The 2008 Tennis U.S. Open

by Bodog Sportsbook | Aug 25 2008

To say 2008 has been an exciting and busy year is a bit of an understatement. With the seemingly impossible dominance by Rafael Nadal over Roger Federer at this year’s Roland Garros and Wimbledon, an epic match of the highest quality play possible, along with the 2008 Beijing Olympics, this year’s U.S. Open is sure to be one of the most highly anticipated Grand Slams to date. So make sure you place your bet!

2008 US Open



This year’s women’s field has never looked so deep. Top Serbian talents of No. 1 and No. 2 Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic are on the lookout to capture this year’s hard court trophy. Jankovic, who was seeded No. 1 for a short one week and replaced by Ivanovic, is still looking for her first Grand Slam trophy. Recently plagued by knee problems since this year’s Wimbledon, where she was knocked out in the third round, Jankovic may find it a struggle against the young, healthy rising stars such as seventh seed Dinara Safina. Disappointed by her early Wimbledon exit and Olympic withdrawal, due to a thumb injury, Ana Ivanovic will be eager to prove that she is a top player wanting to win her second Grand Slam since Roland Garros earlier this year. Of course, never underestimate the Williams sisters, who are playing the best they ever have in years. It was bittersweet for Venus when she won Wimbledon, just edging out her younger sister Serena in a tight two-set match, ecstatic that she played her best tennis to date, but disappointed for her sister.

Also, don’t let the sisters’ current seeded standings fool you. Serena and Venus are seeded fourth and eighth respectively, but their amazing athletic ability proves they are at the top of the game. No. 5 Maria Sharapova’s withdrawal, due to a torn rotator cuff, has come either as a blessing or a disappointment to this year’s draw. As she is the 2006 U.S. Open champion and always a strong contender at any Grand Slam, Sharapova's absence has really opened the field for the likes of No. 7 Dinara Safina, the recent winner at Cincinnati and Montreal, who appears to be peaking just at the right moment. Other ladies to watch out for are No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova, the powerful Russian baseline player, No. 38 Zheng Zie, the first Chinese player ever to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament at Wimbledon, and No. 24 Lindsay Davenport, who is keeping quiet whether this will be her swan song. Add more excitement to your U.S. Open experience by checking out our wide array of tennis pro wagers.

Nadal vs Federer

Tennis has never had a greater, yet more respectful rivalry between newly crowned No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal and No. 2 Roger Federer. Nadal was expected to win this year’s Roland Garros because before 2008 he had won the last three in a row; he is the king of clay. Roger Federer was supposed to win Wimbledon, and after an all-day epic event of one of the greatest - if not the greatest - matches to have ever been played, Nadal did what no man has done since Bjorn Borg in 1980: win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year. Though Nadal has never been a strong hard court player, he was also never known to be a grass court player, so with his seemingly impossible dominance over the field, Nadal will be a force to be reckoned with.



With the loss of his 237 weeks at No. 1 and his potential sixth Wimbledon crown, all Roger Federer can do now is hope to salvage what is remaining of his 2008 year with a win at the U.S. Open. With the focus being on Nadal and Federer, do not discount top Serbian and third-seeded Novak Djokovic, this year’s Australian Open winner. Djokovic, an all-court player, is confident he can beat both Nadal and Federer, and has done so last year at Miami. There’s also No. 6 Andy Murray, who like Safina has been sweeping up ATP Masters tournaments, and then there’s wild card No. 44 Marat Safin who took out Djokovic in the second round at this year’s Wimbledon. The fastest serve in the men’s field is No. 8 Andy Roddick, and if there was ever a Grand Slam for him to win, it would be the U.S. Open. Roddick chose not to play in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in order to focus on the U.S. Open. With home turf advantage and playing numerous smaller hard court tournaments in preparation for this tournament, this could be the year that Roddick finally wins his first Grand Slam.

Make your bets on the Men's 2008 U.S. Open odds and the Women's 2008 U.S. Open odds in the Bodog Sportsbook and pick who you think will win this year.