Nadal, Murray and Djokovic win second-rounders in Toronto
Tennis Betting Lines
08/11/2010 -
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-ranked Rafael Nadal, reigning champion Andy
Murray and world No. 2 Novak Djokovic were each second-round winners Wednesday
at the $2.43 million Roger Cup, an ATP Masters event.
The reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion Nadal escaped a lengthy first-
set tiebreak and downed Stanislas Wawrinka, 7-6 (14-12), 6-3. Nadal captured
this Canadian Masters event in 2005 and 2008.
The fourth-seeded Murray continued his winning ways at this tournament with an
80-minute 7-5, 6-2 victory over once-promising Belgian Xavier Malisse. Murray
swatted seven aces and broke Malisse on four occasions in the predictable
bout.
The Australian Open runner-up Murray beat Argentine Juan Martin del Potro
in last year's Rogers Cup finale, in Montreal. This event shifts between
Montreal and Toronto each year.
Up next for the two-time Grand Slam finalist Murray will be talented Frenchman
Gael Monfils.
Djokovic, who struggled mightily with the hot conditions here on Day 3,
snuck past game Frenchman Julien Benneteau 7-5, 7-5 on the hardcourts at
Rexall Centre. The 2007 Rogers Cup titlist Djokovic required the services of a
trainer during the hard-fought encounter, but was able to finish off his
French counterpart in straight sets in 2 hours, 12 minutes.
The former Aussie Open champion Djokovic will face Romanian Victor Hanescu in
the round of 16 here.
Sixth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko moved on with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over
Italian qualifier Fabio Fognini, while former top-five Argentine star David
Nalbandian stayed red-hot with a 56-minute 6-3, 6-0 pasting of former top-10
Spaniard Tommy Robredo. The 2003 Rogers Cup runner-up Nalbandian was last
week's hardcourt champ at the U.S. Open Series event in Washington, D.C. and
has now won his last 10 matches on tour.
Mild upsets came when Jeremy Chardy rallied past ninth-seeded Fernando
Verdasco, 6-7 (9-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, rising Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov took
out 12th-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 and Frenchman
Michael Llodra dismissed 14th-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.
The lefthanded Llodra's third-round opponent will be the great Roger Federer,
who captured this Canadian Masters event in 2004 and 2006 and was the runner-
up in 2007.
Sam Querry, seeded 16th, was also bit by the upset bug, dropping a 7-6 (7-4),
4-6, 6-4 decision to Kevin Anderson.
A 15th-seeded Monfils avoided an upset by handling Dutchman Thiemo De Bakker
7-5, 6-3, while the aforementioned Hanescu got past Canadian wild card Peter
Polansky 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). Other second-round winners included Philipp
Kohlschreiber, who downed Viktor Troicki, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, and Yen-Hsun Lu, who
rallied past Paul-Henri Mathieu, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5).
This week's big winner will collect $443,500.
<< Danks dominant as ChiSox down Twins
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Danks stifled Minnesota over eight frames
and Carlos Quentin highlighted Chicago's offense with a two-run homer, as the
White Sox upended the Twins, 6-1, in a key American League Central matchup.
The Twi
<< Report: Sixers hire Rod Thorn as president
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly
hired Rod Thorn as president, allowing Ed Stefanski to focus his role solely
on general manager.
Stefanski was serving in a dual-capacity as GM and president.
<< Stanton powers Marlins past Nats
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie Mike Stanton went a career-best
5-for-5 with a homer and drove in four runs to power Florida to a 9-5 win over
the Washington Nationals.
Hanley Ramirez also homered and Logan Morrison had a
<< Hall, Red Sox pound Blue Jays
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bill Hall hit a pair of home runs and drove in
four runs, as Boston used the long ball to support Clay Buchholz in a 10-1
pounding of Toronto at Rogers Centre.
Hill finished 3-for-5, Adrian Beltre hit a t
<< Union, RSL battle to draw at PPL Park
Chester, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Salt Lake earned its second straight 1-1
road draw by tying the expansion Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night at PPL
Park.
The result comes four days after the defending MLS Cup champions earned a 1-
Wozniacki moves on in rainy Cincy >>
Mason, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark was a
second-round winner Wednesday at the $2 million Western & Southern Financial
Group Women's Open, a hardcourt U.S. Open Series event.
Last week's Copenhagen
Back-to-back times two! Arizona's four straight HRs down Brewers >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arizona tied a major league record by
homering in four straight at-bats off Milwaukee's Dave Bush in the fourth
inning, on the way to a 8-2 victory at Miller Park.
Adam LaRoche, Miguel Montero,
Yankees rally past Rangers >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marcus Thames capped a two-run ninth with an
RBI single, as the New York Yankees rallied past the Texas Rangers, 7-6, to
split a brief two-game series at Rangers Ballpark.
Thames went 3-for-5 with a so
Report: Mets' Rodriguez in custody after punching family member >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez was
reportedly taken in custody by police at Citi Field following Wednesday
night's 6-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
Multiple reports say Rodriguez was acc
Burrell's homer lifts Giants over Cubs >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pat Burrell hit the tie-breaking solo
homer off Jason Berg leading off the bottom of the eighth inning, lifting San
Francisco to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Burrell, who had the game-winning R
NCAA Football Betting
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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Big Ten Conference odds
Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana
Work left to do: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa
Behind the big two, the pecking order might be in a bit of flux. Has Michigan State passed Indiana after handling the Hoosiers in East Lansing? Where is Illinois in that mix? What looked like a four-big league last week could be morphing into five -- and even six is not unthinkable at this point if everything breaks right.
Should be in:
Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it?
Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel.
Work left to do:
Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third.
Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim.
Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either.
Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim.
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