Events / Editor / 04 August 2007 /

The BCR Open Romania, starting on September 10, should provide tennis fans and punters with plenty of betting opportunities.

Those with bets on Austria's Jurgen Melzer in last year's clay-court event in Bucharest collected at attractive odds when he beat Filippo Volandri of Italy 6-1 7-5 - and the pair are likely to feature prominently in the betting again.

Those pondering a bet should note that since its inception in 1993, when it was first won by Goran Ivanisevic as short odds, Spain has enjoyed a healty contingent of BCR Open winners, including Alberto Berasategui (1996), Francisco Clavet (1998), Alberto Martín (1999), Joan Balcells (2000), David Ferrer (2002) and David Sanchez (2003), while Carlos Moya (1996) and Albert Montanes (2001) were beaten finalists.

Barcelona-born Montanes is therefore likely to be a popular bet as he bids to go one better this year alongside fellow Spaniards Oscar Hernandez, Nicolas Almagro and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, whose odds will be of interest.

Twice-beaten Russian finalist, Igor Andreev, whose last ATP singles win came in October 2005 in Moscow at short odds, was beaten in 2004 by Jose Acasuso and just prior to his triumph on home soil to Florent Serra.

The right-hander landed many a bet when he bounced back from a knee injury to claim the scalp of Andy Roddick before crashing to Novak Dokovic in straight sets in the quarter-finals at this year's French Open - and he is also likely to figure in the betting when the markets emerge.

The 2005 winner, French right-hander Florent Serra, is also included in the main draw and could be attractive odds. He reached a career-high ranking of 36 in June 2006 after adding to his BCR win with victory over Xavier Malisse in Adelaide, Australia, the same year and coild be worth a bet.

He reached the second round of Wimbledon and the US Open in 2007 and could be a live threat in the betting.

Argentina's José Acasuso, who thrashed Andreev in the 2004 final, also returns looking for his first ATP singles title since February 2006 when he beat Nicolas Massu in Chile and his odds could appeal in what is sure to be a betting bonanza.

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