Medibank International Semis - Nalbandian vs Gasquet

Sydney, Australia – The Medibank International tournament in Sydney is close to wrapping up an exciting week of tennis betting in the lead-up to the Australian Open. Tennis bettors were given a great opportunity to follow some of the best ATP tour players as they prepare for the first Grand Slam of the season. It is not over yet as we still have the semi-final round and the finale to bet on in the next two days. Let’s get started then shall we.

The first semi-final on the books at BetUS Sportsbook is a great one. David Nalbandian versus Richard Gasquet will showcase some fine high-paced tennis. Bookmakers firmly favour David Nalbandian at -200; what with the Argentinean owning the head-to-head series by a whopping 6-0, the market on him would be correct. Gasquet – also known as ‘baby Federer’ – is the underdog coming in at puppy odds of +150.

Tennis Betting Line:

David Nalbandian -2½ -115 -200 22½ O -120 U -120

Richard Gasquet +2½ -125 +150 22½ O -120 U -120

Match Time: 09:00 P.M. Eastern Time Thursday 15 January 2009

Head-to-Head Analysis: Nalbandian owns a comfortable 6-0 edge spanning all surfaces.

Tennis Betting Analysis:

David Nalbandian -200: Fourth seed Nalbandian is appearing in his first event of the season. By reaching the semis, it is safe to say he is off to a good start. The Argentinean player is one of the better returners in the game. He can dictate play from the baseline and is net game is pretty good as well.

In Sydney, Nalbandian received a bye into the second round. He opened his tournament against Michael Llodra, beating the Frenchman in straight easy sets 6-1, 6-3. In the quarterfinal, Nalbandian took out crowd favourite Lleyton Hewitt in a thrilling encounter that featured two tight sets. He is 2-0 for the term.

Richard Gasquet +150: Gasquet underperformed last season and dropped in the ranks. He currently weighs in beyond the top 20. However, given his performance in the first two weeks of the season, if he can keep up the momentum, it won’t be long before he returns into the top 10 fold. Last week, in Brisbane, Gasquet was a semi-finalist. He lost to eventual champion Richard Gasquet. In Sydney, Gasquet did not seed. He opened his tournament against Dmitry Tursunov and then took out second seed, compatriot Gilles Simon. In the quarters, he bested another compatriot, Jeremy Chardy in straight sets 6-2, 7-6(4).

Tennis Betting Verdict: Third seed Nalbandian has had Gasquet's number since their first-ever career meeting in 2003. He has beaten his six times so he should be feeling pretty confident coming into this semi-final, making him the choice play. Gasquet is a quality player but his fragile confidence has been a source of woe for him as well as his fans. He has the tools and the game to beat a player like Nalbandian, but mentally having fallen short in the past, he is questionable. Betting on him to win tonight –even though the law of averages dictates he is due to win at some point, and surely now is as good as any time – is not a sure play. It is not unlikely though. I for one would not be surprised if he does mastermind his first win over Nalbandian. But I will go with the market on this one and pick Nalbandian

Tennis Free Picks: Nalbandian in three sets

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