History favours Wawrinka as he squares up to Nalbandian
Published:The US Open is fast approaching, and the Legg Mason Classic offers players valuable hard court game time, with David Nalbandian facing Stanislas Wawrinka in the pick of today’s matches.
A Grand Slam finalist and winner of 10 career titles, Nalbandian begins the match as the 4/6 favourite.
The Argentinian’s last ATP Tour triumph came at Sydney last year, and his wait for a title in 2010 could be extended by his opponent at the Legg Mason Classic in Washington.
Wawrinka is 11/10 to win, and this price is made all the more attractive by the fact that the 25-year-old has won his last five matches against Nalbandian.
The players’ rankings also suggest that Wawrinka could be worth backing, with the Swiss player in 23rd position, 94 places higher than his opponent.
An Olympic gold medal winner with doubles partner Roger Federer in 2008, Wawrinka is a powerful player whose stock has risen considerably in recent years.
And if Federer’s sidekick can fire with his explosive groundstrokes, Nalbandian could be in danger of an early exit in Washington.
Thomas Berdych vs Dmitry Tursunov
Another interesting clash at the Legg Mason Classic sees Wimbledon runner-up Thomas Berdych take on Dmitry Tursunov.
Berdych is the overwhelming favourite to win at 1/8, but his Russian opponent should not be simply written off.
The 27-year-old Tursunov has accrued six titles during a solid ATP Tour career, and he has already beaten Berdych once. Tursunov is 9/2 to win.
Following a sterling 2010 so far, however, Berdych is a justifiable favourite. He is currently at a career-high ranking of eighth in the world and has already featured in two major finals this year.
Ernests Gulbis is also in action at the Legg Mason Classic, and he is 1/3 to beat Illya Marchenko. Can Marchenko upset his Latvian opponent? He is 9/4 to win. See the full Gulbis vs Marchenko Match Betting Odds market.
