Flipkens can take Williams all the way but Fognini will miss the clay

As the US Open approaches many will be using the Rogers Cup as an opportunity to hone their skills. It also provides plenty of interesting betting opportunities however, including this double.

Venus Williams v Kristen Flipkens – Total sets – Exactly Three

While Venus Williams won her only encounter with Kristen Flipkens in straight sets, that match came in 2007 and a much closer affair can be expected here.

Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, has been off the court since May due to injuries and prior to that had lost two consecutive matches, although both of those came on clay which has never been her preferred surface.

She enjoyed a decent run in the Family Circle Cup in April, reaching the semi-finals before crashing out to sister and eventual winner Serena Willaims, despite dropping sets against Monica Puig and Varvara Lepchenko along the way.

World number 13 Flipkens will no doubt still be on a high after reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon – her best ever performance in a Grand Slam by some distance.

However, the Belgian has been in decent form this year not only on the grass, but also recorded her best ever performance at the Australian Open and has won 66 per cent of all her matches on the hard court.

Venus will no doubt be rusty, but she will certainly retain some of the ability which saw her claim two US Opens. Flipkens is in the form of her life, however, and it is difficult to call a winner and 5/4 for the match to go to three sets looks an extremely tempting bet.

Marcos Baghdatis v Fabio Fognini – Marcos Baghdatis

While Fabio Fognini has won two of his three matches against Marcos Baghdatis, in their only encounter on the hard court, Baghdatis dispatched the Italian in straight sets 6-2 6-2.

Baghdatis has crucially also managed to find some form at last. The former world number eight lost seven consecutive games over the course of April to June, but had a decent in the Citi Open, registering impressive wins over Lukas Lacko and Kei Nishikori before taking a set off of eventual finalist John Isner in the quarter-finals.

While 2013 has been a profitable year for Fognini – the world number 16 has picked up two ATP titles thus far – his success has been limited to the clay.

In fact his performances on the hard court have been far from impressive, with the Italian winning only four of his nine matches this year. In the Australian Open, Fognini’s limitations were there for all to see as he crashed out in the first round to world number 58 Roberto Bautista-Agut.

Expect Baghdatis to warrant his favouritism at 4/7 and claim victory.

Double pays 3.54

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.