TQ's A-Z / Tareq Quiroz / 28 January 2008 /

Tareq Quiroz runs through the top moments from the last seven days from A to Z...

A is for Afridi. Boom Boom Afridi was at it his imperious best in Pakistan's ODI win over Zimbabwe. He hit 85 off 52 balls in a swashbuckling knock that included six sixes, which took him level with Jayasuriya on the all-time highest six hitters list for ODI's. He will be hoping to take the lead outright in Pakistan's next ODI clash with Zimbabwe on Wednesday. Check out all the latest prices on our range of markets.

B is for Bristol Rovers. It has been a great week for Bristol Rovers followers. In a week dominated by the FA Cup they caused an upset by beating Premiership Fulham in a tense penalty shoot-out on Tuesday. They quickly followed that up with a 1-0 away win at Barnet to secure their place in the 5th round. It's back to the grind of League One this week though with a trip to Crewe on Tuesday. They are currently trading at around [2.8] for that encounter.

C is for Cisse. Marseille have had a topsy-turvy season. They had a poor start in the French League but are also coming up with the occasional great win. French striker Djibril Cisse has struggled to make an impact this season but finally came good on Saturday as he slammed in a hat-trick as Marseille hammered Caen 6-1. They are a team who look to be hitting form so will be worth keeping an eye on in the coming weeks.

D is for Djokovic. Novak Djokovic claimed his first Grand Slam title with a hard fought win over the surprise of the tournament Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. It was a week where Djokovic really came of age and showed that he can play great tennis consistently. His win in the semi over Federer will have given him great confidence and there is a good chance he will pick up another Grand Slam title this year. Watch out for a French Open market coming up soon.

E is for Egypt. The African Cup of Nations is well under way and defending champions Egypt have made an impressive start to their campaign. A superb 4-2 win over Cameroon was quickly followed by a 3-0 win over Sudan. Egypt are often overlooked as one of the main African teams but it would come as no surprise to me if they were to retain their title. At [7.4] in the Winner market I believe they represent good value.

F is for Fenerbahce. It was a free scoring week for Turkish giants Fenerbahce. They began the week with a remarkable 10-3 win in the Turkish Cup and followed that up with a 4-1 win to take second spot in the league and just a point behind Galatasaray. The Winner market has Fenerbahce as slight favourites now but it's still a four horse race for the title.

G is for Gilchrist. Aussie stalwart Adam Gilchrist was denied a win in his final test as India held out for a deserved draw. In a high scoring encounter neither side ever looked like winning and will now be looking forward to the T20 game on Friday. Australia are favourites for that match at current odds of around [1.5]

H is for Holidays Over. There has been some suggestion that Leeds Rhinos have been on an extended holiday in Florida prior to the defence of their Super League crown. I am sure the players won't see a gruelling training camp that way and they will be fired up for the opener against Hull KR on Saturday. A full range of markets will be available for this match and all subsequent live matches. Check them out if you think you can spot the value.

I is for Incredible. Spurs may have had to wait an awfully long time to get the better of their North London rivals but when it did come it was certainly worth waiting for. Arsenal were run ragged by a fluent Tottenham side who will never forget the 5-1 thrashing they inflicted on the warring Gunners. It's off to Wembley now for Spurs and a date with Chelsea. They are currently [2.5] to lift the Carling Cup at the end of February.

J is for Jacque Kallis. South Africa wrapped up an ODI series win over the West Indies with Jacque Kallis providing the crucial runs. He was in magnificent form as he hit 121 off 133 balls and led SA to victory with just eight balls to spare. West Indies will be looking for some consolation on Friday in the fourth ODI. Markets are now available for that match with SA currently trading at [1.3].

K is for Kicking King. It was great to see Kicking King back on a racetrack last week after over two years out of action with injury. The 2005 Gold Cup winner was in good form and was just headed near the line in a trip short of his ideal. The ante-post market for this year's Gold Cup is trading well where Kicking King is currently available at [15.5].

L is for Loeb. Frenchman Sebastien Loeb got his World Rally Championship quest off to a great start with a win in the Monte Carlo Rally. It was Loeb's fifth win in Monte Carlo and the most successful rally driver ever will be hoping to add yet another championship to his collection. Check out the Outright Winner market for all the latest odds.

M is for Marshall. Alex Marshall secured his fifth World title with a resounding victory over Ian Bond in the final of the World Indoor Bowls on Sunday. Marshall really has established himself as one of the game's greats and will be back to chase down a sixth title next year. The tour now moves on to the Welsh Open at the start of February.

N is for New Orleans Hornets. The Hornets are the form team in the NBA. A comfortable win over the Spurs on Saturday extended their winning streak to eight. It is dangerous to write off any team in form and should this run continue then the [30.0] currently available in the Outright Winner market may seem very generous pretty soon.

O is for Ottawa Senators. The NHL is a hotly contested competition and all Ottawa Senator fans will be pleased that their recent indifferent form was put behind them in midweek with an 8-4 win over Tampa Bay. The Stanley Cup is well within their sights now and the market suggests they have a great chance. Detroit Red Wings head the market at around [4.9] but are closely followed by the Senators at [6.2].

P is for Pacquette. The big football story of the week was Havant & Waterlooville's valiant attempt to pull off the biggest shock in football history. Twice they went a goal up at Anfield on Saturday but were eventually undone 5-2. Havant striker Richard Pacquette was the first man on the scoresheet and was available at [65.0] to be first goalscorer. Take a look at this week's First Goalscorer markets if you think you can find similar value bets.

Q is for Qatar Master. An unbelievable final round of 61 saw Adam Scott storm through the field on Sunday to take the Qatar Masters for the second time. Scott birdied his first five holes and never relinquished the lead despite a valiant chase by Henrik Stenson. Scott will now head back to the PGA Tour where the main event this week is the FBR Open. Check out our Winner market for that tournament where Mickelson is currently the hot favourite.

R is for Robson. Sheff Utd boss Bryan Robson has been under a lot of pressure in recent weeks as the Blades have struggled to find any consistent form in the Championship. All that was forgotten on Sunday when they beat Premiership high-flyers Man City 2-1 to secure a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup. On that form a top six finish is still within the realms of possibility. Take a look at out Top Six Finish market for that league if you fancy they can do it.

S is for Sharapova. Maria Sharapova is back and what a way to start to the year. Plagued by injuries last season Maria never really managed to hit top gear in a frustrating '07. Her impressive win over Ana Ivanovic in the final of the Australian Open was no more than she deserved for two weeks of great tennis. In this kind of form Sharapova will fancy her chances of taking the French Open in May. Watch out for markets on that coming soon.

T is for Tiger. The world number one has not been seen out on tour for a couple of months but there was no sign of rustiness as he sauntered away with the Buick Invitational. The manner of the win suggests that Tiger is in the kind of mood to break some more records this season. If you think that this win spells trouble for the rest of the world then it may be wise to take the [2.5] about Tiger winning the Masters in April whilst you still can.

U is for Unbeaten. Inter Milan will not have had a tougher test this season than the match at Udinese on Sunday. They were down to 10 men after only 21 minutes when Cesar was sent off but hung on for a 0-0 draw that saw them preserve their unbeaten record this season. It is getting increasingly difficult for the chasing pack and although Inter are from certain winners they are as low as [1.22] in the Serie A Winner market at the moment.

V is for Valencia. Ronald Koeman is a manager under pressure as his Valencia side continue to struggle in La Liga. They haven't won a league match since early November and Sunday's home loss to Almeria has got the fans screaming for Koeman to go. This week they have the distraction of the Spanish Cup with a trip to Athletico Madrid. This will be an in-play match with a wide range of markets available.

W is for Worcester. Eleventh time lucky for Worcester as they finally secured their first win of the season in the Guinness Premiership. It was a solid performance from Worcester as they put in a spirited second half display to beat Bristol 25-5. Hopefully they will continue this through the rest of the season and certainly will be worth following in the coming weeks.

X is for X-Rated. Torino v Lazio may not have had any goals but the match was certainly not lacking in action. The ill-tempered clash saw ten yellows and two red cards, including a red card on debut for Man City flop Roland Bianchi. Serie A has more than its fair share of red cards so make sure you check out the Sending Off market in Sundays main in-play game.

Y is for Young. Fabio Capello was at Villa Park on Saturday to watch the only Premiership fixture on the day. He can't fail to have been impressed with the performance of Villa star Ashley Young. He has proved all season that his mazy runs are a nightmare for all defenders and he is one of the main reasons Villa currently sit in 5th place. If you think they can maintain that form then check out the Premiership Top Six market where Villa are currently around [1.98].

Z is for Zzzzz. Serie A wasn't the place to go for goals last weekend. There were only seventeen goals in ten games and there were three 0-0 draws. Don't be surprised to see more of the same in the midweek Italian Cup fixtures. Check out the O/U 2.5 Goals market for those games if you think goals will be at a premium.

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