Rome Open: Murray meets Goffin in latest Masters match-up
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Andy Murray, a 10/1 shot with Coral to win his third ATP event on the spin at the Italian Open, faces David Goffin for the first time on clay in this Masters clash in Rome.
Recording a straight sets victory on grass at Wimbledon against this opponent last year, Great Britain’s number one Murray is a strong odds-on 1/6 favourite to defeat Goffin again. He’s also odds-on to dispense with the Belgian in straight sets at 8/15.
Elsewhere in the men’s singles draw, Tomas Berdych tackles home favourite Fabio Fognini, and the Czech has never beaten this opponent on a clay court. Twice toppling Berdych at Monte Carlo, the Italian operator is a tasty 2/1 to keep his 100 per cent record on his favoured surface up against the sixth seed. Victory in straight or three sets are equal 9/2 chances for Fognini.
Second seed and Swiss star Roger Federer is massively odds-on at 1/9 to beat South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, and 2/5 to crush him ins straight sets once again.
Japanese tennis ace Kei Nishikori, seeded fifth, faces Serbia’s rising star Viktor Troicki, who ironically beat him in his own country at Tokyo five years ago. Since then, however, it’s been plain sailing for the Far East player. Like Federer, Nishikori is also 1/9 match favourite and 2/5 to tackle Troicki in straight sets.
In the WTA ladies’ singles event, fourth seed Petra Kvitova faces a thorny foe in Troicki’s compatriot Jelena Jankovic. The Czech only has a 60 per cent success rate against her, which explains why Jankovic is a 13/8 chance to level their head-to-heads at three wins apiece.
Kvitova, odds-on at 4/9 for victory in their latest match, defeated the Serbian at Doha earlier this season when Jankovic had to retire injured during the second set. It’s 11/4 for the seed to win three sets, but Jankovic must be considered to do this to at 4/1.
Women’s number one Serena Williams, meanwhile, faces an all-American clash with Christina McHale, and it is the first time they have faced each other. Despite a 10-year age gap, Grand Slam great Serena is an overwhelming odds-on 1/20 match favourite against her compatriot.
