ATP Dubai Championships tennis betting

The ATP Dubai Tennis Championships started yesterday, and it was due to be the first time that the top players met in the same tournament since the Australian Open three weeks ago. Unfortunately, the competition has been devalued somewhat, with the news that world no. 1 Roger Federer will not take part due to a lung infection.

However, the field is still very strong, with Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic among those competing for the title. Murray, who lost to Federer in the Australian Open final, is the new favourite, priced at 6/4 (bet $40 to make $60 profit). He came through his opening match against Igor Kunitsyn with relative ease, breaking in the second game and not looking back as he secured a 6-2, 6-3 win.

The second favourite for the tournament is Russian Nikolay Davydenko, who despite ending 2009 at a five year low point of world no. 6, actually had a fantastic end to the year. He won tournaments in Japan and China, as well as the season ending World Tour Finals. He won the opening event of the year in Qatar, but lost to Federer in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. He is priced at 7/2 to win this tournament. He plays his first match today, against Florent Serra. He is the 1/11 favourite to win the match, while Serra is at 10/1.

The third favourite is world no. 2 Novak Djokovic, who also won his opener yesterday. He won the tournament last year, beating David Ferrer in the final. He came through 6-4, 6-4 against Guillermo Garcia Lopez, and will play Victor Troicki in the next round. He is priced at 1/10 to win that match, while Troicki is a 19/2 shot. Djokovic is generally available at 4/1 to take the title.

Marin Cilic and Joe-Wilfried Tsonga are next in the outright betting, with Cilic at 6/1, and Tsonga at 14/1. Marcos Bagdhatis performed the first upset of the competition, beating eighth seed Gilles Simon 7-6, 6-4. The former Australian Open finalist is best priced at 33/1 with William Hill to take the title.

Venus Williams claimed the women`s title for the second year running last week, with a 6-3, 7-5, win over Victoria Azarenka in the final. In the men`s side, Andy Murray will be desperate to take advantage of Federer`s absence and claim the title, to ease some of the disappointment of his Australian Open heartbreak.

ATP Dubai Championships outright winner betting

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