in Tennis Free Picks

As the French Open looms on the horizon, the smaller ATP tournaments in the interim are a great source of information on the players, as well as sports betting thrills. What better way to get to know the contenders at the Grand Slam events than by following them through these weekly tennis events.

The ATP ABN AMRO in Rotterdam hosts some of the top players in this years ATP tour, and with the first round already wrapped up, some of the second-round matchups are in full swing. So let’s look at some of the tennis odds offered by BetUS.com on these tennis head-to-heads.

Bottom half of the draw:

Prediction: No. 6 Seed David Ferrer is favored against World No. 43 Kristof Vliegen. Having beaten him once already in 2007 on hardcourt, David Ferrer is a good bet to advance into the quarterfinal round.

Pick: David Ferrer in straight sets.

Result: Ferrer defeated Vliegen easily 6-4, 6-2

Prediction: World No. 22 Mikhail Youzhny has started his 2007 campaign very well, advancing deep into most of the tournaments he has played in. It is, of course, no surprise that he is favored against Wild Card Robin Haase of Netherlands, ranked 164th in the world.

Pick: Youzhny in two sets

Prediction: World No. 14, and fifth seed at the ABN AMRO, Novak Djokovic is the heavy favorite against World No. 120, veteran Andrei Pavel. However, Pavel, at + 400, is a tempting morsel for the sports betting enthusiast that seeks to bet on underdogs with good value. Pavel is a veteran player that has years of experience and is definitely capable of upsetting a higher ranked player. Without a doubt, this match will be closely contested but, in the end, Djokovic should live up to expectations and persevere.

Pick: Djokovic in three sets.

Prediction: Lucky Loser Rik De Voest ranks 135th in the world and arrives as the decided underdog against Tommy Robredo, World No. 7. Playing in his first tournament of 2007, he advanced to the second round after defeating wild card contender Martin Erkerk. However, facing Robredo in the second round will most likely be the farthest he goes in this tournament.

Pick: Robredo in straight sets.

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