Clijsters, Venus win U.S. openers
Tennis Betting Lines
08/30/2010 -
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reigning champion Kim Clijsters and
Venus Williams were both straight-set opening-round winners Monday at the U.S.
Open.
The second-seeded former world No. 1 Clijsters got past Hungarian Greta Arn
6-0, 7-5 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Clijsters steamrolled Arn in 18 minutes in the bagel first set, but the
Belgian then fell behind 0-4 in the second before rebounding to avoid a three-
set afternoon. Clijsters won seven of the last eight games to advance and
capture her 26th straight first-round match at a major.
"I'm happy with the way I served, Clijsters said. "That's obviously been a
stroke that I've been paying a bit more attention to during my practicing the
past few weeks. Today I felt like I was hitting the ball well."
The 27-year-old Clijsters is seeking her third U.S. Open championship, She
beat Dane Caroline Wozniacki in last year's finale here and has now won her
last 15 matches in Flushing. She also titled here in 2005 and skipped the
2006-08 editions due to either injury or retirement. Clijsters came out of
retirement last summer and captured the U.S. Open in only her third tournament
back.
Clijsters, who was also the U.S. Open runner-up in 2003, will meet Aussie
Sally Peers in the second round in New York.
The third-seeded Williams, meanwhile, was a 6-4, 6-1 winner over Italian
Roberta Vinci. The American fired 10 aces and won 83 percent of first-serve
points.
Williams, 30, is also after her third career U.S. Open title. She won this
event in 2000 and 2001, but bowed out in the fourth round last year and hasn't
reached the semifinals since 2007. The former world No. 1 will face Canadian
Rebecca Marino in the second round.
Fifth-seeded French Open runner-up Samantha Stosur fought back to beat Russian
Elena Vesnina 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1, while sixth-seeded French Open champion
Francesca Schiavone cruised with a 6-1, 6-0 dismantling of Japan's Ayumi
Morita and former U.S. Open runner-up Elena Dementieva drubbed Belarusian Olga
Govortsova 6-1, 6-2. Schiavone upset Stosur in June's Roland Garros finale.
Dementieva reached the U.S. Open final in 2004.
Belarus' Victoria Azarenka, seeded 10th, got into the second round with a 6-0,
5-7, 6-1 victory over Romanian Monica Niculescu. Former Wimbledon runner-up
Marion Bartoli, seeded 13th at this particular fortnight, moved on with a 6-3,
6-2 victory over Romanian Edina Gallovits.
Sixteenth-seeded Israeli Shahar Peer handled Croat Jelena Kostanic Tosic 6-4,
7-5, while 19th-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta cruised past American Irina
Falconi, 6-2, 6-1. Pennetta reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals in 2008 and
2009.
Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, seeded 20th, doused German Kristina Barrois
6-4, 6-1 and 21st-seeded Zheng Jie of China straight-setted Timea Bacsinszky
in double-tiebreak fashion, 7-6 (7-0), 7-6 (7-1).
The 24th seed, Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova, humbled struggling former top-
ranked star Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-4. The three-time major runner-up Safina, of
Russia, was the top seed here a year ago, but has plummeted in the rankings
ever since, mostly due to problems with a back injury.
Another former world No. 1, Serbian Ana Ivanovic, took an easy 6-3, 6-2 win
over Ekaterina Makarova. Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion, had lost in
the first round at last year's U.S. Open.
Other seeded victors on Day 1 were No. 27 Czech Petra Kvitova, No. 28 Russian
Alisa Kleybanova, No. 29 Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko and No. 32 Bulgarian
Tsvetana Pironkova, who was a surprise Wimbledon semifinalist last month.
Last year's U.S. Open darling, American Melanie Oudin, advanced with a 6-3,
6-0 throttling of Ukrainian Olga Savchuk. The teenage Oudin reached the
quarterfinals here a year ago, including huge upset victories over the two-
time Grand Slam runner-up Dementieva and former U.S. Open champ Maria
Sharapova.
Oudin was first up at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Day 1.
"It's a real honor to get to start the U.S. Open off on Ashe, first match."
the 18-year-old Oudin said. "I thought it was pretty cool. I didn't expect
that."
Additional Monday wins came for the aforementioned Peers and Marino, Hungarian
Agnes Szavay, Frenchwomen Virginie Razzano and Pauline Parmentier, India's
Sania Mirza, Austrian Sybille Bammer, Aussie Anastasia Rodionova, Italians
Sara Errani and Maria Elena Camerin, Brit Elena Baltacha, Luxembourg's Mandy
Minella, Argentine Gisela Dulko, and American Vania King.
The 2010 U.S. Open champion will earn at least $1.7 million.
<< U.S. Soccer gives Bradley four-year extension
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The United States men's national soccer team
has announced a four-year contract extension for head coach Bob Bradley.
The 52-year-old Bradley engineered the U.S. to an unbeaten mark in group play
at this y
<< U.S. Soccer
Agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension with head coach Bob Bradley.
<< Pena guides Rays over Jays
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Pena hit a three-run homer and
drove in four as Tampa Bay downed Toronto, 6-2, in the opener of a three-game
series at Tropicana Field.
Evan Longoria stroked a pair of hits and knocked in a
<< Chicago's Beckham departs Monday's game
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago White Sox second baseman Gordon
Beckham left Monday's game against the Cleveland Indians after getting hit by
a pitch on the right hand.
Frank Herrmann took over for Justin Germano with runne
<< Texans bring Daniels off PUP list; put Holliday, Tate on IR
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Texans made a number of moves
Monday, among them bringing tight end Owen Daniels off the physically unable
to perform list.
Daniels passed his physical and is now able to participate in
Heyward powers Braves past Mets >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Heyward finished 4-for-5 with a three-run
home run, four RBI and three runs scored as Atlanta dominated New York, 9-3,
in the opener of a four-game series.
Martin Prado added three RBI on two hits while
Wilson superb in pitching Rangers past Royals >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - C.J. Wilson turned in 7 2/3 scoreless
innings to lead Texas over Kansas City, 3-0, in the first of three between the
clubs at Kauffman Stadium.
Wilson (14-5) allowed just two hits and fanned six again
Happ tosses shutout as Astros beat struggling Cardinals >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - J.A. Happ tossed a two-hit shutout to lift the
Houston Astros to a 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a
three-game set.
Happ (5-2) walked just one and struck out four for the Astros, w
Yankees use the long ball to beat A's and keep up with Rays >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano each had three
hits, including a home run, as the New York Yankees powered past the Oakland
Athletics, 11-5, in the opener of a four-game series.
Nick Swisher went 3-for-4 wi
Reds build lead in NL Central with win over Brewers >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jay Bruce's single in the bottom of the 10th
inning scored pinch-runner Brandon Phillips, as the National League Central
Division-leading Cincinnati Reds edged the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-4, in the
opener
NFL Football Betting Online
The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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