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01/25/2012 - Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic and fourth-seeded Andy Murray will meet in a marquee semifinal Friday in a rematch of last year's final at the Australian Open.
The reigning Aussie Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open titlist Djokovic tallied 35 winners and straight-setted fifth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, while the three-time Grand Slam runner-up Murray handled 24th-seeded Japanese Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in Wednesday's quarterfinal action at Melbourne Park's Rod Laver Arena.
Djokovic got past Ferrer in 2 hours, 44 minutes by hitting 17 more winners and breaking the Spaniard five times, compared to only two breaks for the loser.
The Serbian slugger needed 76 minutes to win a grueling second set.
"I was lucky to get out of the second set, it was a big mental advantage to get two sets up," Djokovic said.
Djokovic played down the possibility that he was injured, saying: "I don't have any physical issues."
"I feel very fit and I feel mentally, as well, very fresh," he said. "It's just today I found it very difficult after a long time to breathe because I felt the whole day my nose was closed a little bit. I just wasn't able to get enough oxygen."
Djokovic is now 7-5 lifetime against the gritty Ferrer, who titled in Auckland two weeks ago and had been a perfect 8-0 in this young season.
The Serbian star Djokovic straight-setted his fellow 24-year-old Murray in last year's Aussie finale. Murray has appeared in the last two finals in Melbourne, as he lost to Roger Federer here in 2010.
The four-time major champion Djokovic has won two of the last four Aussie Open titles, with his first one coming in 2008.
He has now won 37 of his last 39 Grand Slam matches and is seeking a third straight major title. A championship this week would put him in select company, as only four players -- Laver, Pete Sampras, Federer and Rafael Nadal -- have captured three straight Grand Slam titles in the Open Era (since 1968).
The high-flying Djokovic, Nadal and Federer have combined to win seven of the last eight Aussie Open championships.
The 24th-seeded Nishikori, the first Japanese man to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal in 17 years, provided little more than a speed bump for Murray on Wednesday although he showed a little fight in one of the match's most entertaining points.
Down 30-40 and 1-5 in the third set, Nishikori scrambled to win a long rally with Murray, who was forced to chase down a ball in the back court that he could only send harmlessly to the net.
Nishikori was there for an easy volley, forcing deuce, but Murray followed with a service winner and captured the match on the next point.
"There was quite a few good rallies. I mean, he came up with some good shots," Murray said. "A lot of the long points, the fun rallies he was winning, he came up with some great shots."
The 24-year-old Scot struck 36 winners and won nearly 80 percent of his first- serve points, while Nishikori had 39 unforced errors.
"After a couple games, I was OK," said Nishikori. "He played really well today."
Nishikori was the first Japanese man to reach the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam event since Shuzo Matsuoka in 1995 (Wimbledon) and he's also the first Japanese man in 80 years to reach the Aussie Open quarters.
Murray was a champion in Brisbane a few weeks ago.
The good friends Djokovic and Murray will meet for an 11th time at the ATP level, with the Serb holding a 6-4 lifetime advantage. Their lone Grand Slam meeting came in last year's final here, which Djokovic won easily, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Djokovic is 3-0 when they've met in semifinals of an event.
Murray is still looking to break through for his first major title. He said he's not feeling more relaxed on the court based on his recent history, just more experienced.
"Just more used to being in this position because of the experience," Murray said.
The biggest match of the tournament thus far will take place on Thursday night when the former world No. 1 greats Nadal and Federer do battle in the first men's semifinal at Laver.
The 25-year-old Nadal and 30-year-old Federer will meet for a 27th time, with the Spaniard leading the all-time series 17-9. Nadal is 7-2 in their Grand Slam meetings, including wins in their last four matchups. The two stalwarts have met in a men's record eight major finals, with Nadal winning six of them. They are in the same half of the draw at a major for the first time since 2005.
Nadal topped Federer in five sets in the 2009 Aussie Open finale.
The second-seeded Nadal is a 10-time major champion and the reigning French Open titlist. The third-seeded Federer, who will appear in his 30th Grand Slam semifinal, is a men's record 16-time Grand Slam champ, including a men's Open Era record-tying four Aussie titles.
Federer, who hasn't won a Grand Slam event since titling here in Melbourne two years ago, has yet to drop a set at this latest Aussie fortnight. He'll appear in his ninth straight Aussie semi on Thursday.
<< Murray reaches semis at Australian Open
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andy Murray is back in the Australian
Open semifinals after beating Kei Nishikori in straight sets Wednesday.
The fourth-seeded Murray needed just 29 minutes to win the third set at Rod
Laver Arena
<< Hodgson lifts Canucks over Oilers in SO
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cody Hodgson scored the winner in the fifth-
round of the shootout to give the Vancouver Canucks a 3-2 win over the
Edmonton Oilers.
In the fifth round, Hodgson buried a wrister between the pads of
<< McMillan helps Wild edge Avalanche
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carson McMillan's third-period goal was the
difference as the Minnesota Wild defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 3-2, at
Pepsi Center.
Justin Falk and Dany Heatley also scored for the Wild, who won bac
<< Coyotes trim Senators
Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Radim Vrbata scored the deciding goal early in
the third period, as Phoenix slipped by Ottawa, 3-2.
Gilbert Brule and Shane Doan also lit the lamp to back a 32-save performance
by Mike Smith for the Coyotes,
Serena, Venus will play Fed Cup next week >>
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Williams sisters, Serena and
Venus, will play Fed Cup tennis in Massachusetts for the United States next
week.
The sisters will lead the U.S. against Belarus in a best-of-five Group I
Steelers' Clark added to Pro Bowl roster >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steelers safety Ryan Clark has been added to
the AFC's Pro Bowl roster, the team announced Wednesday.
Clark, a 10-year veteran, will make his first trip to the Pro Bowl. The 32-
year-old recorded 100
Wittman's Wizards welcome Bobcats to DC >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A disastrous start to their season has cost the Washington
Wizards their head coach. Tonight, they try to turn things around with a new
man at the helm against another underachieving team in the Charlotte Bobcats.
The Wiza
Knicks visit Kyrie and the Cavs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Knicks could have Baron Davis in the lineup
this evening when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena.
Davis has yet to suit up for the Knicks because of a balky back that led to
his release
MySportsbook.com Releases World Series Championship Lines
New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox early favorites to win 2008 World Series
The Major League Baseball season starts this weekend and MySportsbook.com, a leading online sportsbook for over 8 years, is the first to offer baseball sports betting lines on who will win the 2007 World Series.
"The World Series is the biggest baseball event in the sports betting world and MySportsbook.com is excited that we are first to market with betting lines on every team," says Tim Dalton, Marketing Director, MySportsbook.com. "We are getting things ready for a great baseball season and our members are looking forward to our Player Payback Bonuses, as well as Dime Lines, all season long."
Going in to this weekend, MySportsbook.com's favorites to win the World Series are the New York Yankees at 7-2 and last year’s winners the Chicago White Sox at 9-2.
"These betting lines are ripe for the picking," Dalton added, "baseball fans know that the season is long and many factors, including players staying healthy, will affect these Future odds as the baseball season progresses. Betting on your favorite team in the beginning of the season could prove quite lucrative. We are seeing examples of this right now in the NCAA College Basketball Tournament with a lucky few that placed pre-season bets on George Mason to win it all. Anything can happen."
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MySportsbook.com is the foremost online sportsbook offering Internet wagering to its worldwide customers. Fully licensed and regulated in St. John’s, Antigua since 1997, MySportsbook.com offers a complete range of online casino games, sports betting lines, poker tournaments and horse racing offtrack betting daily through its portfolio of companies and managed services. With over 7 years of experience, MySportsbook.com has become one of the most respected companies in the gaming industry by providing unparalleled 24/7 customer support and timely payouts. MySportsbook.com is part of the SportingBet PLC group of companies that is publicly-traded on the London Stock Exchange ( LSE ) under the symbol SBT.L. MySportsbook.com provides a secure environment for sports and casino wagering and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including MAXIM Magazine, Cigar Aficionado, and CNN’s Paula Zahn Now among others.
MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds
With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season. What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season. Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all. Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13). Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two. Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury. Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven. Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury. Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons. Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4. Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1). The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this. No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.
Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend. Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend. With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.
MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:
Atlanta Hawks 1000-1
Boston Celtics 5000-1
Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1
Chicago Bulls 20-1
Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1
Dallas Mavericks 2-1
Denver Nuggets 25-1
Detroit Pistons 6-1
Golden State Warriors 250-1
Houston Rockets 12-1
Indiana Pacers 60-1
Los Angeles Clippers 45-1
Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1
Miami Heat 9-1
Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1
Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1
New Jersey Nets 50-1
New Orleans Hornets 150-1
New York Knicks 150-1
Orlando Magic 75-1
Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1
Phoenix Suns 5-2
Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1
Sacramento Kings 250-1
San Antonio Spurs 9-1
Seattle Sonics 5000-1
Toronto Raptors 35-1
Utah Jazz 20-1
Washington Wizards 25-1
About MySportsbook.com:
MySportsbook.com is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best online Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.
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