TQ's A-Z / Tareq Quiroz / 07 January 2008 /

TQ goes through the alphabet as he looks back at the week in the world of sport

A is for Adams. Current BDO World Champion Martin Adams got a tricky first round tie out of the way in his defence of the title with a comfortable 3-0 win. With pre-tournament favourite Gary Anderson already out of the event, Wolfie will fancy his chances of retaining his crown. Check out all markets for the BDO Champs.

B is for Berbatov. Dimitar Berbatov is seemingly in the news every day for one reason or another. The talented Bulgarian is reportedly being tracked by some of the top teams in Europe and I am sure the speculation will continue throughout January. It doesn't seem to have affected his form for Tottenham though and he may be worth a punt at 20 in the Top Goalscorer market, especially if he does get a move away to a top four club.

C is for Clarke. Just as the 2nd test between Australian and India seemed destined for a draw Michael Clarke struck with 3 quick wickets. It was enough to finish off a valiant India and equal the world record of 16 straight test victories. Can they break the record in the 3rd test coming soon?

D is for Davenport. Lindsay Davenport is on the winning trail early in 2008 with a straight sets victory in the final of the Auckland Classic. On her return from having a child Davenport has been in great form and will be a force to be reckoned with at the Australian Open. She is currently trading at 28 and will be a danger to all.

E is for Eduardo. Arsenal have had a very solid festive period and at a time when a strong squad is very helpful, Arsene Wenger has been able to call upon some great reserves. None more so than goalscoring machine Eduardo, who netted against Everton and West Ham in the league before scoring the first goal in the cup win at Burnley. Check out the FA Cup Winner market for the latest prices where Arsenal are currently [5.4]

F is for Fabio. New England Manager Fabio Capello emerged from his winter break to run his eye over the talent he has to choose from for his first squad. He was seen at Villa Park and Kenilworth Road over the weekend and I am sure he will be a regular guest at all Premiership grounds over the coming months. His first match in charge is against Switzerland on February 6th, watch out for the range of markets we will have for that game.

G is for Giannakopoulos. Stelios Giannakopoulos struck a cruel blow to Derby hopes of staying in the Premiership when he netted deep into injury time to earn Bolton all 3 points. Derby now look certain for the drop but Bolton are an improved team under Megson and should escape. The Relegation market has all the latest prices.

H is for Havant. The FA Cup hasn't lost its magic and all Havant & Waterlooville fans will testify to that. The non-league side fought back bravely against Swansea to earn a replay through Rocky Baptiste's late equaliser. Markets for the replay will be available early this week and you can be sure there will be plenty of support for the non-leaguers.

I is for Incredible. Finnish legend Janne Ahonen was at it again last week as he became the first man ever to win the Four Hills ski jumping event five times. There were thoughts the great Ahonen as on his way out but he has defied his critics and is well on his way to breaking even more records. Check out the overall World Cup winner market to see how Ahonen is priced up to take that title too.

J is for Jags. Jacksonville Jaguars snatched a late win over the Pittsburgh Steelers to progress to the next phase of the play-offs. Josh Scobee's late field goal broke Pittsburgh's hearts and gave Jags fans the belief that their team could still get to the Superbowl. They are available at 19 in the Winner market at the moment.

K is for King. He is the king of the biathlon scene and last week's performances in Oberhof have had all kneeling before him. Ole Einar Bjoerndalen was in imperious form as he won the mass start, came second in the sprint and helped Norway to a hard fought relay victory. He is now heading to Rupholding where you can be sure he will start hot favourite for all events he competes in.

L is for Luton. League One's Luton Town proved that there is plenty of quality in the lower leagues as they out-played Liverpool and deservedly earned a replay. With a bit more fortune they could have recorded a famous victory. A money-spinning replay is of great benefit to the club and there will be plenty of markets available for that match if you fancy a major upset.

M is for Murray. Andy Murray claimed the fourth title of his career with a hard fought win over Stanislas Wawrinka in the final of the Qatar Open. It was a great way to start the new year for Murray and he has every reason to believe he can challenge for the major titles this season. At [21.0] he may be a little too short for the Australian Open crown but you may think differently.

N is for New Zealand. Daniel Vettori wrapped up a comfortable win for New Zealand in their first test against Bangladesh. It was a much needed test victory and they will be looking to follow it up in the second test on Friday. Check out all the latest prices.

O is for Oldham. John Sheridan's Oldham side caused one of the week's biggest upsets when they beat high-flying Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park. Gary McDonald was the hero as he scored the spectacular winner and secured Oldham's place in the fourth round draw. A home tie against Huddersfield is the prize and markets for that match will be on site a week before the KO.

P is for Part. Darth Maple clinically put young Kirk Shepherd to the sword as he claimed his 3rd World Championship. It was a great week for the likeable Canadian in a tournament full of shocks and amazing comebacks. That win earned John Part his place in the forthcoming Premier League, watch out for markets for that event.

Q is for Quarterback. New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning was the key man in the Giants impressive win over Tampa Bay. Manning threw for 185 yards and will need to be at his best if they are to trouble Dallas Cowboys in their next match. The Giants are currently [3.75] to win that match and that may represent some value should the Cowboys once again flatter to deceive.

R is for Robinho. Back from a short winter break, Real Madrid scraped a 2-0 win over a determined Zaragoza side. Robinho was the star of the game as he created one and scored the other in a win that saw them keep their 7 point lead at the top of the table. Real are now 1.5 in the Winner market and their rivals will need a slip up from Real if they are to have a chance.

S is for Super Swede. Daniel Chopra has emerged as one of the brightest lights on the PGA Tour and further cemented his status by winning the opening event of the 2008 season. A superb final round was enough to get him into a play-off and he held his nerve to beat Steve Stricker. The in-form Swede will be going for back to back victories in this week's Sony Open. Check out the Winner market if you think he can continue this great run of form.

T is for The Proteas. South Africa levelled up the test series with a well earned win in Cape Town. Dale Steyn was the key to the win with eight match wickets but he left the glory to Graeme Smith on the final day as he plundered 85 off 79 balls to wrap up the win as quickly as possible. South Africa are trading at 1.5 for the deciding test on Thursday in what promises to be an exciting end to the test series.

U is for USA. Serena Williams and Mardy Fish teamed up to bring the Hopman Cup back to the United States for the 5th time. They overcame a valiant Serbian team in the deciding Doubles match after Jankovic had forfeited her singles match due to injury. It was a great start to the team competitions for the USA and they will fancy their chances of adding to it with strong teams in both the Federation and Davis Cups.

V is for Varndell. Leicester sauntered to an easy win over Harlequins largely thanks to a Tom Varndell hat-trick. The Leicester winger will be hoping that his side can keep this kind of form up as they try and chase down Gloucester in a bid to be the Regular Season winners.

W is for Williams. With Serena victorious in the Hopman Cup, Venus wasn't to be outdone as she swept to victory in Hong Kong. She was very impressive in beating Maria Sharapova in the final and is clearly fully tuned up for the Australian Open. Currently trading at [12] she must be a serious contender for the title.

X is for X-rated. The Portuguese Superliga isn't quite in the same league as the Spanish Primera in regards to disciplinary problems but tempers certainly frayed in the Maritimo v Leixoes clash on Sunday. Five yellows and three reds made for a fiery encounter that nine-man Maritimo eventually won.

Y is for Youzhny. Rafael Nadal was handed out a thrashing at the hands of Mikhail Youzhny in the final of the Chennai Open. An out of sorts Nadal was beaten 6-0 6-1 and will need to restore his confidence ahead of the Australian Open. Youzhny will have no such worries and in this kind of form has to be worth a look at attractive odds of around 130.

Z is for Zzzzz. When all around the country the goals were flying in and whispers of possible cup shocks were reverberating around the football world, West Ham and Man City were playing out a bore draw. A game bereft of excitement will no doubt offer more in the replay and it will certainly need to. Check out all the markets available for this live in-play match.

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