in Tennis Free Picks

Halle, Germany – At the close of second round free picks.

: Steve Darcis +190 Michael Llodra -275

Match Time: 05:00 AM Eastern Time, Thursday June 12, 2008

Tennis Prediction: Michael Llodra has had an interesting season, starting with a victory in Adelaide, followed by a quarterfinal appearance in Auckland. Subsequent back-to-back meagre performances at the Australian Open and Marseille were followed by a victory in Rotterdam. But after winning his second title a long string of first round exits ensued before a turnaround saw him surprisingly reach the R16 in Roland Garros last week. Entering the draw with an 18-11 mark for the year and two ATP titles, Llodra is rightly favoured over Steve Darcis. However, if history were an indication, another brain freeze of a performance may seem him crash out sooner than later. Let’s hope not for he is my pick.

Tennis Free Picks: Llodra in straight sets

: Mikhail Youzhny -150 Nicolas Kiefer +110

Match Time: 05:00 AM Eastern Time, Thursday June 12, 2008

Tennis Prediction: Extremely versatile, equally inconsistent, Mikhail Youzhny is the favourite because of his all-court and all-surface type game. However, his inconsistency is a serious handicap against him, making him on any given day a risky bet as he is capable of losing against the most likely player. Nicolas Kiefer has home court edge. The German player will have a partisan crowd to spur him on, so a victory for Kiefer is not entirely unlikely. In fact, the most recent victory – in their 3-1 lifetime record – was notched by Kiefer last year. Although it was his first win against Youzhny, who had previously (from 2001-04) won three in a row, it was significant as it was at a time when Kiefer was launching a comeback on the tour after missing more than a year with a wrist injury. Decidedly in better form, he can surprise Youzhny.

Tennis : Kiefer in three sets

: Marcos Baghdatis vs. Fabrice Santoro

Match Time: 05:00 AM Eastern Time, Thursday June 12, 2008

Tennis Prediction: Marcos Baghdatis is coming from the Surbiton challenger event on grass last week where he was the top seed but ended up giving a walkover in his 2nd round match. It is tough to predict what form Baghdatis currently enjoys in Halle. In top form, Baghdatis is a threat on the faster surface so in theory he should win this match. However, Santoro is a tricky player. An exceptional playmaker who can adjust his game to any style, Santoro is one player that should not be underestimated.

Tennis : Baghdatis in three sets

: Roger Federer vs. Jiri Vanek

Match Time: 05:00 AM Eastern Time, Thursday June 12, 2008

Tennis Prediction: Jiri Vanek is what is known as a journeyman player coasting under the radar in between ATP and challenger events. This matchup does not warrant much thought.

Tennis : Federer in straight sets

So there you have it, a nice short break down for you of some of the exciting betting on tennis!

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