Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Sports World |
| Brisbane competition wide open after Serena surgery Posted: 02 Jan 2013 06:30 AM PST Brisbane, the first major test on the 2013 WTA calendar, could be the most competitive tournament outside a Grand Slam next year after Serena Williams confirmed she would participate despite undergoing minor surgery this December. Williams was hot favourite to win the $1,000,000 event in Australia that begins on 31 December and acts as a precursor for the first Grand Slam of the year – in Melbourne – three weeks later. However, the 15-time Grand Slam champion, who is also well fancied in the AustralianOpen 2013 Betting, had to undergo surgery on her big toes recently, sparking rumours that she won't be fully fit for the tournament. Indeed, despite Williams insisting she will be "fit and ready" for Brisbane, her surgery has blown the field wide open. World number one Victoria Azarenka, number two Maria Sharapova and home favourite Sam Stosur head the bill for the New Year event, while Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki and Petra Kvitova will all be hoping to start their 2013 campaigns with a title. It will therefore be a tough ask for Williams to not only make the event but win it amid such fierce competition. Fans in the betting world are already predicting a tight race and whoever claims Brisbane will carry great confidence into the Australian Open (Follow the link fortennis betting previews). For this is what the Brisbane International is all about. It may boast greater prize money than fellow WTA event Sydney but it is still nowhere near the stature of Melbourne. Wining the Australian Open can propel a career into superstardom and with so few build-up tournaments available to generate much-needed form, whoever wins Brisbane has a major advantage over their rivals. |
| Posted: 02 Jan 2013 06:25 AM PST The winter is a time that a lot of MLB teams look for value in the free agency market; they may have picked the wrong year for that though, as prices on both the free-agent market and the trade market are going through the roof and don't look like they are going to slow down. There are numerous examples of teams looking desperate to find players in the MLB betting news and some are playing well over the odds for alleged star quality. With the supply of top players running low and plenty of needs still out there to be filled, teams have to be wondering if there are any players available who are both good and cheap – the answer is yes and here are some suggestions that could provide great returns for a small outlay. First up is Brett Myers. He was once a top prospect who has descended to the role of journeyman but we believe he still has a role to play, as either a starter (at the back of the rotation) or a reliever. Myers is no stranger to either starting work or bullpen work, and he has enjoyed the best of both worlds in the last two seasons. As a starter, Myers would fit well at the back end of pretty much any rotation in the majors, and his performances in 2010 and 2011 suggest pretty strongly that he could at least be counted on to cover plenty of innings, Myers has plenty of value in either role. With Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, Ryan Dempster, and others all taken, teams looking for dependable starting pitchers on the free-agent market are running out of options. Well, how about Shaun Marcum as an option in free agency? He is no star but he is dependable. Marcum's production over the last three seasons has been like clockwork. He posted a 3.64 ERA in 2010, a 3.54 ERA in 2011 and a 3.70 ERA this past season. He has a concern over his health but health concerns have not stopped some other big pitching trades and Marcum comes with a level of acceptable risk. Rounding off the suggestions is Scott Hairston who is a free agent who can play all three outfield positions, a talent that should appeal to any team looking for a versatile outfielder and he also has ability at the plate. Hairston is coming off a season in which he hit a career-high 20 home runs with a career-high .504 slugging percentage, and a career-high .803 OPS. He also achieved a new career high for games played with 134 and is one that we thoroughly recommend in the free agent market. Just three ideas on some "lesser" options that can do a job from the free agent market – worth a thought if you're fond of betting MLB World Series. |
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