Two marathons expected in Group B at ATP World Tour Finals
Published:It is the second round-robin clashes from Group B that is next on the calendar at the ATP World Tour Finals, with the two first-match losers in action in the afternoon, followed by those to triumph in their opening encounters.
The loser of the clash between Richard Gasquet and Roger Federer is almost certain to face an early exit from the tournament, while the winner of Novak Djokovic’s meeting with Juan Martin del Potro is pretty much guaranteed a semi-final berth in London.
This pair have met twice on indoor hard courts before and Federer has prevailed in both in straight sets.
It is 2/7 that Federer wins again and 8/11 that he comes through 2-0, but it is worth pointing out that the last time the Swiss maestro beat a fellow top-10 player in straight sets was in this tournament last year.
For those believing Gasquet can beat Federer for the just the second time since 2005, the 11/2 that the Frenchman triumphs 2-1 is far better value than the 11/4 that he simply wins the match.
This is because Federer’s defeat to Tommy Robredo at the US Open is the only occasion since the end of the clay-court season that he has been beaten in straight sets.
Both players battled for three sets in their opening round-robin defeats and the 2/1 that says this goes to a deciding set also holds some appeal.
This bet would have landed on the last six occasions when this pair were stood on opposite sides of the net and in all of Del Potro’s last six matches on indoor hard courts this season.
Given the unlikelihood of a one-sided showdown, the 5/6 that Del Potro triumphs if profiting from a 3.5-game handicap, is another bet worthy of consideration, alongside the 4/7 that the first set features at least 10 games.
In terms of picking a winner, Djokovic leads the head-to-head record 10-3 and has emerged victorious in six of the last seven meetings.
He is the 3/10 favourite, with Del Potro available at 5/2.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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