TQ's A-Z / Tareq Quiroz / 14 January 2008 /

Tareq Quiroz goes from Greece to Sweden via Korea and South Africa in this globetrotting edition of his A to Z.

A is for AEK Athens. A perfect weekend for AEK saw them go top of the Greek National Liga. A comfortable 5-1 win over struggling Veria on Saturday was followed up by a draw between table topping Olympiacos and third placed Panathinaikos on Sunday afternoon. It is a three horse race for the title and AEK look to be a decent price at 3.1 in the Winner market.

B is for Bode Miller. Controversial American skier Bode Miller secured his 27th World Cup win with a great performance in the Lauberhorn Downhill in Switzerland. Bode is never far from the headlines for one reason or another but there is no doubt he is an amazing talent who will surely pass Phil Mahre's US record of 27 World Cup victories sooner rather than later. Watch out for forthcoming markets on the next World Cup event in Kitzbuhel.

C is for Choi. South Koreas KJ Choi proved once again that he knows how to win golf tournaments. His three shot victory in the Sony Open was his seventh tour title and in tough conditions he was never headed despite a late charge from Rory Sabbatini. The PGA Tour heads off to California this week for the Bob Hope Classic where Mike Weir is the likely favourite. Check out all the markets for this event.

D is for Del Piero. Just when it looked like Juventus were going to leave Catania empty handed they were awarded a penalty. Del Piero stepped up to convert the opportunity and rescue a vital point in Juve's push for a Champions League place or maybe even the title. The Italian season isn't yet at the halfway point so watch out for a big push from now on. Inter are 1.2 to take the title but Juventus maybe worth a look at odds of around 20.

E is for Easy. New Zealand were very easy winners in the 2nd test over Bangladesh in Wellington. There is clearly an enormous gulf at test level between these two nations and whilst Bangladesh have lots of work to do New Zealand will surely be tested more thoroughly when they face England in a few weeks time. Watch out for markets on that series very soon.

F is for Finally! AC Milan are off the mark at home at their eighth attempt. It is unbelievable to think that the current Champions League holders have had to wait so long to notch a win at home in Serie A. Currently 12th in the league they will really have to motor to get a top three position, check out all the latest prices in that market.

G is for Greis. Rupholding is Michael Greis's hometown and he is clearly a man who likes his home comforts as he secured both the Sprint and Pursuit titles. The Biathlon roadshow moves onto Antholz this week and you can expect Greis to be amongst the favourites. Check out all markets available for this event.

H is for Henin. World number one Justine Henin tuned up for her assault on the Australian Open title with a hard fought win over Kuznetsova in the final of the Sydney International. Henin is unbeaten in 28 matches and will be heavily supported to win the years first major and is currently available at 2.38.

I is for India. It has been a stressful week for anyone associated with the Australia v India tour with plenty of issues off the field. Thankfully the 3rd Test has finally arrived and on Wednesday we can expect to see some fantastic cricket. The Match Odds market is trading very well with the Australians currently at 1.41.

J is for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Andy Murray went into the Australian Open full of confidence after a recent tournament win but was not able to get past the first round. Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga proved too tough for Murray and completed the job in four sets. Tsonga is clearly a test for any player and you can be sure that Sam Warburg will have his work cut out against him in round two. Markets are now on site for that match.

K is for Kohlschreiber. German Philipp Kohlschreiber was the winner of the Auckland Open after a fine win over Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final. Kohlschreiber held his nerve in a tense final for only his second ATP tour title. He will go into this week's Australian Open with plenty of confidence and will fancy a good run in the event. He is certainly one to keep an eye on in the early round markets.

L is for Laursen. Martin Laursen had an injury hit start to his career with Villa but since coming back to full fitness he has been a colossus at the back for Martin O'Neill's side. He has also shown that he knows how to score goals and another headed goal at the weekend took his seasons tally to 6. Watch out for him at decent odds for the First Goalscorer market in Villa's next game against Liverpool.

M is for Maguire. Stephen Maguire took out defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the first round of the Masters with a thrilling 6-5 win. It was a tremendous encounter between the two in-form players in the world and it would be no surprise to see Maguire go on and take the title now. He is currently trading at 4.7 in the Winner market and that price may look big pretty soon as we are sure to lose some more big names in the first round.

N is for New York Giants. Giants quarterback Eli Manning ensured that the weekend wasn't a total washout for the Manning family. Just hours after brother Peyton suffered a disappointing loss with the Colts Eli stepped up to the mark and some vital TD passes were the catalyst behind the Giants victory over the Cowboys. The Green Bay Packers will host the Giants next week in an attempt to get to the Superbowl. Markets are now available for both play-off games next weekend.

O is for Ospreys. A Justin Marshall inspired Ospreys side were on great form as they beat Gloucester 32-15 to keep their Heineken Cup hopes alive. Marshall pulled all the strings and James Hook kicked for 22 points in a game that the Ospreys dominated. On that kind of form they are a danger to all and prior to their final group game are available at 11.5 to win the Heineken Cup.

P is for Pollock. Fittingly South African legend Shaun Pollock bowed out of Test cricket with a series win against the West Indies. It was a comfortable 3rd Test win as the West Indies struggled with their batting and an early end to the match was inevitable. Rivalry is renewed on Friday with a T20 fixture and SA are strong favourites at 1.37.

Q is for Quality. Everything about the way Man Utd have gone about business this season suggests they are destined for silverware. A 6-0 win over Newcastle at the weekend was full of wonderful flowing football and the scoreline could actually have been a lot worse for the managerless Geordies. Check out our Man Utd Team Trophies market to see how many of the 3 competitions you think Utd will win this season.

R is for Redknapp. It seems that Harry Redknapp is a constant figure in the sports news and whenever a top job becomes available he is always high on the list. A recent candidate for the England job he was naturally the man Newcastle wanted after unceremoniously dumping Sam Allardyce last week. The Next Newcastle Market is trading wildly and now that Harry appears to have ruled himself out there are plenty of live candidates. Blackburn manager Mark Hughes is the current favourite at odds of 3.75. Keep a constant eye on this market and the news bulletins over the coming week.

S is for Sterne. South African Richard Sterne came through a tough play-off to secure the Joburg Open. Fellow South African Garth Mulroy looked certain to take the title but couldn't finish the job off and was made to pay by the more experienced Sterne. The European Tour heads off to the UAE this week for the Abu Dhabi Champs, watch out for all the usual markets.

T is for Tursunov. Dmitry Tursunov claimed his fourth ATP Tour title with a gritty display against Chris Guccione in the final of the Sydney International. In match totally dominated by serve there were no break points and Tursunov had to come through two tough tie-breakers to take the title. Buoyed by that he will be hard to beat in the Australian Open, although he does face a tricky opener against Xavier Malisse. Tursunov is 1.7 in the Match Odds market and will not be short of support at that price.

U is for Unstoppable. The New England Patriots kept their fantastic season going with a 31-20 win over a gallant Jacksonville Jaguars side. Quarterback Tom Brady was in fine form as they Patriots took control after a shaky opening and are now just one game away from the Superbowl. Check out the Superbowl Winner market for all the latest price moves.

V is for van Nistelrooy. Real Madrid left it late to get the better of a stubborn Levante side but as expected it was Ruud van Nistelrooy who provided the breakthrough. The Dutch hitman scored two late goals to keep Real's charge for the title on full gas. The Winner market suggests Real are in control of the league and are trading at around 1.49.

W is for Webster. Mark Webster was in awesome form as he beat Simon Whitlock 7-5 to become BDO World Darts Champion. At only 24 he has a great future ahead of him and will surely be a target for the PDC in the coming weeks and months. There are many other bright prospects in the BDO and it will be interesting to see if any are tempted across to the money spinning PDC.

X is for X-rated. Not to be outdone by its European rivals, it was the turn of Serie A this week to see a plethora of cards. None more so than in a heated clash between Cagliari and Udinese where there were 6 yellows and 2 red cards. Udinese had to play the last hour with 10 men but managed to hang on for a crucial 1-0 win. Check out the Sending-off? market in this weeks big Serie A game.

Y is for Yawn. Bowls is often regarded as a boring sport played by the older generations. The camera can often be seen panning into the crowd where people appear to be struggling to stay awake but gradually it is a sport that the public are embracing. This week sees the start of the World Indoor Bowls where Ian Bond and Andy Thomson will fancy their chances after taking the pairs title on Sunday. All matches will be available in-play and you can expect to see some exciting action throughout the week.

Z is for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Swedish hitman Zlatan Ibrahimovic notched a brace as Inter won 3-2 at relegation threatened Siena. The three points maintained Inters seven point lead at the top of Serie A. It has also helped Ibrahimovic's cause as he strives to take the Top Goalscorer crown. Trezeguet currently leads the way but only by 2 goals. The Serie A Top Goalscorer market has Trezeguet slight favourite but you can be sure Ibrahimovic won't be far away at the end.

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