The clash of the Andys should be decided in straight sets

Murray/Roddick, 12pm, Sky Sports 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Some Masters Cup debutants turn up and play without fear but many others fold and spectacularly blow their chance of claiming the $4.45 million prize. This afternoon will provide the first indication of which camp Andy Murray falls into as he faces tournament veteran Andy Roddick. Victory for Murray isn’t as certain as his general 4/11 odds imply but there is very little chance of a third set taking place. Here’s why:

Good signs for Murray

Murray boasts a 4-2 record over Roddick in general and is 3-2 against him on hard courts.

The Scot has won fourteen of his fifteen matches since losing to Roger Federer in the US Open final.

Murray lost his last match to David Nalbandian in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters but hasn’t lost consecutive matches since April.

But why Roddick shouldn’t be written off

Posted: November 10th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Sports Personality of the Year 2008: The Contenders

Hamilton enters as favourite for second successive year

Lewis Hamilton
The last two non-Olympians to win the trophy in a year where the Games took place were Britain’s last two Formula One champions: Nigel Mansell in 1992 and Damon Hill in 1996. There does however appear to be some resentment about his decision to switch Stevenage to Switzerland to dodge taxes and that may have dented his popularity slightly.

Rebecca Adlington
The nineteen-year-old from Mansfield became the most successful British swimmer in a hundred years by winning two gold medals in Beijing. However, the last woman to win an Olympic swimming gold - Anita Lonsbrough in 1960 - only came third in that year’s Sports Personality of the Year. She did win the award two years later though and remains the only female swimmer ever to have done so.

Chris Hoy
There have numerous occasions where this award has been won by the Brit who came closest to winning something so it speaks volumes for Britain’s sporting success this year that Hoy, the first Brit since Henry Taylor in 1908 to win three gold medals at one Olympic Games, is only third-favourite. The only cyclist to have previously won the award was Tom Simpson in 1965.

Posted: November 7th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | 2 Comments