by Antony Jordan
I am crushing your little golfballs into red clay Rory!
The second round action at the 2015 French Open continues today and some of the favourites to take the men’s and women’s titles are in action with Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams all take to the Roland Garros courts today. They’re all massive favourites to progress through this early stage of the second Grand Slam of the year and offer little value in the betting markets. As we offer the best betting picks going we’re taking a look at some other matches that are likely to bring in the cash. All odds provided come from Unibet.com.
Julia Goerges v Caroline Wozniacki: 5.60 – 1.14
This second round tie between the players ranked 72nd and fifth in the WTA rankings sees them clash for the eighth time in their career and the second time in 2015. The scorecard sits at 4-3 to the Danish favourite to win this tie and 24 year old Wozniacki, who is a former world number one, has been in fine form coming up to the French Open as she has returned to the elite places in the world rankings. She reached the final in Stuttgart and the quarter finals in Madrid and, although she was beaten in her first match in Rome, she has started well in Paris with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Karin Knapp in round one.
She’ll fancy her chances at winning this match after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Goerges in Auckland at the start of the year following a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 triumph in Sydney last year to win both matches over played between the two since 2012. Goerges has won just one match in four tournaments on clay in the build up to this second Grand Slam of the season and we can’t see the German making it past the second round on the Parisian clay this afternoon. Back Caroline Wozniacki to beat Julia Goerges 2-0 in set betting at odds of 1.49.
Heather Watson v Sloane Stephens: 3.00 – 1.37
This match sees a clash between two of the up and coming talents from the UK and America, and despite world number 40 Sloane Stephens being the massive favourite to win this match and progress to the third round of this clay courted Grand Slam she has never beaten Watson. The British world number 45 has won all five meetings with the Floridian, including recording a fine 6-3, 6-1 win on the hard court of Hobart at the start of this year.
They have clashed on clay twice with Stephens withdrawing from their clash at Charleston in 2011 before Watson came from a set down in Portugal the following year to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. She had a comfortable 6-4, 7-5 win in round one over Mathilde Johansson at Roland Garros and is easing her herself onto clay after some poor results in the lead up to this competition and with Stephens seeing off seven time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams in round one and having reached the semi finals in Strasbourg before the French Open you have to feel that the American deserves to be the favourite to progress.
However, Watson certainly has the luck in matches between these two players and despite the odds suggesting it’ll be a straightforward win for Stephens we feel that the Brit will push her all the way. Back Watson +4.5 games at 1.72 with Unibet.com.
Viktor Troicki v Simone Bolelli: 2.16 – 1.66
This pair of 29 year olds is familiar with each other having clashed on five occasions in their careers since 2007 and met as recently as last month when Troicki defeated the Italian for the second time in 2015 at Indian Wells. The Serbian player outranks his second round opponent in Paris today at 33rd in the world compared to 60th and despite not having lost to Bolelli since 2009 he is the outsider to move into round three. Is there the chance of an upset?
Neither of these two players performed particularly well on this surface in the build up to this Grand Slam event, but Troicki did make the last 16 stage in Rome in his final clay court tournament before this French Open. However, the fact that he dropped a set in his first round win over Jan-Lennard Struff while Bolelli eased past Steve Darcis in straight sets makes him the outsider for victory today in the eyes of Unibet.com. We, however, see this match going another way and his odds of 2.16 to win offer the value of the day as far as we’re concerned.
Enjoy the tourney and be sure to check the Everyedge Sports Betting Forum for more picks on this week’s sports action.