Djokovic, Murray, Hewitt reach fourth round Down Under

Tennis Betting Lines

01/21/2012 - Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last year's champion Novak Djokovic and runner-up Andy Murray, as well as Aussie hero and former finalist Lleyton Hewitt, were among Saturday's third-round winners at the Australian Open.

The world No. 1 Djokovic rolled past helpless Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-0, 6-1, 6-1 on Day 6. The Serbian slugger advanced in a mere 74 minutes, piling up eight service breaks in the process and holding his serve throughout.

"I always played well in Australia. This is the only Grand Slam I won twice," Djokovic said. "The conditions are great. They're very suitable to my style of the game, day and night. I'm really looking forward to next week."

The reigning Aussie Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open titlist has now won 35 of his last 37 Grand Slam matches and is seeking a third straight major title and a third Aussie crown. A title here would put Djokovic in select company, as only four players -- Rod Laver, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal -- have captured three straight Grand Slam championships in the Open era.

Djokovic, who beat Murray in last year's Aussie finale, will meet the former No. 1 Hewitt here on Monday.

A fourth-seeded Murray, meanwhile, improved to 15-2 in Melbourne over the last three years with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-0 throttling of French left-hander Michael Llodra. The Brit swatted 30 more winners (48-18) in the 1-hour, 49-minute rout on Day 6.

In addition to his loss against Djokovic in last year's finale, Murray gave way to Federer in the 2010 Aussie title tilt.

The three-time major finalist Murray, who captured a title in Brisbane two weeks ago, will face Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin in the fourth round next week.

The unseeded Hewitt thrilled the home crowd by upending rising 23rd-seeded Milos Raonic 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.

Hewitt moved on in 3 hours, 6 minutes, despite 23 aces from Raonic, who also piled up 54 unforced errors en route to defeat. The Aussie veteran managed three key service breaks, compared to two for the loser from Canada.

Raonic recently titled in India to open his 2012 season.

Hewitt is a two-time major champ and was the 2005 Aussie runner-up to retired Russian and fellow former world No. 1 Marat Safin.

Fifth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer took care of 27th-seeded Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela 7-5, 6-2, 6-1, while France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the tournament's sixth seed, tattooed Frederico Gil of Portugal 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. Tsonga lost to Djokovic in the 2008 Aussie finale.

Ferrer titled in Auckland last week, while Tsonga is fresh off his championship in Doha two weeks ago.

A top-10 upset came when sweet-swinging Frenchman Richard Gasquet, seeded 17th, dismissed No. 9 Serb Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in 1 hour, 37 minutes. A lethargic Tipsarevic exited after misfiring for 33 unforced errors, compared to only eight for an in-form Gasquet.

Gasquet should have his hands full with the gritty Ferrer on Monday.

In other third-round play, the aforementioned Kukushkin stunned 14th-seeded French star Gael Monfils 6-2, 7-5, 5-7, 1-6, 6-4, while 24th-seeded Japanese Kei Nishikori bested France's Julien Benneteau 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3. The capable Benneteau was a finalist in Sydney last week.

Nishikori will tangle with Tsonga in the round of 16.

The fourth round will commence Sunday, including matches for a second-seeded Nadal and third-seeded Federer. Nadal will take on 18th-seeded fellow Spaniard and Davis Cup teammate Feliciano Lopez, while Federer will encounter rising Aussie sensation, 19-year-old Bernard Tomic.

The former No. 1 Nadal owns 10 major titles, including last year's French Open and the 2009 Aussie, when he topped Federer in the final at Melbourne Park. The former top-ranked Federer boasts a men's record 16 Grand Slam titles, including a men's Open era record-tying four Aussie championships.

Also on Sunday, seventh-seeded former Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych will meet 10th-seeded Nicolas Almagro and 11th-seeded former U.S. Open champ Juan Martin del Potro will battle German Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Wwcdnow Tennis Betting News

<< Colsaerts joins Grace in lead at Fancourt
George, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nicolas Colsaerts carded a four-under 69 Saturday to join Branden Grace atop the leaderboard after three rounds of the Volvo Golf Champions. Grace, the second-round leader, birdied the last for a two-o

<< Kvitova, Sharapova, Serena reach Aussie round of 16
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-seeded Petra Kvitova, fourth-seeded Maria Sharapova and five-time champion Serena Williams were a trio of third-round winners Saturday at the Australian Open. The Wimbledon and WT

<< In the FCS Huddle: Sam Houston State not hurt by later recruiting
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the rest of the Southland Conference had the luxury of devoting more time to high school recruits the last two months, everybody agrees they still are chasing Sam Houston State. Just like they did in

<< Southeastern Louisiana adds three more signees
Hammond, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - First-year Southeastern Louisiana football coach Ron Roberts announced the signing of three players to increase the program's mid-year transfers to five. Signing with the Lions were safety Theo Alexander (St. L

<< NASCAR Hall of Fame inducts its third class
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough's long- awaited arrival to the NASCAR Hall of Fame is over, as both three-time champions in NASCAR's premier series were among those inducted during a ceremon

Drew practices tough love with Hawks >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sometimes you need a pat on the back and sometimes you need a kick in the butt. If Jim Ross was at the microphone last night in Philadelphia, you could bet he would have been talking about the educated fee

Cardinals fly into Steel City to take on struggling Panthers >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Still searching for their first Big East Conference win of the season, the Pittsburgh Panthers will give it another try tonight as they play host to the 23rd-ranked Louisville Cardinals. Louisville opened th

Wolverines and Razorbacks do battle in non-conference action >>
Fayetteville, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 20th-ranked Michigan Wolverines play their final non-conference game of the regular season today, as they pull into Fayetteville to challenge the Arkansas Razorbacks. Michigan is 15-4 on the year, and

Wildcats seek end to long drought in clash with Cowboys >>
Stillwater, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seeking their first win in Stillwater since 1993, the 25th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats tangle with the Oklahoma State Cowboys today in Big 12 Conference action from Gallagher-Iba Arena. Both teams have iden

Falcons land in San Diego to challenge 16th-ranked Aztecs >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Heading out for just their fourth true road game of the season, the Air Force Falcons land at Viejas Arena tonight where they will take on 16th-ranked San Diego State in Mountain West Conference play. The Fa

MySportsbook is considered one of the finest football betting sportsbooks according to several surveys performed by independent industry analysts considering such factors as payout accuracy and timeliness, overall quality of website, and bettor satisfaction.

MySportsbook is a large company with strong financial backing. Considered the best sportsbook for betting football online You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs.

MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

About MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker
Since opening in 1997, MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker has been a leader in Internet wagering, providing single account access for sports and casino play. This sportsbook has a revolutionary payment method, Direct Bank Transfer, gives players a faster and more secure transaction option for both deposits and withdrawals. This Internet Sportsbook takes pride in offering an aggressive VIP rewards program, along with seasonal reduced juice specials and high parlay payout odds. MySportsbook.com has set new standards in the sports betting industry, from their fantastic customer service, industry leading bonuses, extensive selection of wager types and props, to the fastest payouts anywhere... MySportsbook.com is America's Sportsbook! Open an account today at MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker, or call toll-free 1-866-238-6648

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Master Card needs.