Davis Cup Betting: USA and Argentina hot favourites to progress to the semis

Davis Cup Betting / Barry Millns / 11 April 2008 / Leave a Comment

TV tennis commentator Barry Millns previews all four quarter-finals of the Davis Cup where the likes of Andy Roddick, Paul-Henri Mathieu and Marat Safin will all be in action

Before a ball has been struck in the Davis Cup quarterfinals, developments off court appear to have boosted USA's hopes of continuing their defence of the title. While team captain Patrick McEnroe has been able to call on his established quartet of Andy Roddick, James Blake and the Bryan brothers, his opposite number Guy Forget has been forced to ring the changes.

Not only has Australian Open runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga flown home because of a knee injury which may require surgery, but the French No.1 Richard Gasquet has been left out of the opening days singles because of a blistered right hand as well as a sore knee. Consequently Forget has selected Michael Llodra and Paul Henri Mathieu for singles duty, with Llodra also due to partner Arnaud Clement in Saturday's doubles.

Llodra will be first up against Roddick, who has won 27 Davis Cup singles rubbers including his last seven. But while Llodra has never played a 'live' Davis Cup singles before, the left-handed serve and volleyer should like the fast indoor court in the Joel Coliseum as much as the American and both of them have already won two titles each this season.

Picked as France's No.1, Mathieu will then take on Blake who needed a final set tiebreak to beat him last year in New Haven. Just four places apart in the rankings Blake should have the edge again, especially if he gets in the first strike as he likes to do.

Beyond that the Bryan brothers have said the doubles could be their toughest yet against the pair who beat them in last year's Wimbledon final. But the Americans just won Miami and as a team USA are currently trading at [1.22] to reach the semi-finals with France at [4.8].

Russia's captain Shamil Tarpischev, who has made many smart decisions before, has decided to risk out-of-form Marat Safin for first day singles duty against the Czech Republic in Moscow rather than Miami champion Nikolay Davydenko. Safin has won only one match this year, but he has far better Davis Cup record than Davydenko and could certainly upstage the mentally fragile Tomas Berdych in the opening rubber on clay.

Igor Andreev, who is a proven force on the dirt, has then been picked ahead of Mikhail Youzhny, to face Radek Stepanek, who won their only previous encounter but on a faster surface more to his liking than the one laid in the Luzhniki Small Sports Arena. Davydenko and Mikhail Youzhny have been named to face the Czech doubles specialists Lukas Dlouhy and Pavel Vizner and currently Russia are being backed to advance at [1.67] with the Czechs trading at [2.3].

Rafael Nadal, who missed Spain's first round victory in Peru, returns for the tie away to Germany on an indoor hard court in Bremen's AWD Dome. Runner-up last weekend in Miami, the world No.2 will kick things off against Nicolas Kiefer, whom he beat comfortably there 6-2, 6-4.

A closer call may be the second singles between Philipp Kohlschreiber and David Ferrer. The Spaniard leads their head-to-head 2-1 but has lost form since reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

After a strong start to the year it has been a similar story for Kohlschreiber, who will also partner Philipp Petzschner in the doubles versus Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco. Currently Germany are trading at [3.5] to succeed compared with Spain at [1.4].

But, as things stand, the clearest favourites in any off the quarterfinals are Argentina at [1.05] who will be hosting Sweden who are [15.5] outdoors on the slow clay court in their 'fortress' - the Estadio Parque Roca in Buenos Aires. The Argentines have not lost at home for 10 years and the Swedes were crushed there 5-0 in 2006.

Last year, in the quarterfinals in Gothenburg, Sweden prevailed 4-1 so the hosts will be out for revenge this time with David Nalbandian looking to reverse the result of his opening rubber against Thomas Johansson before Jose Acasuso faces Robin Soderling. With Nalbandian due to partner Guillermo Canas against Jonas Bjorkman and Robert Lindstedt on Saturday, Argentina could well secure victory before the third and final day.