Since the Bet Enthusiast service began last November we have only recommended two 10 point maximum bets. The first such tip was for Tiger Woods to win the US Masters in April. This was ultimately a losing bet but Woods finished four shots off the pace, despite a triple bogey during the second round which included a two stroke penalty.
The second maximum bet advised by the service is for Rafael Nadal to win the French Open in tennis. The tournament begins on Sunday and involves two weeks of Grand Slam action on red clay. This is a slow surface on which the ball bounces higher and makes for long rallies and extended matches that can last up to five hours in the best of five set format in the men’s event.
Nadal is arguably the best clay court player in the history of the game. He has won the French Open seven times and is now as low as 4/6 to win the title in Paris this year. He has won seven titles or more in five ATP Tour events and all of these have been on clay. His Grand Slam tally stands at 11 championships, including each of the majors, though all but four in the French Open.
The Spanish player shortened for this year’s renewal of the French Open after Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro withdrew. On current form he is yet again the man to beat at Roland Garros due to wins in clay court tournaments in Paris, Barcelona and Paris following an enforced break from the sport due to injury.
As a result of that absence Nadal has slipped down the rankings and he is seeded number four in Paris, after Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and David Ferrer. Djokovic and Federer will be in opposite sides of the draw which means Nadal will have to beat one of the pair in order to win the final two weeks on Sunday.
The French Open will provide plenty of trading opportunities. Tennis is one of the most volatile betting sports as the odds change after each point. The scoring system means that matches can swing on one point, especially if that leads to a break of serve. In many tennis matches each player can be the favourite or underdog at different stages of a match.
A successful tennis betting strategy is to lay a short priced favourite and then back the same player at slightly bigger odds when he loses a point on serve or loses a game. This is a bet can be struck often during a match and a series of small wins can accumulate significantly.
One entry point is 1.05 which equates to a liability of £50 with a stake of £1000. You can close the bet at 1.03 to limit to losses to £20 but there will be enough opportunities to then back the same player at 1.07 to win that amount. These are not huge figures but bear in mind the limited downside and the many opportunities to trade into a winning position.
Back next Friday.
Ian Hudson
Bet Enthusiast
http://go.betfan.com/1000/127
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