Open de Moselle Semi-final - Stepanek vs. Tursunov

Metz, France – The Open de Moselle has seen a whole host of upsets as the final four finally took shape at the end of tennis betting today. In the top half of the draw, seventh seed Radek Stepanek and fourth seed Dmitry Tursunov set up a clash in the semi-finals tomorrow after each won their respective quarterfinal encounters today.

Dmitry Tursunov dismissed Carlos Moya in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. Preceding his quarterfinal victory, Tursunov topped Jose Acasuso and Thiery Ascone. Radek Stepanek came in to form at the Open de Moselle with victories over Julien Benneteau and Michael Llodra in the opening rounds. In the quarterfinal he was tested by Eduardo Schwank but stormed back to win the match in three 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4.

Therefore, with the tennis betting picking up steam at BetUS Sportsbook, here is a look at the first of the two final four matches of the European indoor swing.

Tennis Betting Line: Radek Stepanek vs. Dmitry Tursunov

Match Time: 05:00 AM Eastern Time Saturday October 4, 2008

Head-to-Head Analysis: Interestingly the pair have met only once before at an ATP tournament. In 2007, Stepanek beat Tursunov in Moscow, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Tennis Betting Analysis:

Stepanek: The veteran Czech player holds a slim edge over Tursunov having beaten the Russian in his native city, Moscow. Stepanek weighs in at No. 27 in the world. He started the year ranked No.30 and a modest performance in 2008 saw him improve slightly. Stepanek was sidelined for a month in the summer with an injury after Wimbledon.

He returned to tournament play in July at the Canada Masters. Clearly, he was rusty as he went on a three-consecutive match-losing streak before reaching the R32 of the US Open (l. to Federer). This is his first tournament since the US Open and he has done extremely well to reach the final four. Indoor courts suit the versatile Czech player, as he is a great net player, one of the true serve-and-volley players left on the ATP tour. Overall, Stepanek is 30-16 for the season (including the Open de Moselle).

Tursunov: Ranked No.32 in the world, Dmitry Tursunov brought a 28-19 mark for the season to Metz that includes one ATP title. Tursunov won in Sydney at the start of the season. He also finished runner-up in Indianapolis (l. to Simon). His other highlights include quarterfinals in Doha and three R16 appearances at a Masters event – Miami, Canada and Cincinnati.

Indoor hard courts suit Tursunov’s game as well. Fast surfaces are his stomping ground when he his game is clicking. He has a huge forehand and a big serve. Temperament though is a problem as he sometimes gets in the way of himself, and well, after that he just mentally implodes.

Tennis Betting Verdict: If Tursunov can keep it together in crucial moments, he can outplay Stepanek, but if he suffers a questionable mental moment, Stepanek will chew him up.

Tennis Betting Picks: Stepanek in three sets

Nila Amerova is a freelance sports writer and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room