Ace Betting Club continues with its good run as we enter a critical part of the season. Players are now looking to qualify for the ATP Tour finals in November. The leading eight players in the rankings will be invited to the O2 Arena in London for the season finale.
There is a lucrative men’s tournament currently taking place in Shanghai. Most of the leading players are competing with the notable exception of Rafael Nada who is still absent due to an ongoing injury problem. He is looking to be fit to play in the Australian Open starting in January but no firm plans have been made.
Andy Murray has an excellent record in Shanghai, partly due to the fact that the tournament is played on a surface that suits his game. He won the US Open outdoors on hardcourts last month so has the form and confidence to win at this level.
This has been a wonderful summer of sport and BetFan has enhanced the enjoyment with some profitable tips and recommendations across a wide variety of sports. The Summer Sports service provided profitable bets for the Olympics.
We are currently looking into the possibility of providing an ongoing service for sporting events over the winter months and beyond. This will provide selections throughout the year for a variety of sports. Details will be announced once a decision has been made on this venture with regards which sports and events to cover.
Horse racing has a rare opportunity to get some extensive coverage away from the racing pages when Frankel runs for the last time next week. The horse officially rated the best in the world is unbeaten in 13 starts and is looking to end his career by winning the Qipco Champions Stakes at Ascot on Saturday week.
Apparently the track is a sell-out as racing fans seem determined to be present when Frankel runs his last race before retiring to stud. There is some disparity in the bookmaker’s prices with most major firms going 1/10 for a Frankel win while the horse can be layed at 1/5 on Betfair.
The apparent discrepancy could be due to the forecast ground. Plenty of rain in the Ascot area means the going could be at best soft and more rain could turn the turf to heavy. Without a back-up plan if the ground goes against Frankel layers are taking the opinion the horse may not relish testing conditions and are trading accordingly.
The 2012-13 Heineken Cup begins at the weekend. It is rugby union’s equivalent of the Champions League in soccer. The best teams from leagues around Europe qualify through their league positions from the previous season. Teams from France, Italy and the home nations qualify to play in the Heineken Cup. All the matches are keenly contested and they are much more intense than the regular domestic fixtures.
The competition consists of eight groups of four teams. Matches are played on a home and away basis and the two top teams in each group qualify for the round of the last 16. At that stage the tournament adopts a knockout format with ties settled over one match and not over two legs. The final will be staged in Dublin in May.
Irish sides have a very good record in this tournament and playing the final in their own country will be a huge incentive for teams from that nation. Leinster have won the Heineken Cup in three of the last four years. They beat Ulster in last season’s final at Twickenham. Munster won the competition in 2007/08 and 2005/06 which means that Irish teams have been Heineken Cup champions over five of the last seven renewals.
Toulouse have an excellent record in the competition. The French side have won the Heineken Cup four times since the first final in 1996. They beat Biarritz in the final three years ago, played at the Stade de France in Paris. Brive are the only other French side to win the Heineken Cup but there win came about in the 1996/97 season.
The odds on offer for the tournament reflect the dominance of Leinster and Toulouse since the competition began. The Irish side are favourites to win for the fourth time in five years. Toulouse are second favourites and it would be fitting if these sides met in the final in May.
Back next Friday.
Ian Hudson
Ace Betting Club
http://go.betfan.com/1000/99
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