in Tennis Articles

Barcelona, Spain – Day three of the Open Seat 2007 in Barcelona saw Rafael Nadal storm through another match in spectacular fashion. Extending his winning streak to 69 matches on clay, Nadal dismissed Thomas Johansson in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4.

As Nadal surges into the quarterfinals, unfazed by any challenger, the pressure of continuing on his winning streak is ever more increasing as it becomes only a matter of time before someone halts him. The question is, who will accomplish this seemingly impossible feat?

Earning the quarterfinal court date with Rafael Nadal is No. 72 Potito Starace, who grappled for the dramatic 6-4 7-6(10) victory against Juan Ignacio Chela in the third round.

Potito Starace, tipped at +1400 against Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals, is a very long shot. Nevertheless, with 1400 reasons on the line so to speak, betting on him is rather tempting! Should he orchestrate the upset, a $100 bet would pay out a whopping $1400!

Starace trails 1-0 in head-to-heads against Nadal, owing to a loss at Buenos Aires in 2005. With the memory of that loss over two years old, Starace may take the fight to Nadal in their quarterfinal match. However, with every predecessor’s fall at the hands of the clay court King, it is impossible to conceive that Starace, who arrived at the start of this tournament with an 8/9 YTD win/loss record, could fare better.

Rafael Nadal’s near perfect performance at this tournament has earned him the outrageous price tag of -6500 in the quarterfinal. Nadal has been serving up a storm throughout the tournament and conceded so very few points on his serve that betting against him would seem ludicrous!

Tennis Free Picks: - Going for a hat trick at the Open Seat 2007, two-time defending champion Nadal is the player to beat. Weighing in at -6500, Nadal is the sure bet!

On the same side of the draw, David Nalbandian prepares for a quarterfinal showdown against David Ferrer. With the winner of this match earning a spot in the semifinal round that will, in all likelihood, be against Rafael Nadal, let us take a quick look at the odds for this second quarterfinal matchup.

No. 16 David Ferrer leads 4-1 in head-to-heads against No. 14 David Nalbandian. While this pair is separated in rank by two, Ferrer arrived at the start of this tournament with a 20/8 YTD win/loss record compared to Nalbandian’s 7/8.

With a much better season and coming off a good performance in last week’s Monte Carlo Masters Series, David Ferrer, favored at -180 in this matchup, is the likely bet.

Tennis Free Picks: - David Ferrer for the victory in three sets.

Federer might be winning everything these days, but with online sports betting in the tennis lines, odds and props to earn cold, hard cash!

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