I'm on Isner too engineer. Nice looking price as the RP advised Becker and Isner drifted out a bit!
2 from 2 winners yesterday. Del Potro was 1.71 and not 1.21 – slip of the keyboard yesterday. Update later.
There seems to be some confusion about whether the Pen Haven Deco Turf courts play fast or slow. “The
Racing Post” seems to be making its selections on the basis that this is a fast surface. A number of players and a number of websites have this down as a medium-slow surface which if true would give the clay courters more of a chance than the odds would imply. A number of big servers have come through unscathed so you’d have to think however that the court is playing fairly fast. I’m reserving judgement right now.
For some reason not all the games are up on
Betfair yet
From the men’s event
Isner – Becker
The big serving college player Isner served notice that his recent Futures wins might have some backing behind them when he made the final in Washington recently. En route to the final he beat Henman, Monfils and Haas before eventually falling to Roddick. He bizarrely managed to win the first 5 games with a third set tb in all (having come from behind in 4 of the games). This is a seriously big guy – 6ft 6 with a bomb of a serve to match. I cursed Henman for losing to him initially but having seen him play twice subsequently he is a fairly solid player apart from the monster serve. Becker was one of his victims in Washington where he lost the final set tb 8-6. The RP tips Becker but for the life of me I cannot see why- he is in the mother of all slumps at the moment – he has lost the last 6 on the bounce and his most recent wins have been against Allegro, a crocked Ollie Rochus, doubles man Zimonic and dodgy Russian Kunitysn. In between them are 13 losses. Isner might have a comedown but he played well in losing to Ferrer last week and he’ll have my money here.
1.75 Units Isner @ 1.72
Rochus-Acasuso
Acasuso makes his first start of the late US hardcourt season having lost in the final in Sopot on clay a fortnight ago. He threw his dummy out of the pram there when having lost a set point in the first set through slightly contentious circumstances he proceeded to make very little effort in the next set and went down tamely in the end. Rochus on the comeback trail should have beaten Ferrero when he was a break up 3rd set but he couldn’t keep his nose in front and eventually ended up losing. The Belgian hasn’t any real weapons other than a willingness to chase everything down from one end of the court to the other but Acasuso must be slightly rusty on the surface and his record on hardcourt isn’t too clever to begin with. Ollie to edge it.
1.50 Units Rochus @ 1.79
Robredo-Gicquel
Robredo looks price of the day to me here even at 1.43 – he has admittdly stuttered badly after his clay win in Sopot going out R1 in each of the last two Masters in Round 1. I’d class his opponents (Nieminen and Hrbaty) better players than the French journeyman Gicquel who after a good run earlier in the year has tailed of badly and is now well into negative W – L for the year. He managed to beat clay hating Berlocq last round but his service stats were dire and this should be a fairly gentle start for Robredo to get of the mark.
2.50 Units Robredo @ 1.44 (Ladbrokes)
Lopez-Niemienen
I’m normally very reluctant to take on a 4-0 h to h but that’s what I’m going to do here. Lopez has lost all 4 to the Finn and is 9-1 in sets but I think his chances are slightly undertstated here. He blasted 18 aces past Tipsarevic in the first round and played reasonably well last week before losing a tight one against Monaco. Nieminen lost last week to a bubbly Almagro and starts a deserved favourite but I’d still think Lopez with his big serve will have his chances here.
I’ll be playing this in running.
1 Unit Lopez @ 3.1
Korolev-Spadea
Spadea seems unable to string two consecutive performances together these days and he was brutally bad against Nieminen. Korolve eased through qualifying and while the h to h is 1-0 for the American I think Korolev’s form is steadier.
1 Unit Korolve @ Evens (Skybet)
Tennis 19th - 26th August (ATP & WTA New Haven)
On that surface Isner should have some advantage again. I only hope Isner not to break down if being under pressure. But, considering his growing confidence and big serves 
I'll put some money on him.
+1.16 Units
-1.50 Units
