ATP Pilot Pen – Baghdatis begins campaign against Andreev

New Haven, CT, USA – Giant slayer Marcos Baghdatis headlines the field at the ATP Pilot Pen Tennis tournament, the last stop before the US Open gets underway. BetUS Sportsbook brings all the action to you front-and-centre, including Baghdatis’s opening match against Russian Igor Andreev.

Baghdatis is after a standout showing at the Cincinnati Masters where he felled Tomas Berdych and Rafael Nadal in succession before falling to Roger Federer (eventual champion) in the semis. Before Cincinnati, Baghdatis finished runner-up at Washington, losing to David Nalbandian.

The sceptics amongst you will surely say he cannot continue pace in New Haven. Such consistency of form isn’t in his DNA.

It’s not difficult to imagine that Baghdatis would slow down this week. He has after all put in a lot of court time in the preceding weeks and fatigue catches up to just about everybody.

A forensic analysis of the field, particularly, where his section of the draw is concerned reveals that he has a relatively straightforward section, through which he should navigate a comfortable course into the quarters.

It may be stretching some to claim that he will not be challenged very much but I do think he enters the tournament with all the momentum on his side. This makes him at the moment the odds-on-favourite to win the title.

Tennis Betting Line:

Marcos Baghdatis -3½ Ev -300 22½ O -115 U -125

Igor Andreev +3½ -140 +200 22½ O -115 U -125

Match time: 04:30 PM EST (01:30 Pacific Time) Tuesday August 24, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: Baghdatis enters his opening round match as the -300 favourite to win outright. The Cypriot trails lifetime 0-1 to Andreev having lost to him in 2007 at Roland Garros. The mark is old and it clearly doesn’t affect the money on this matchup at all.

Andreev is the +200 puppy in spite of edging Baghdatis in head-to-heads. The reason why Andreev is so disadvantaged is two-fold. Andreev is a) predominantly a clay-court guru and b) he is wholly off form this season, boasting a 13-14 mark ahead of this clash.

The 27-year-old Russian has been struggling with injuries this season and because of this, he has seen very little in the way of match play. Those times when he did, he met with little success. He was rusty and it showed. That a slump ensued was to be expected.

Tennis Free Picks: It makes a great deal of sense to back Marcos Baghdatis in this match for the win at -300. Andreev is a grinder and a tough opponent to get by. So where he could offer value is in the handicap and totals markets – to cover the spread at +3 ½ -140 and to push the match Over 22 ½ -115.