US Open Betting / Sean Calvert / 29 August 2011 /

Sean Calvert kicks off his US Open daily tips with a recommended lay of Maria Sharapova to win in straight sets against Brit Heather Watson. Here's the reasoning behind it and the other best bets of day one.

The US Open 2011 is scheduled to begin today in New York and weather permitting, we should have some cracking matches on Day One.

And none more so than Heather Watson's US Open main draw debut in the women's singles, which is the stuff of dreams, against Maria Sharapova on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court.

Looking at the odds on Sharapova of [1.04], you would be forgiven for thinking that Watson is a no-hoper. But that's not the case and I think that the Brit can take a set off the 2006 champion.

Although this is the pair's first meeting, they know each other well from the Nick Bollettieri Academy, where they both train, and they should know each other's games well.

Watson won the US Open Junior title here a few years ago and her solid serve and groundies, plus superb movement, could cause Maria a few problems on a big stage that Watson will love.

If Heather can lure her opponent into some longer rallies, Sharapova's cumbersome movement could be exposed enough for Watson to grab a set.

The Russian's price of around [1.18] to win this in straight sets looks a lay to me.

On the men's side today the best value bet could prove to be Marcel Granollers to take out Xavier Malisse at around [2.28].

The Belgian is favourite for this on the perception that Granollers is purely a clay-court specialist. But Malisse in in awful form, has a poor recent record in New York, and the Spaniard is flying right now.

Granollers defeated Fernando Verdasco, Mikhail Youzhny, Stan Wawrinka and Igor Andreev to win the title in Gstaad recently and is at a career high 32 in the world.

He's not just a red dirt baller either, as he proved by reaching the fourth round in Miami this year (beating Wawrinka and Michael Llodra) and by reaching the final on quick indoor hard-courts in Valencia last year.

Malisse has lost in the first round of all four of his hard-court events this swing and he hasn't been past the opening round in New York since 2007.

The 31-year-old Belgian has also been struggling with a right arm injury lately, so all told, he looks worth taking on at [1.78].

There's plenty of other action around today of course and for a Monday Betfair Multiple, I'll be taking Dolgopolov, Nishikori, and Anderson, in a treble.

Recommended bets:

Lay Sharapova 2-0 at [1.18]
Back Granollers at [2.28]
Back Dolgopolov [1.16], Nishikori [1.23], and Anderson [1.2] in a Betfair Multiple

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