Roger Federer and Fernando Gonzalez are favourites to make the French Open Final

A 2007 Australian Open Final repeat could be on the cards

Over the course of the last 14 Grand Slams there has only been one final that has occurred more than once - with Roger Federer facing Rafael Nadal seven times in that period. However, the bookmakers make Federer and Fernando Gonzalez favourites to win their semi-finals and set up a repeat of the 2007 Australian Open Final. Here are all the key stats about today’s matches:

Click here to check out the Ladbrokes’ French Open Wizard

Robin Soderling v Fernando Gonzalez
Soderling has taken care of David Ferrer, Nadal and Nikolay Davydenko to get this far but now has to conquer Gonzalez, who he has lost four straight clashes with, two of which were on clay. Over the last three years, every men’s semi-final at Roland Garros has been won by the player who won the pair’s previous meeting. Both men have had sensational tournaments so far, with Soderling dropping just two sets and Gonzalez one so it should be close. The Chilean is a worthy favourite though having excelled in his only other Grand Slam semi (Australian Open 2007), beating Tommy Haas 6-1 6-3 6-1.

Posted: June 5th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

There could yet be another upset in the French Open women’s semi-finals

History dictates that a Safina/Kuznetsova final is far from certain

Top seed Dinara Safina and Serena-conquering Svetlana Kuznetsova are strong favourites to overcome Dominika Cibulkova and Samantha Stosur in today’s French Open semi-finals. However, in ten of the last 11 years at least one of the women’s semis has been won by the lower seed, meaning there is potential for an upset.

Dinara Safina v Dominika Cibulkova
The major concern for Safina will be that the top seed has made the final just once in nine years at Roland Garros, with four falling at the semi-finals over that period. The Russian lost the final last year and it is notoriously difficult to bounce back, with Ana Ivanovic last year becoming the first woman to do it since 1996. Safina has won her two previous meetings with the Slovakian in straight sets but Cibulkova, who has never been this far at a Grand Slam before, has dropped just 15 games in her last four matches.

Posted: June 4th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Chelsea are 9/5 with Bet365 to win against Barcelona tonight

Chelsea/Barcelona, 7.45pm, Sky Sports 2, Free Bets, Best Odds

Barcelona’s 6-2 demolition of Real Madrid has seen them installed as 13/8 favourites tonight while the hosts are available at 9/5 with Bet365.

Headline trends:

» Chelsea have won their last six Champions League home games against foreign opposition.

» Away-goal chasing Barcelona have scored in 21 consecutive La Liga and Champions League away games.

Posted: May 6th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 2 Comments

Away wins are a rarity in UEFA Cup semi-final first-legs

Dynamo Kiev/Shakhtar Donetsk, 5.30pm, ITV4, Best Odds
Werder Bremen/Hamburg, 7.45pm, ITV4, Free Bets, Best Odds

While the Big Four have dominated the Champions League for two successive seasons, the Premier League’s claim to the “best league in the world” moniker is brought into question by the fact that none of the not-so-big 16 have won the UEFA Cup in the last 25 years. We’ve grown accustomed to all-English Champions League semi-finals but tonight teams from the Bundesliga and the Ukranian Premier League fight it out for the right to represent their country in a guaranteed Germany v Ukraine final:

SEMI-FINAL STATS

» The away side haven’t won a UEFA Cup semi-final first-leg in any of the last six seasons and only one of the last 18 have ended in the visitors’ favour.

» There has only been one goal in this week’s three big televised games this week and there is a danger that the drought could continue - only eight of the last 24 UEFA Cup semi-finals have broken the 2.5 goal barrier.

Posted: April 30th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Why Arsenal can’t be written off despite losing the first leg

Five stats about this week’s Champions League semi-finals

1. Manchester United have scored on each of their three previous trips to the Emirates, despite only taking a point from those games.

2. However, Arsenal’s current home defensive record has been fantastic despite their injury problems. The Gunners have conceded just once in their last 12 games at the Emirates.

3. Arsene Wenger’s side have never failed to score in nine meetings with the Big Four sides at the Emirates. They have scored twice in each of their three home games there against Manchester United.

Posted: April 29th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 1 Comment

Mallorca are 14/1 with Bet365 to repeat their May heroics

Barcelona/Mallorca, 8.30pm, Sky Sports 3, Free Bets, Best Odds

Real Mallorca travel to Barcelona for tonight’s Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg hoping to relive their win there last May, when they came back from 2-0 down to become the only side besides Real Madrid and Villarreal to win a league match at the Nou Camp in the last three years.

Bet365 offer 14/1 on the visitors being victorious again but Barcelona haven’t lost a domestic home game since that day, with the Catalan club winning twelve and drawing just two this season. Just last month they overcame Mallorca, who are currently embroiled in a relegation battle and have won just one away game all season, 3-1.

Like Barcelona, Mallorca are unbeaten in this year’s competition which may make the 7/2 available at Paddy Power on them not losing (double chance) appetising. It is also worth noting that while Pep Guardiola’s side are the most successful in the competition’s history, they haven’t reached the final in eleven years and have lost out at this stage in the last two. Bet365 go 15/2 on Mallorca triumphing over two legs.

Posted: February 5th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment