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Monday 1 August 2016

ATP Atlanta & WTA Brazil Ante-Post


A low key week on both men's and woman's tours due to next weeks Rio Olympics schedule of which Andy Murray defends his gold medal from London and Serena Williams will do likewise in the woman's game but that doesn't mean we don't have value in the outright markets in offer.

ATP Atlanta Monday 4pm


Top seed John Isner loves playing In front of home support here in Atlanta.


He holds one of the most commanding records at an event on the tour.


The huge serving American is the three-times defending champion and was also runner-up to Mardy Fish in 2011 & 10.


Isner is 3/1 jolly for an unprecedented fourth title and looking at the field he has every chance of doing so.


Isner reached the quarterfinals in Washington the week before last showing he is in decent heart and will be at his highest point of motivation on courts he is so difficult to beat.
Second seed Nick Kyrgios 7/2 is vying for favouritism and is the clear favourite with some firms but is not for me at present where his lack of effort in Toronto was there to see, as well as his woeful attitude raising its ugly head once again.


The Aussie was beaten in round one by Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov and will need a massive upturn in determination and intensity of he is to master Isner on home courts where he is renowned for producing his far more consistent tennis.


Kevin Anderson at 6/1 is having a year to forget, where recovery from injury is taking longer than he would hope.


He returned to form in Toronto last week reaching the quarterfinals losing to Stan Wawrinka but could struggle to maintain consistency. Anderson has plenty of points to defend in the coming weeks having won in Winson Salem and followed this up with a quarterfinal run at the  


The US Open last year and this could be further down his pecking order for points.


Like Isner and Krygios the big-serving South African fits the profile of an Atlanta winner with huge servers and flat hitters dominating but Americans have won this for seven consecutive years with Andy Roddick and Robbie Ginepri also champions here either side of Isner and Fish's five titles and I am going with these trends to continue and Isner to justify favouritism at 3/1 with Betfred and Paddy Power.


Contenders down the list to note, Fernando Verdasco has reached the latter stages of 250 events like this in recent weeks however, this was on clay, not hard surfaces and it's should be too quick for the Spanish veteran this week.


Fourth seed Alexander Dolgopolov 16/1 is rarely one to put too much faith in. He is hugely talented but doesn't fit the profile of a tour winner in Atlanta and is very hard to win with anyway.


Taylor Fritz the Memphis runner-up is on a poor run of form, the very talented teenager is only 20/1 this week and would probably want the 50s to have a small investment. I get the feeling he is finding life far tougher in his first full season following a superb end to the last campaign and a positive start to this and he should again be overpowered by a big serving powerful senior rival such as Isner who sits in his section of the draw.

WTA Brazil Tennis Cup


An opportunity for a lesser name to add a WTA title to the resume as many of the big guns await the Olympics next week.


Top seed Jelena Jankovic is 11/2 second favourite and must like her draw where she will feel a title is on her racquet.


My selection this week comes from the second seed and for me the best clay court operator in the field for this tournament.


Irena-Camelia Begu of Romania had a very solid spring campaign over the European clay season and feel the 9/2 with Paddy Power is a stand out price.


Paddy's favour Jankovic at 7/2 where she is 11/2 general so is really making a stance on this outright market.


Begu should handle the conditions well and can take care of 7th & 8th seeded, Asian talents, Nao Hibino 20/1 and Niomi Osaka 14/1 before powering to victory over a Jelena Jankovic or Times Babos 8/1 in the final.


Monica Puig is 11/2 and the third favourite in the betting however after a busy schedule over the grass campaign where she played on her favourite surface I don't see her translating this onto the clay so soon after.


Fourth seed Jelena Ostapenko is s player on the rise and one to keep an eye on for 2017, but she is housed in the more difficult top half with Jankovic, Babos and Puig so are passed over and Begu is the call.


She has massive scope on this surface and has outplayed & outclassed the likes of Victoria Azarenka this year on clay and at 9/2 could look extremely big come the weekend.
Defending champion and home favourite Teliana Pereira is at 20/1 but has had a terrible year and would take a massive upturn if she is to repeat last years win and the price reflects her chances.

Recommendations 


ATP Atlanta - John Isner to win Outright @ 3/1 Betfred & Paddy Power. Runner-up

WTA Brazil Tennis Cup - Irena-Camila Begu to win Outright @ 9/2 Paddy Power or 4/1 Betvictor. Winner

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