The Morgan
Keegan event gets underway in Memphis this week
and with Roddick, Isner, Querrey and Blake all in attendance; it could be a
fruitful week for the US.
The event
The Morgan
Keegan Championships have taken place at the Racquet Club of Memphis since 1975
and has been won by the likes of Bjorn Borg (1977), Andre Agassi (1988) and
Pete Sampras (1996).
Andy
Roddick has won the event on three previous occasions and will be gunning for a
fourth title here this year. As an ATP 500 event, there are plenty of ranking
points on offer for the winner and this always ensures a highly competitive
week’s action.
US hopes
It’s four
years since a non US
citizen won this event. Roddick took the title in 2009 and 2011 with a victory
for Sam Querrey sandwiched in between.
Both men
are back this year and are amongst the favourites for success, but it’s current
World No.13, John Isner who leads the way with the sportsbooks, as far as
the US players are concerned, and can be backed at tennis odds of around 4/1.
Isner has
had success here in the doubles but is yet to make any real mark on the Singles
event. The big-serving American has a tough draw ahead and will likely face
Donald Young, Bernard Tomic and Sam Querrey along the way.
A rather
disappointing Third Round exit in the Australian Open wasn’t the best start to
the year for Isner, but victory over Federer, on clay in the Davis Cup last
week, will have given the big man a huge confidence boost.
For me,
Isner is the most likely candidate from the US bunch. Whilst Andy Roddick has
three success here to his name and doesn’t appear to have the toughest of
draws, his form has just been too sporadic for me of late and he’s been
struggling to the find any sort of consistency across an entire event.
Roddick’s odds of around 5/1 appear a little on the slim side,
so whilst he could go deep into the week, he could just as easily drop out
early.
Young,
Querrey, Blake and Harrison are all in the running for the US, but none of
them have been on hot streaks lately and I wouldn’t expect to see any of them
picking up this title.
Who else is in the frame?
Bernard
Tomic in the top half and Milos Raonic in the bottom are both names that
standout from the crowd.
After being
voted Newcomer of the Year in 2011, Raonic is currently on a real hot-streak
and comes into this event, not only having successfully defended his 2011 crown
in San Jose
last week, but also as the current tennis bookmakers favourite. The Canadian
21-year-old has already won two events this year and will really be one to
watch across 2012. At betting odds of just 2/1, it might be a big risk to bet
on back-to-back successes for the big server, but he is in the ‘easier’ half of
the draw and certainly has every chance.
Although
their styles are very different, Aussie, Bernard Tomic had a similar
breakthrough year to Raonic in 2011, but at just 19, Tomic still awaits his
first big title on the tour. The bookmakers have Tomic at around a 6/1 shot for
success, and whilst he is certainly capable of moving through this field, I
feel tough encounters with the likes of Isner, Melzer and Stepanek, may prove too
much for him.
Radek
Stepanek himself, comes into the draw as the third seed and whilst he may now
be looking to wind down his career, there’s no question he’ll be up for the
challenge in any ATP 500 event. The talented Czech can be backed at 8/1 but has
five career titles to his name and was a finalist here in 2009.
Tennis betting verdict
It’s John
Isner for me, but keep an eye on Raonic and Tomic.