Bets 116; Won 79; Lost 37
Units Staked: 112 units; Won 15.70 units; ROI 14%


Pennetta v Linetskya
Rome: Round 2

Still not convinced that Linetskya is at home on clay while Pennetta, despite
a small concern over her foot, has a stellar clay record.

Pennetta $1.57 1 UNIT Ladbrokes


Mauresmo v Stosur
Rome: Round 2

Go Aussie! I don't think so. You won't see me betting at these odds too often but Mauresmo just has too much game for the hard-courter Stosur.

Mauresmo $1.10 generally available 1 UNIT


Jankovic v Zvonereva
Rome: Round 2

Jankovic is red-hot at the moment while Zvonereva is in a woeful form slump (0-3 over the past clay month). zvonereva is a good clay-courter so this could be close.


Jankovic $1.50 1 UNIT 5Dimes


Petrova v Santangelo
Rome: Round 2

Santangelo - a surprise winner yesterday - has a poor clay record at the WTA
level while Petrova had her chances of beating Henin-Hardenne in last week's
Berlin clay Final. Short odds again but some value.

Petrova $1.18 1 UNIT 5Dimes


Martinez v Smashnova
Rome: Round 2

Should be a close game but Martinez is in better form over the past few weeks. Smashnova usually has trouble with Martinez's style of play as it limits her power so she will be relying on her serve.

Martinez $1.71 1 UNIT 5Dimes

Thanks for the support Macca - always appreciated.

To be honest, the past 4 weeks has been a rather ordinary spell. I'm very marginally ahead over this recent period but as with all punting, it's the long-term that's important.

I've had a few email questions recently about my returns (woof9898@yahoo.com.au) so in summary: my program has generated just over 1500 bets in the 16 months they've been running for a 12.65% return. But I wouldn't take my word for it, I'd recommend tracking these tips for about 300 selections before being confident my methods aren't due to luck.

Bets 121; Won 82; Lost 39
Units Staked: 117 units; Won 14.72 units; ROI 12.6%


Martinez v Petrova
Rome: Round 3

Petrova may well come out and win this but Martinez is a crafty and very experienced clay courter who shouldn't be underestimated. Petrova's way too short in the market.

Martinez $3.75 @ Ladbrokes HALF UNIT


Dulko v Linetskya
Rome: Round 3

Linetskya squeaked passed Pennetta yesterday so she has some form but I still rate Dulko a superior clay player. My only complaint regarding Dulko is that she's rather temperamental.

Dulko $1.70 Pinnacle 1 UNIT


Pous Tio v Nagyova
Prague:

Should be a close game but Pous Tio has the edge after winning last week's
Cagnes sur Mer (C75) clay Challenger tournament. She also has a superior
all-round record which should overcome Nagyova's home crowd support.

Pous Tio $1.75 Pinnacle 1 UNIT


Schnyder v Ivanovic
Rome: Round 3

Never a good idea to underestimate Ivanovic as she can certainly play but Schnyder has the edge and better record on clay. Ivanovic's looked a little off her game in her last two clay matches whereas Schnyder's played quite consistently.

Schnyder $1.90 @ Centrebet 1 UNIT
(not often we see standout WTA prices from Centrebet)



NOTES: Mauresmo is way too short in the market. I'd back Farina Elia but the bookies are keeping the outsider short. The 0-6 h2h record doesn't bother me as the only relevant games have been close enough. Farina Elia in front of a home crowd could go close - they played a 3-setter in the QF's of this tournament last year. Betfair account holders could consider laying Mauresmo around $1.17-ish (equals odds around $6.58 for Farina Elia) but I wouldn't go in too hard.

Mate you were dead unlucky tonight, you should of had the sweep. I still can't comprehend how Dulko lost her match after all the chances she had.

Bets 124; Won 84; Lost 40
Units Staked: 120 units; Won 15.37 units; ROI 12.8%


The bookies have posted Prague very early today - it's about time! I may post an extra bet when Rome lines are released. I'd like a price on Schnyder.

Ondraskova v Diaz-Oliva
Prague QF

Diaz-Oliva has the experience while Ondraskova has the recent form with a solid showing in Warsaw last week and a good finals appearance at the Dinan clay challenger 2 weeks ago. Should be close but value with the outsider.

Ondraskova $2.15 @ 5Dimes 1 UNIT


Brandi v Pous Tio.
Prague: QF

Pous Tio, though a true clay-courter, doesn't play very often at this level. Her best form has been in Challengers, many of them lowly rated C10's and C50's. She won for us yesterday but if hard-courter Brandi gets her serve going, Pous Tio will find the going much harder. Brandi's win over the highly-ranked clay-courter Loit in Round 1 underlines this bet.

Brandi $2.05 @ WillHills 1 UNIT
(Prices could vary a lot on this match-up - bookies might find them hard to split)

Sparks - a sweep would have been nice but lady luck can sometimes bite you on the ********. Dulko really threw the match away after leading 3:0 in the second. She has a great deal of talent but her mental tencacity is often questionable.

(Today's bets below).

Bets 126; Won 85; Lost 41
Units Staked: 122 units; Won 15.52 units; ROI 12.7%


1-1 last night for a small profit.


Safina v Pous Tio
Prague: SF

Pous Tio did the job yesterday and has generally exceeded expectations this week. However Safina is about 3 or 4 classes above anyone she's played thus far and while the odds are short, there's still value in the Russian's price.

Safina $1.18 @ WillHills 1 Unit


NOTES: I wouldn't be backing Sharapova in either of her next two matches. Schnyder can certainly win today and it's worth laying Sharapova at Betfair below $1.20 for a small sum. If Sharapova prevails - and if she plays Mauresmo in the final, she will probably start favourite (judging by outright prices). However Sharapova's recent results reinforce my opinion that she is essentially a fast-surface player. Her footwork is poor for clay and her constant "big-hitting" approach to every point leads to a lot of errors when facing a competent opponent. Sharapova will go to Number 1 in the rankings if she wins Rome so there is some motivation/pressure, but it must be noted that she's never won a clay title at WTA level. She would also have gone to Number 1 if she won Berlin last week but failed to do so when comprehensively outplayed by Henin-Hardenne. I believe Mauresmo should be favourite if she reaches the final along with Sharapova - so keep an eye on the early prices. Anything above $1.75 for Mauresmo is worth a decent punt.

Bets 127; Won 86; Lost 41
Units Staked: 123 units; Won 15.70 units; ROI 12.8%

Safina did just enough to win last night but a rather insipid performance.

The prices on tonights matches are about right. Mauresmo has made 5 finals
appearances in Rome and should win - but Schnyder is in very good form and is
more then capable of an upset. The same applies in Prague. Safina has the
reputation but like her brother Marat Safin, she can be a little 'erratic' at times.
Ondraskova is in good shape and has the game to win but I 'll play safe and wait
for Monday. Two new tournaments with quite a few interesting matchups.

Two tournaments this week as warm-ups to Roland Garros.

http://www.internationaux-tennis-st...hp?page=accueil
http://www.istanbulcup.com/EngDefault.aspx


There's the usual Monday hassles of bookies being slow to price up. I'll
post early lines and adjust them if the prices come in.



Craybas v Panova
Istanbul: Round 1

Perish the thought - I'm betting on Jill Craybas on clay! Well she's proved me wrong over the past few weeks and has put in some reasonable performances on the dirt. Her opponent Panova is in woeful form and is a poor 42/57 on clay.

Craybas $1.65 @ Pinnacle HALF UNIT



Bondarenko v Washington
Istanbul: Round 1

Bondarenko is young Ukranian with solid clay credentials. While her best form has been on the Challenger circuit, her opponent Washington is a poor 26/34 on clay. The ageing Washington has also lost her last 8 games with her most recent win coming at the Australian Open.


Bondarenko $1.60 1 Unit
(at smaller bookies - should be better later)



Morigami v Raymond
Strasbourg: Round 1

Raymond's been in ok form recently but is first up on red clay after a short break. Both women probably prefer it faster but Morigami, who's one of the best Japanese clay players, has recent wins over Vaidisova and Benesova. This should be close but Morigami has the edge.

Morigami $1.87 @ Centrebet 1 UNIT
(poor margins at Centrebet - may be better later)

Bets 130; Won 87; Lost 43
Units Staked: 125.5 units; Won 15.07 units; ROI 12.2%

Strasbourg was washed out yesterday so it's turning into a bit of
a shambles with a lot of games backed up.


Garrigues v Stosur
Round 1: Strasbourg.

Spanish clay-courter born on the dirt who gets a lot of balls back versus the hard-courter stosur who rates clay as her least favourite surface.

Garrigues $1.40 @ 1 Unit 5Dimes


Douchevina v Asagoe
Round 1: Strasbourg

Douchevina has been in ordinary form lately but she has been unfortunate in some repects as she's drawn some quality players. Douchevina has a better clay record than Asagoe who is playing for a Top 20 spot so she'll be motivated. Slower and wetter conditions should favour Douchevina as Asagoe doesn't play much on the dirt.

Douchevina $2.58 HALF UNIT 5Dimes


Groenefeld v Diaz-Oliva
Round 1: Istanbul

The hard-hitting German is at home on clay and has had a successful Challenger tour on the surface. She's young and fiesty as opposed to the inconsistent Diaz-Oliva who has few Top 50 wins under her belt.

Groenefeld $1.60 @ 5Dimes 1 Unit