French Open Betting Tips

The most important aspect of any sports betting is to be as informed as possible, not only about your chosen player's current form, but it is also wise to know whether they have made any changes to their game, their equipment or their support personnel.

It is also imperative to find out whether they have suffered any injury, illness, or personal tragedy or loss in recent times and how that could affect their performance on the day.

A New Coach for Andy Murray

We do know that top ranked British player, Andrew Murray, has recently parted company with his American coach, Brad Gilbert and he has enlisted the help of former player Miles Maclagan. Could this affect the way he plays? Certainly, but whether it will improve or detract from the young Scots game will only be revealed in time.

Murray did not have an auspicious start to 2008 although he did claim the maiden title of the season, the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, but when it counted most at the Australian Open, he was sent packing in the first round by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a man way behind him on the ATP rankings at the time, and unseeded for the tournament.

He did take down the out of form Roger Federer at the Dubai Open, but fell to the number four in the world, Nikolay Davydenko and at the more important Masters Series events in Indian Wells and Miami he dropped out in the fourth and second round respectively.

Battling with Illness

Although Roger Federer has been cleared to play competitive tennis, he has been battling with glandular fever for some time. He was obviously in some difficulty at the Australian Open and has not looked his normal self for a while now.

All indications are that he will regain his strength as they season continues, but will his long illness affect his performance at Roland Garros? Only time will tell.

Self Confidence

Novak Djokovic is still on a high after his maiden grand slam victory at Melbourne in January and self belief is a wonderful asset going into any competitive showdown.

He almost willed himself to victory and you could visibly see him puff himself up when he won important points. He is undoubtedly on the rise, but can he keep that self belief high going into the second major challenge of the year - the French Open?

The Court Surface

There are some players who are just naturals on clay, and others really battle to master the technique of playing on the surface. We all know that Rafael Nadal is virtually invincible on clay, but we don't really know too much about Murray's form on clay - he simply hasn't played enough. He has, however, stated publicly that clay is his favoured surface.

Federer may not have claimed the French Open title just yet, but he has made it to the finals on two occasions which indicates that he can more than hold his own on the dodgy surface. Djokovic too has had his fair share of wins on clay and nearly all the European players cut their teeth on clay as youngsters. How will the surface affect the form of your chosen player?

Then there are other variables like big match temperament and fitness issues. Clay is demanding - is your chosen player physically fit? Murray has notoriously battled with his fitness levels, but he claims that he has rectified this problem - again only time will tell.

So, there are several aspects to consider before you part with your hard earned moola - be thorough and be informed, and most importantly relax and enjoy the spectacle of the 2008 French Open.