Federer, Roddick land in Wimbledon final
Tennis Betting Lines
07/03/2009 -
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Five-time champion Roger Federer
and two-time runner-up Andy Roddick will do battle in Sunday's men's final at
Wimbledon. The iconic Federer will appear in a men's record seventh straight
Wimbledon championship match.
The second-seeded former world No. 1 Federer topped 24th-seeded German Tommy
Haas 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 6-3, while a sixth-seeded former top-ranked Roddick
upended third-seeded heavy British crowd favorite Andy Murray 6-4, 4-6, 7-6
(9-7), 7-6 (7-5) at the storied All England Club.
Federer, who would supplant his great rival Rafael Nadal atop the men's
rankings with a victory on Sunday, beat Roddick in the 2004 and 2005 finals
here.
The Swiss Federer titled here from 2003-2007 and was last year's runner-up to
Nadal in arguably the greatest tennis match of all-time.
The great Federer is trying to become the men's all-time leader in Grand
Slam singles titles, as he's currently tied with American great Pete
Sampras at 14. The super Swiss equaled Sampras and became the sixth man in
history to complete a career Grand Slam when he titled at the French Open last
month.
Federer will also appear in a men's record 20th Grand Slam final (14-5). He's
reached 16 of the last 17 major finals.
With tennis luminaries such as Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg in attendance on
Friday, a confident Federer snuck out an ultra-tight first set against Haas by
cruising in the tiebreak on Day 11 of the fortnight.
In the second set, things were air-tight again, but Federer finally broke
through on his third set point when a game Haas misfired long with a
forehand in the 12th game of the stanza.
Federer then charged across the finish line in the third set and converted on
his first match point with a resounding overhead smash winner, as the Swiss
notched his 10th love service game of the day in the process.
The sublime Swiss, who couldn't have served any better than he did on Friday,
advanced in 2 hours, 2 minutes and never faced a break point. Federer broke
Haas only twice, but also fired 21 more winners (49-28) en route to victory,
his 18th straight on the circuit.
"He just comes up with the goods, you know," Haas said. "He can play defensive
and turn it into offensive so quick, like no other player, and that makes him
so extremely tough."
Federer is now 10-2 all-time against Haas, including wins in their last nine
meetings. The 31-year-old former world No. 2 Haas was appearing in his first-
ever Wimbledon semifinal in 11 trips here. He's also played in three Aussie
Open semis, losing all three.
Haas, who lost to Federer in the fourth round at the French Open last month,
had been a perfect 10-0 on grass this year, including his first-ever grass-
court title in his native Germany just three weeks ago.
The 27-year-old Federer played in a record 21st straight Grand Slam semifinal
on Friday, and he's now won seven straight at the AEC.
Federer is 46-1 at Wimbledon and 71-1 on grass overall since 2003.
The reigning French Open and five-time U.S. Open titlist Federer is 59-22 in
his career finals, including a 2-1 mark this year. He lost to Nadal in the
Aussie Open finale back in January.
Meanwhile, the former U.S. Open champion Roddick reached his fifth career
Grand Slam final (1-3) and his first since the 2006 U.S. Open by ousting the
2008 U.S. Open runner-up Murray in 3 hours, 7 minutes. The big-hitting
American struck fewer aces (25-21) and fewer winners (76-64) than Murray on
Friday, but was able to sneak out a pair of tiebreaks to pull the upset.
Roddick won the first set by breaking Murray in the final game of the stanza,
but the Dunblane, Scotland native pulled even in the second set by breaking
Roddick for a 5-4 lead and the holding his serve to secure it.
The determined Roddick, by virtue of a break, jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the
third set, only to see Murray get the break back and ultimately level the
frame at 5-5. The set went to a tiebreak, which Roddick won in 16-point
fashion when Murray netted a forehand.
In the fourth and final set, Roddick nailed down another tiebreak by
converting on his second match point, as he improved to 3-6 lifetime against
Murray. Roddick also improved to 26-4 in his 2009 tiebreaks.
Both players could manage only two service breaks apiece in the tight affair.
Roddick is now 34-8 lifetime at Wimbledon.
Murray was trying to give Britain its first male Wimbledon champion in 73
years (Fred Perry) and was the highest-seeded Brit here since Roger Taylor in
1973.
The 26-year-old Roddick is 27-15 in 42 career finals, including a 1-1 record
this season. He lost to Murray in a final in Doha in January.
Federer is a lopsided 18-2 lifetime against Roddick, including a perfect 3-0
mark this year. The Swiss handled the American in the Aussie Open semifinals
back in January and is a flawless 3-0 against Roddick in major finals. In
addition to the '04 and '05 Wimbledon finals, Federer also topped Roddick in
the 2006 U.S. Open finale. The Swiss also defeated the American in the 2003
Wimbledon semis.
The 2009 Wimbledon champ will pocket $1.39 million. Federer is the all-time
leader in prize money, with more than $48 million earned.
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Sportsbook Betting
After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
NFL Betting Lines
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MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL lines
Now that the 2008 NFL schedule is finally out, it is only matter-of-course for lines on “Week 1” to follow. Of course MySportsbook.com is the first to churn out odds for the NFL’s inaugural week for the upcoming season. Expect a lot of fireworks the first Thursday night of the season as the defending champion Indianapolis Colts face off against the surprise of the 2008 season, the New Orleans Saints. These teams were ranked #1 and #3 in the NFL respectively a season ago so a high scoring affair could be in order. As of now, the Colts will be giving 6 points to the Saints; keep in mind the Saints were one of the better road teams last season going 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS. The first Monday night of the season will again provide a “double feature”. Coming off a disappointing season, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get back to playoffs and improve their public image as they take on the AFC North favorite Baltimore Ravens. The second game features a couple of teams that haven’t had too much success recently but each could make some noise if the NFC is as weak as it was last year as the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. The most interesting game of the opening week will feature the NFC champion Bears as they hit the road to take on the NFL’s top team during last year’s regular season, the San Diego Chargers.
MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds:
Saints +6 @ Colts -6
Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em)
Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em)
Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5
Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1
Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3
Patriots -5 @ Jets +5
Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5
Steelers -4 @ Browns +4
Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6
Bears +6 @ Chargers -6
Lions +3 @ Raiders -3
Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5
Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4
Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3
Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3
Super Bowl line (2008)
NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5
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