion) is to back the Aussie Wizard to dazzle The Dazzler.

Selection One: Back Simon Whitlock (to beat Darryl Fitton) @ [1.6].

Bet Two: Football - Spanish Cup

The Spanish Cup has now reached the quarter-final stage. And with a UEFA Cup place up for grabs, it is a competition teams with shaky league positions should take seriously.

Sevilla and Deportivo are two teams which can be considered in that category, and will undoubtedly field their strongest XIs at this stage of the competition. League form is therefore the best when looking at the betting prospect of this game. Sevilla have an impressive home record, having lost just two at home this season, however they seem to have faltered a little of late with only one win in their last four home games. Deportivo, on the other hand, have only won three of their away games this season, but those three wins have come in their last five away trips which suggests they have now found a way to pick up results away from home.

This is the first of a triple header between the two teams, as the two legs of this cup tie sandwich a league game this weekend. Notoriously when teams are involved in a run of fixtures against each other, the first can be a very tight affair with neither team wanting to give too much away. As a result of Sevilla's slight dip in form of late and Deportivo's improvement, plus a predicted tight game the odds-on price on offer for Sevilla looks too short for me, and for that reason I am looking to take them on.

Selection Two: Lay Sevilla (to beat Deportivo) @ [1.8].

Bet Three: Tennis - Qatar Open

The new tennis season is now beginning to get into full swing and all the top players are in Qatar this week for the Qatar Open. Federer, Nadal, Murray and Roddick are the front runners among a particularly strong field.

The first round draw has thrown up an all Russian affair, which sees Mikhail Youzhny matched up against Igor Andreev. Youzhny is currently ranked 32 in the world whereas Andreev is ranked 19. They have met each other twice in the past, Youzhny winning the first match in straight sets on a hardcourt surface in Dubai, and the second was awarded to Andreev after Youzhny retired hurt.

Youzhny has a good record in the Qatar open having reached the singles quarter-finals in 2006 and 2007 and winning the doubles event in 2007. Youzhny also made the quarters of last year's Australian open and beat Nadal in the final of his first tournament of the year in Chennai, showing him to be a quick starter.

To make up the treble this week I'm going for Youzhny to win the battle of the Russians and continue his good record in this competition.

Selection Three: Back Youzhny (to beat Andreev) @ [2.1].

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