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Schiavone in very good form this better believe me no one knows

Originally Posted by Wittmann 44

From Metz

Tsonga-Wawrinka

6 of Tsonga’s 15 Challenge titles have come indoors and the big serving Frecnhman’s serve and follow through game looks well suited to conditions here – Wawrinka is very solid from the baseline but his serve has been patchy all year and with a premium on service here he will be under a lot more pressure on his serve. Tsonga looks poised to break into the top 50 and with his crowd pleasing style getting a home crowd behind him I can see him edgeing a tight game.

1.75 Units Tsonga @ 1.73

Simon-Koubek

Simon’s solidity and great returning skills from the baseline against Koubek’s strong but erratic serve will be the focus here – Koubek has rallied in the second half of the year after a horrid first six months but I still cannot trust him here. Simon is off a title win in Bucharest to add to his indoor title win in Marseilles from earlier in the year. The French players typically go well here and Simon is far less error prone than Koubek who can go walkabouts. Home win again here. Of slight concern is Simon’s negative record against lefties which surprises me given I think he has one of the better backhands on tour.

1.75 Units Simon @ 1.60

From Stuttgart’s early starts

Bartoli-Radwaanska

Going to bite my dislike of her and side with Bartoli here. She played well last week in Luzembourg until meeting Hantchova and getting in a major umpire related strop in the middle of the first set. The toys were then thrown out of the pram and she gave up the game very tamely. That doesn’t deflect from the fact that this is arguably her best surface and she has shown signs of getting over the post SW19 slump. Radawanksa got shocked by Azarenka in a high quality 3 setter in Luxembourg and does have some decent form on the surface but I’d rate Bartoli as a deserving favourite and shorter than the 1.66 offered. The tubby annoying one for me.

1.75 Units Bartoli @ 1.66

Schiavone-Peer

1 prior meeting between the 2 (US Open 2006) settled in Peer’s favour by a third set tb shows IMO how little there is between the two players. Schiavone went out to Golovin in Luxembourg while Peer ran into a very much in form Zvonerva. To me this is close to beinga 50:50 game – both women boast both similar records for the year and similar records on indoor hardcourt (in fact Schiavone is ranked 20 odd places above Peer on the surface). Schiavone has lost 4 of the last 5 but has run into some real heaveyweights (Kuzenstova, Chekvaydze). I expect this to be as close as their previous meeting and value is with the dog.

1.25 Units Lay Peer @ 1.56