Men’s Final

And so the fortnight has come to an end. A big thankyou to everyone who has been involved in the last fortnight. It has been an incredibly draining fortnight (not particularly timezone friendly the French Open), however the interaction and feedback on twitter has been great. Now, based on a substantial number of comments on twitter, Rafael Nadal has already won tonight, so there is no point in me covering the match. I for one am not particularly keen to have my best bet as a $1.10 shot and then gloat until the cows come home, so I thought I would look into a couple of markets that have taken my fancy. As always, am happy to answer any questions on twitter at @Ace_TheProfits.

Rafael Nadal vs David Ferrer

The two in-form claycourters of 2013 season finally square off in the French Open final. You cannot deny David Ferrer his first Grand Slam final. He has well and truly earned it, and nobody can take this moment away from him. What has made it even more impressive is the way in which Ferrer has reached the final. He is yet to drop a set, and the way in which he returned the serve of Tsonga was mighty impressive. I really hope he goes after the serve of Nadal in the same way. I will play my best bet, as well as my potential profit (no loss) on the Ferrer outright, but I just thought I would point out a couple of different areas and bets people may be interested in tackling. Please don’t tweet me saying I am all over the place with my suggested bets, it is simply me pointing out different markets of interest (yes, I understand if Nadal wins the first set 6-0, that Nadal will have the first break of serve).

Best Bet

Total Aces under 6.5 at $1.77 at Sportsbet Since the start of 2011 on clay, these guys have averaged just under 1 ace per set on clay. Just the one. Therefore, with the conditions as forecast for damp, heavy balls, and the high quality of opponent on the receiving end, I would be surprised if this total went over in my opinion.

Best Value

Ferrer 1^st service break at $3.26 at Sportsbet Nadal isn’t known for his brilliant starts. Dropping first sets to Brands and Klizan, falling a break down to Fognini. Yes, they were all in the first week, but the anticipated conditions and weather for the final are very similar to the first week. If Nadal misses a few first serves, look for Ferrer to pounce. While I agree that Ferrer will be tight early in his first Grand Slam final, Nadal will be also, coming off an epic and looking for an unprecedented 8^th French Open. Nadal in a Cakewalk? Take Nadal 3-0 at $2 with a saver on Nadal 3-1 at $3.90 if you are that way inclined Or if you are heading down the Nadal beatdown path…. Nadal 1^st set 6-0 at $50 at Betfair -> 3 of their last 14 sets have resulted in Nadal 6-0 Good luck with whatever plays you decide to take on tonight. It will hopefully be a highly entertaining match. Reasons why I will be cheering on Ferrer:

• Ferrer has pushed Nadal to the absolute limit the last 2 meetings in the last month, at one point trading into favouritism in both matches on Betfair. That sort of recent form cannot be denied here. I know Rafa is the King of Clay, and everyone I have spoken to on social media predicts this to be one way traffic. But everyone loves an underdog, right?
• A large number of followers are riding out their Ferrer outright bets from pre-tournament. It is only fair that I continue to cheer this through to the bitter end.
• Across their previous two meetings, Ferrer has earned more break point opportunities than Nadal.
• Heavy, damp, wet conditions allow Ferrer to have a higher percentage of balls in his ideal ‘hitting zone’

Let’s hope for a great game to finish off Roland Garros!

EARLY WIMBLEDON THOUGHTS

Rafa has pulled out of Halle, Novak looked a broken man leaving Roland Garros, Roger doesn’t appear to be the Roger of 2012. He is fresh, he claims he is ready to go, and it is his number one target for 2013, is Andy Murray overs to win Wimbledon at $5.40 at Betfair? Please Note: All of the above are the opinions of the author and are not recommendations or advice. The author may not be taking every bet listed above. Bet at your own risk. All of our information is provided free. If you want to show your support, if you are wanting to join a new bookmaker, please use our banners. Thanks. Gamble Responsibly!