in Tennis Betting Trends

As day four dawns down under in Melbourne, Australia, the second round of the Australian Open is wrapping up and some of the third round match-ups have been set. So let’s take a look at what’s been happening in the second round.

While Roger Federer, Mario Ancic, Mardy Fish, Tommy Robredo, Richard Gasquet and Sam Querrey, to name a few, are safely on their way to the third round, the most anticipated third-round matchup that has been set has to be the clash between the two powerhouse servers Andy Roddick and Marat Safin.

Marat Safin remained true to his reputation as he slugged through another spectacular five-set match against Dudi Sela in the second round. Facing imminent defeat, down two sets and 5-6 in the fourth set with two points to match-point against him on his serve, it was divine intervention when the rain came pouring down through the open roof of the Vodafone Arena. With the match delayed, and Sela’s momentum halted, Safin had a few moments to collect himself before play resumed. With the odds against him, Safin came back in remarkable fashion, finishing off his serve to bring the set to 6-6. Battling for the win in the tie-breaker to make it 7-6, Safin never looked back as he took the fifth set in a convincing 6-0!

The most notable loss yesterday in the second round was last years runner-up Marco Baghdatis, who lost to Gael Monfils in four sets 6-7, 2-6, 6-2, 0-6. Still to be determined later on today are some of the following second round Head-to-Head Match-Ups:

James Blake (-2000) Alex Kuznetsov (+800)
Prediction: James Blake is on a winning streak. Having won the Sydney International just days before the Australian Open kicked-off, he is off to a great start this year. Clearly favored against qualifier Alex Kuznetsov, look for James Blake to win this match in four sets.

Lleyton Hewitt (-550) Frank Dancevic (+325)
Prediction: A known hustler, Lleyton Hewitt will be bolstered by his comeback in the first round. Frank Dancevic, ranked 88 in the world, has yet to advance past the second round in any major event. Short-of a miracle for Dancevic, Lleyton Hewitt should easily advance.

Andrew Murray (-500) Fernando Verdasco (+300)
Prediction: Andy Murray is favored to win this head-to-head matchup, but Fernando Verdasco should not be dismissed quite so easily. Both players share a personal best fourth-round result in a major grand slam event. Fernando Verdasco will be Murray’s first real challenge, following his easy first-round win in straight sets. Perhaps going out on a limb, I would venture to say that he could cause an upset and defeat Murray. I pick Verdasco in five sets.

Rafael Nadal (-1200) Philipp Kohlschreiber (+600)
Prediction: A no-brainer, Rafael Nadal will defeat Kohlschreiber easily.

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