Friday, September 05, 2008

US OPEN TENNIS ...........


I cannot put any of today's football bets online, one has already come in a full 1/4 ball on the asian line and the other two contain comments, I do not wish to publish on an open forum. Only because I will be returning to them in the coming week or so.Therefore, we are left with the tennis....

WOMEN'S SEMI FINALS

JELENA JANKOVIC-ELENA DEMENTIEVA

SERENA WILLIAMS -DINARA SAFINA

Jelena Jankovic leads the rivalry with Elena Dementieva 4-3, 3-2 on outdoor hardcourts, including two grand slam victories, one here in 2006, winning in the quarter finals 6-2, 6-1, when she tore the Russian apart. In the semis that year, Jankovic was toying with Justine Henin and had the eventual champ on the ropes, before nerves got the better of her.

I have the greatest respect for Dementieva , who time and time again has had to exorcise those terrible serving demons and who is in the form of her life, with a Beijing Olympic gold medal to show for it. However, I cannot get that previous meeting here out of my mind and if the younger, Serbian player really goes for it, especially on her opponent's, still vunerable, second serve, she could make a mockery of the big odds on offer. I can only make Dementieva the narrowest of favourites.

Jankovic has worked very hard on her conditioning here over the past fortnight, let's be brutal, she is a bit of a hypocondriac, many tennis players are and it is a rare tournament that she does not have several complaints and multiple stappings. Doubtless she will have benefitted from the two days clean break since the quarters and if she gets that lovely backhand flowing, could be the first into the final.

There, she will lose to Serena Williams.

In form, you simply cannot oppose the american superstar, except with a sibling. Goodness knows how many slams the Williams' would have to their name, if they had stayed fully fit and 100% committed to the game, throughout their career. As athletes, they are head and shoulders ahead of the rest, with only Henin able to compete .

Safina has had a fanatstic run, winning in LA and Montreal, before making the Beijing final, winning 37 of her last 41 matches. Main reason for her improvement, is her increased fitness levels both physically and mentally.

These two are not unlike each other, but Serena matches up well , being just a little stronger in every department and is much quicker around the court, in her movement, the russian still appears slow and cumbersome. Williams feels that she owns this tournament and should have dominated it, like Venus has at Wimbledon, she is not going to let a chance for a third US Open title slip this time, especially as it will take her past "big sis", who also has two tournament wins to her name and coming on Arthur Ashe court, which has real meaning to her.

4.5 points Jankovic to beat Dementieva 2.58 exchanges

6.5 points Serena Williams outright 1.90 exchanges.

Good Luck.

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