Shanghai Masters Day Four Tips: Including bets on Andy Murray and Roger Federer

Events / Ben Caudell / 11 November 2008 / 1 Comments

Ben Caudell on the return to action of the Red Group where Federer must defeat Stepanek, who has replaced Roddick, to stay in the competition.

Jo Wilfried Tsonga has let us down yet again and is now out of the tournament having lost both of his round robin matches thus far. The sluggish Frenchman didn't look like the player he was when winning the Paris Masters two weeks ago and now has a dead rubber match against a rejuvenated Novak Djokovic to make it a hat-trick of losses!

Novak Djokovic and Nikolay Davydenko played some of the best tennis so far seen in Shanghai, especially in the first set in which the Serb eventually won 7-6. Davydenko regained his composure and sailed through the second set 6-0 providing us with a winning bet which was to lay Djokovic 2-0 at the start. I said this match had the makings of a three-setter and it was the Serbian who eventually came through, making him the first player into the semi-finals.

Wednesday's matches include Andy Murray v Gilles Simon, the winner almost guaranteeing a semi-final place. The second match is now between Radek Stepanek and Roger Federer after Andy Roddick withdrew through injury, meaning the serve-volleying Czech comes in to take his place in the unenviable position of needing to win his two matches against Federer and Simon to progress.

Murray and Simon have played each other three times in the past with Andy Murray leading the head-to-head 2-1. Their most recent match was at the Madrid Open finals just under a month ago which Murray on in straight sets, 6-4 7-6. Although I believe that Murray should win this match I have a gut feeling that Simon will battle hard to disrupt Murray's rhythm. It will be the fittest and most patient player who will end up winning. The court surface is extremely slow for an indoor hard court and this will favour Simon, so expect many breaks and another three-set epic.

Selection: Lay Andy Murray 2-0 @ [1.9] - Small back bet on Simon @ [4.0] to win match and then lay off.

Comments (1)

1. free bet | 12 November 2008

   Amazing how Roger lost..its just fatigue from the season....