French Open - Fourth Round (I)

Another quick write-up for Sunday's action with three selections The Overrule likes in the fourth round. This is likely to be the last daily selections article from The Overrule for the French Open as I'll more than likely be without net access for the second week due to moving. The Overrule will return to round up how our French Open selections went in the Weekly Overview after the tournament is complete.

3* David Ferrer beat Kevin Anderson 3-0 at 4/5 (Bet Victor)

3* Agnieszka Radwanska beat Ana Ivanovic at 4/5 (Stan James)

3* Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Angelique Kerber at 6/5 (Stan James)

 

French Open - Third Round (II)

Pressed for time hence the short write-up but The Overrule likes the look of three matches on the women's side for Saturday all of which have the potential for in-play trade material. Each selection for a two point stake.

2* Marion Bartoli beat Francesca Schiavone at 7/5 (Boylesports)

2* Paula Ormaechea beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands at 85/40 (Boylesports)

2* Jamie Hampton beat Petra Kvitova at 2/1 (Boylesports)

French Open - Third Round (I)

After a few days of play affected by the rain, forecasts suggest we might have seen the back of interruptions for the remainder of this year's French Open. The last match on Chatrier for Friday's order of play pits former French Open champion and world number one Ana Ivanovic against Virginie Razzano. You'll have heard Razzano's name mentioned around a million times in the past week because she was the last player to beat Serena Williams on clay at last year's French Open.

The Overrule doesn't expect her to beat Ivanovic but she can cover the +6.5 handicap and we're quite happy to take that at evens for a three point stake.

3* Virginie Razzano +6.5 beat Ana Ivanovic at EVS (Ladbrokes)

French Open - First Round (III)

Rain is expected to keep us waiting on day three of the French Open but hopefully there will at least be enough play to see our selection for Tuesday's action come to completion and fruition. Marion Bartoli has had a very difficult season and is currently on a 2-6 run in which one of those wins came by virtue of an Elena Vesnina retirement. However, despite her obvious struggles Bartoli now represents a good opportunity for The Overrule at 1/2 as opposed to her original starting price of 3/10.

Clay isn't a surface best suited for Bartoli but she did make a somewhat improbable run to the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2011. Bartoli's coaching situation has been discussed far more this season than her actual performances and results and latest reports suggest she is now back working with her father.

Bartoli's first round opponent - Olga Govortsova - is in no great form herself, in fact she hasn't won consecutive matches at a tournament all season. Bartoli beat Govortova during her run to the last four in 2011 and first up on Chatrier gives her a chance to gain a much needed win and confidence boost on centre stage.

Incidentally Govortsova has never lost in the opening round at Roland Garros in five visits but The Overrule believes that run will end tomorrow and we like the price enough to place three points on Bartoli to come through.

3* Marion Bartoli to beat Olga Govortsova at 1/2 (Bet Victor)

French Open - First Round (II)

Earlier in the season we benefited from an overreaction in pricing when Mona Barthel was made too short a favorite against Caroline Wozniacki and a similar but not as significant movement has occurred again in a match involving the former world number one. Most books had the marquee match-up of the women's first round between Laura Robson and Wozniacki at 5/6 or 10/11 a piece when prices were released but money came in on Robson.

That push has now eased Wozniacki out to 11/10 where The Overrule believes the Dane is overpriced. The original price was a fair reflection and I was inclined to believe Robson may sneak out the victory but the easing out of Wozniacki's price now offers us some value. Robson has a good track record of raising her game against high profile opponents but there is little justification for her to represent any value at 4/6.

Robson freely admits clay isn't best suited for her game and although she has a couple of notable scalps this season on the surface it's important to put those wins into context. After a 3 match losing streak on clay to Eugenie Bouchard, Lourdes Dominguez Lino and Ayumi Morita, Robson defeated an ailing Agnieszka Radwanska and pushed Ana Ivanovic to a deciding set tie-break in Madrid in the last sixteen. In fact Robson served for the match against the Serbian but failed to close it out. Robson also defeated Venus Williams in Rome but it's worth remembering that while sister Serena is playing as well as ever at the top of the women's game, Venus's best days are well and truly behind her and defeats of that nature are not unexpected.

While Robson has at least put some wins on the board in the build up to Roland Garros, Wozniacki's form is atrocious. She has lost 5 matches in a row on clay and confidence is understandably lacking as well as what looks to be a change in coaching set-up. That being said Wozniacki hasn't lost in the first round of the French Open since her debut in 2007 but history alone clearly won't be all she needs on her side tomorrow.

It's certainly hard to place much faith in Wozniacki producing a solid display tomorrow on current form but the price dictates that it's worth the shot despite her recent woes. At the very least the price offers the likelihood of in-play trade material.

The Overrule will back Wozniacki to win with a three point selection.

3* Caroline Wozniacki to beat Laura Robson at 11/10 (Paddy Power)

French Open - First Round (I)

Play begins at the French Open on Sunday and The Overrule has one match betting selection for Sunday's play. Before we get to that it's worth reminding what The Overrule's policy is where it concerns void books and for you to make your own choice on the issue where it concerns your personal wagers.

Caroline Garcia's price has drifted since the opening line was released and she has now reached a price where The Overrule believes we'll be on the right side of the number. Opening at 4/6 against Yuliya Beygelzimer, Garcia has now been pushed out to 4/5. Beygelzimer has 10 years on Garcia - who Andy Murray once dubbed a future number one - but the home favorite certainly possesses more natural talent. 

Garcia won an ITF in her build-up to Roland Garros and had match points against Jelena Jankovic in Charleston back in April. Beygelzimer has some matches under her belt having come through qualifying and the winner will likely have the unenviable task of facing Serena Williams in the second round. 

The Overrule will be placing three points on Garcia to win. 

3* Caroline Garcia to beat Yuliya Beygelzimer at 4/5 (Boylesports) 

The Overrule will have a further look at first round action on Sunday for Monday's play. 

French Open - Women

Serena Williams (EVS) has unsurprisingly been cut to win her first French Open title since her lone success in Paris in 2002. The reason being a bottom-heavy draw in which a number of possible stumbling blocks for Williams have been avoided in her path towards the final.

Maria Sharapova (defending champion), Victoria Azarenka (2009 & 2011 quarter-finalist), Li Na (2011 champion), Sam Stosur (2010 finalist) and Petra Kvitova (2012 semi-finalist) are the bigger names in a loaded bottom half. Not to mention the likes of Jelena Jankovic, Maria Kirilenko and Dominika Cibulkova who will believe they can make the second week at Roland Garros. Jankovic has reached the last four in Paris on three occasions while Cibulkova also did the same in 2009.

The Overrule has previously backed Svetlana Kuznetsova (150/1) and Sam Stosur (20/1) for this year's French Open. Kuznetsova (125/1) was as short as 66/1 over recent weeks but has seen her price pushed back out after failing to make much impact during the European clay court season. Stosur's price has been eased out to 28/1 having been drawn in the more difficult bottom half.

On paper it's certainly hard to want to oppose Williams with a 33-1 record on clay dating back to last season. Her only loss in that time was in the first round of last year's French Open against Virginie Razzano in a bizarre and drama filled battle. If you felt Williams was a sure thing before the draw, your view will only have been cemented further given how the draw has played out.

Kuznetsova or Angelique Kerber (100/1) look like being the players most capable of giving Williams a stiff test before the final should one of them reach the last eight and be playing at the high levels they have been capable of in the past. Kuznetsova is a former French Open champion (2009) and although her best days are clearly behind her, she still has the ability to beat most players on her day.

The second quarter of the draw appears to be where some value can be extracted according to The Overrule. Agnieszka Radwanska (90/1) enters Roland Garros off the back of injury concerns over her shoulder and no form or confidence at all. How healthy she is will play a large role in determining how serious a challenge she can mount in Paris. If she is in good enough shape to play at her normal level her price is very appealing in the each-way market. 

Ana Ivanovic (80/1) - a former French Open winner in 2008 - will have her backers given the second quarter of the draw is there for the taking. Sara Errani (25/1) has been consistent all year on all surfaces and will have her sights set on at least a place in the last four having reached the final last year. 

It's in Errani's section where Nadia Petrova (500/1) seems massively overpriced to The Overrule. The world number 11 has had an ordinary year to say the least but has the ability to cause some damage if she can get a couple of wins and confidence under her belt. It's been eight years since Petrova made the last four in Paris and she faces the prospect of two very tricky early round encounters with Monica Puig and possibly Madison Keys. 

The Overrule backed Li (14/1) each-way at the Australian Open at the start of the year (22/1) and we are quite happy to do so again at the French Open. Li reached the final in Stuttgart a few weeks ago losing to Sharapova and put in a dreadful display in Rome in her last event before Roland Garros. Li has the capability to produce form from nowhere and she has no reason to fear anyone in her quarter. 

Azarenka (15/2) is always up against it on clay as the surface doesn't enable her to get the best out of her game but what the two-time Australian Open champion lacks in clay court pedigree she makes up for in will to win and desire. Li defeated Azarenka in the last eight the year she went on to win the title and it's quite possible that quarter-final match-up will occur again in 2013. 

Kvitova (40/1) and Stosur (28/1) met in Rome where the Australian prevailed in three sets and could be on a collision course in the fourth round. Both have some potentially awkward encounters to negotiate before that stage, so there is no guarantee a fourth round meeting will become a reality. Sharapova (9/2) had a wonderful run on clay ended by Williams in the Madrid final as she looks to defend the title she won last year to complete the career Grand Slam. A possible fourth round meeting with Cibulkova (250/1) would likely be the Russian's first real test of the tournament. 

The Overrule is going to add two each-way selections to the pending two each-way selections we already have running. The Overrule will place a quarter point each-way on Petrova at 500/1 and one point each-way on Li at 14/1. That means 0.25 on Petrova 500/1 to win the tournament and 0.25 on Petrova 250/1 to reach the final. It also means 1 on Li at 14/1 to win the tournament and 1 on Li at 7/1 to reach the final. 

0.25* Nadia Petrova win French Open (each-way) at 500/1 (Boylesports) (each-way terms 1/2 odds 1-2 places)

1* Li Na win French Open (each-way) at 14/1 (Boylesports) (each-way terms 1/2 odds 1-2 places) 

Below is a breakdown of the returns on the four women we have covered at the French Open on the various permutations. 

Li Na
Winner: +21
Runner-up: +6
Not to reach the final: -2 

Sam Stosur
Winner: +60
Runner-up: +18
Not to reach the final: -4

Svetlana Kuznetsova
Winner: +112.50
Runner-up: +37
Not to reach the final: -1

Nadia Petrova
Winner: +312.50
Runner-up: +62.25
Not to reach the final: -0.50

The Overrule will be back on Saturday with a further look at first round prices and possible specials. Like The Overrule on Facebook to receive the latest news and articles from The Overrule and/or follow @JayJarrahi on Twitter.

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French Open - Men

The tennis world has been robbed of the "dream final" between the world number one Novak Djokovic (5/2) and King of Clay Rafael Nadal (8/11) as both were drawn in the top half of the draw. The Overrule deliberated before the draw whether to advise our outright selection for the men's event before the draw was made in the event Djokovic and Nadal were drawn in opposite halves. The decision not to do so has proven beneficial as Djokovic was best price 2/1 before the draw but has now been pushed out to 5/2.

Is Nadal a deserving favorite for his eighth French Open title? Absolutely. Is it hard to see why anyone would be reticent to back against a man who has lost once at Roland Garros in eight years? Certainly. However, the value lies with Djokovic this year at 5/2 as likely the only man who can realistically stop Nadal. Their anticipated semi-final is the de facto final and this year represents the best chance Djokovic has had of finally beating Nadal at Roland Garros where he has lost four times previously to the Spaniard.

Nadal beat Djokovic in last year's rain interrupted four set final in a match that at one point looked likely to end in straight sets and yet could quite easily have ended up going the distance. Djokovic could meet Grigor Dimitrov (100/1) - who beat him in Madrid - in the third round and a possible fourth round encounter with Philipp Kohlschreiber (750/1) who beat the Serbian in the third round back in 2009.

Djokovic's quarter-final opponent could be anyone since the bottom half of the first quarter of the draw is there for the taking for any player able to put some form together at the right time. There is little reason to suggest Janko Tipsarevic (500/1) will make good on his seeding to reach the last eight and so opportunity knocks for a number of players.

Almost any draw on clay for Nadal should be considered routine given the gulf in class between himself and the rest of the tour on the surface and it would be a surprise if he didn't reach the last eight without having dropped a set. Richard Gasquet (200/1) has a negotiable draw and an ailing Stanislas Wawrinka (125/1) in his section which could give the home crowd something to shout about going into the second week of the event.

In the bottom half of the draw many will pencil in Roger Federer (12/1) for an appearance in the final where he may well meet three French challenges in a row from the third round to the quarter-final in the form of Julien Benneteau (1000/1), Gilles Simon (500/1) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (66/1).

David Ferrer (20/1) should reach the last eight and is tempting as an each-way prospect but his record with Federer is so overwhelmingly bad (0-14 with 5 of those meetings on clay) that it will put many off. However, if you're of the belief Federer might fall before the semi-final then Ferrer becomes a great selection at 20/1 with 1/3 of the odds for a place in the each-way market.

Who Ferrer might face in the last eight is harder to call - Tomas Berdych (50/1), Ernests Gulbis (100/1) and Nicolas Almagro (125/1) will all fancy their chances to one extent or another of making it that deep into the tournament. Almagro appealed to The Overrule at such a price in the each-way market but belief in his own ability to beat Ferrer and/or Federer is a major stumbling block for the Spaniard. He's 0-18 combined against the two which includes an 0-11 record on clay. Almagro outplayed Ferrer in Melbourne during this year's Australian Open and still found a way to lose a match he should have won in straight sets. It's hard to believe a similar story wouldn't repeat itself in Paris.

The Overrule will be placing a three point selection on Djokovic to win his first French Open title at 5/2.

3* Novak Djokovic win French Open at 5/2 (Boylesports)

Specials Progress Report

With the French Open draw still a few days away it gives us a chance on The Overrule to look back at our pending Specials selections for the season and how they stand at present.

Sara Errani under 2.5 singles titles - Sara Errani is having an impressively consistent season thus far with one title, two final appearances, two semi-finals and four quarter-final showings in her twelve singles events. The title the Italian won in Acapulco on clay she was pre-event favorite to do so and she will likely be a tournament favorite for Palermo on clay also in July. At this stage we should feel fairly comfortable with where we stand and if for some reason Errani was not to win Palermo then the odds will be heavily in our favor to see a successful conclusion to this selection.

Rankings: Petra Kvitova vs Angelique Kerber - Petra Kvitova has edged ahead of Angelique Kerber in the rankings with Kvitova at seven and Kerber at eight. Only forty ranking points separate the two lefties at the moment and both defend a similar amount of points for the remainder of the year. At this stage we'd price this match-up almost exactly where it was priced at the outset with perhaps a marginally greater edge for Kvitova.

Rankings over/under: Mona Barthel under 37.5 - Mona Barthel had an impressive start to the season but is currently on a five match losing streak on tour. At a similar period of last season Barthel went on a six match losing streak on clay and grass. The talented but inconsistent German is at 33 in the rankings but has only 15 ranking points to defend over the course of the remaining three Grand Slams of the year. Barring injury Barthel shouldn't have any problems ending the year inside the world's top 37 as we hope.

Rankings over/under: Eugenie Bouchard under 106.5 - Genie Bouchard has broken into the world's top 100 at 93 and should have little trouble ensuring she ends the season in the top 106. With very little to defend over the second half of the season the only way is up for the popular young Canadian.

The Overrule will be back towards the end of the week as we delve into the French Open draws ahead of the second Grand Slam of the season.

Weekly Overview (10) & (11)

The Overrule returns after our short in-season break which means it's time to have a belated look back at the breakdown of our most recent settled selections.

The Overrule's 20/1 each-way selection in WTA Katowice - Klara Zakopalova - lost out in the second round to Maria Elena Camerin. The Czech blew a 3-1 lead in the deciding set and ended the match in poor fashion losing five successive games to exit the tournament. The final featured the two pre-tournament favorites - Roberta Vinci and Petra Kvitova - with Vinci taking the title in straight sets.

Weekly performance - Stake: 2.00 Profit/Loss: -2.00 ROI: -100.00%

Season performance - Stake: 118.00 Profit/Loss: +52.41 ROI: 44.42%

The following week our pending 5/1 outright selection on the Czechs to retain the Fed Cup title they had won the previous two years came to an end in Italy on clay. The opening day started badly for the Czechs with Sara Errani defeating Lucie Safarova in two tight sets and things got worse when Petra Kvitova failed to hold serve once in a straight sets defeat to Roberta Vinci.

At 2-0 down the tie was always going to be an uphill battle for Petra and co. to retrieve on the Sunday. However, Kvitova produced a stunning end to her match with Sara Errani by reeling off game after game to keep the Czechs alive at 2-1. As the dark and rain loomed the Safarova/Vinci rubber was held over until Monday where Vinci prevailed in three sets amid plenty of drama, nerves and tension. The Italians will host Russia in the final - who pulled off their own comeback from 2-0 down to defeat Slovakia in the other semi-final.

Weekly performance - Stake: 2.00 Profit/Loss: -2.00 ROI: -100.00%

Season performance - Stake: 120.00 Profit/Loss: +50.41 ROI: 42.01%

The French Open is a mere six days away and The Overrule will be back later in the week following the release of the draw to take a look at any pre-tournament selections that appeal to us as well as any opening round match betting selections that provide us with an edge.

Tomorrow The Overrule will take an overview at our pending "Specials" selections from the outset of the season to gauge our progress on those wagers at the near mid-point of the year.

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WTA Katowice

The European clay court season is here and action on the WTA Tour gets underway in Poland. The inaugural event is being held indoors and along with Stuttgart is the only indoor clay court tournament on the tour. Petra Kvitova and Roberta Vinci are the top two seeds in the event and both best priced at 11/4. In fact Kvitova only lives a couple of hours drive from the venue and has been handed a draw that on paper appears relatively straightforward.

However, it's in the bottom half of the the draw where we will turn our attention with Klara Zakopalova at 20/1. The Czech is significantly overpriced where she faces a tricky but not overwhelming quarter of the draw. We are happy to back her with one point each-way, meaning one point at 20/1 to win the title and one point at 10/1 to reach the final.

1* Klara Zakopalova win Katowice (each-way) at 20/1 (Paddy Power) (each-way terms 1/2 odds 1-2 places)

Weekly Overview (9)

There were no selections made for the past week's tournaments and so everything is as it was on The Overrule.

Weekly performance - Stake: N/A Profit/Loss: N/A ROI: N/A

Season performance - Stake: 116.00 Profit/Loss: +54.41 ROI: 46.91%

A Step Ahead: French Open

Back in late January The Overrule tipped Svetlana Kuznetsova for the French Open at 150/1 and another opportunity presents itself in early April to take advantage of a value price on a likely contender for the title. Kuznetsova is now best priced 50/1 to win Roland Garros and as short as 33/1 and The Overrule believes our second venture into the outright market will prove to be another case of us buying the price at the right time.

Sam Stosur has an outstanding record in Paris over the past few years and the 20/1 on offer has to be snapped up for her to have another good run at the French Open. Stosur is as short as 12/1 and that price is a far more accurate representation of her capabilities. In 2009 the Australian reached the last four, went one better a year later in reaching the final, suffered an early exit in the third round in 2011, before another semi-final appearance last year.

This year's French Open for the women will be the most open Grand Slam of the year with no sure frontrunners for the title. This presents the possibility of some big prices giving good runs for your money and we feel pretty comfortable with Kuznetsova 150/1 and Stosur 20/1 as part of our portfolio with the possibility of more additions and abilities to lay off once the tournament begins.

Stosur is a curious case for me, she's only ever won three singles titles in her career and yet one of them happens to be the US Open - which I know to my cost, but that's a story for another day! Sam is one of those rare players on tour who can produce a good tournament out of nowhere and off the back of no form. She's often very hard to read as a bettor. Playing well doesn't mean she'll play well the next day, likewise a run of bad form doesn't mean she won't be capable of reaching the latter stages of an event.

Sam's form has been poor this season and is returning from injury in Charleston later this evening. Providing she remains healthy she is one of the players on tour who will expect to make some noise during this clay court season and the time to back her for the French Open is now.

No article on Stosur is complete without this...


The Overrule will be backing Stosur with two points each-way which means two points at 20/1 to win the title and two points at 10/1 to reach the final.

2* Sam Stosur win French Open (each-way) @ 20/1 (Paddy Power) (each-way terms 1/2 odds 1-2 places)

Weekly Overview (8)

This week's breakdown below;

The Overrule placed maximum confidence in Serena Williams for Miami and she delivered the title despite twice having to come from a set and a break down in the tournament. Serena's cumulative match-betting price ended up at a touch under EVS as she saw off Flavia Pennetta 1/50, Ayumi Morita 1/33, Dominika Cibulkova 1/25, Li Na 1/4, Agnieszka Radwanska 1/6 and Maria Sharapova 1/4.

Serena's rhythm and timing was nowhere to be found for much of the first set and a half against Cibulkova before she was able to rally from 4-1 down in the second set to win the match in three. I expected Li to present the biggest challenge to Serena during the event and this year's Australian Open runner-up had her chances to take the match to a decider but fell short.

After a quite devastating display against Radwanska it looked highly likely that another routine win over Sharapova in the final was on the cards. I certainly didn't see Maria's performance coming. There had been little to suggest it was on the cards, particularly after a mighty struggle against Sara Errani in the last eight. Maria played very well against Jelena Jankovic in the semi-finals but the Serbian had such a short turnaround from her quarter-final that it was difficult to read anything meaningful into it.

The first two sets of the final was women's tennis at its best. The quality and intensity from both players was exceptional. Sharapova refused to back down against Serena for the first time since she was a teenager. Eventually Serena was able to break Sharapova down, whose defence had been surprisingly excellent, which is often an area which Serena exploits well against Maria.

Despite the loss for Sharapova the match was a huge positive for her going forward. After so many meetings over a number of years where she has looked incapable of beating Serena, she was finally able to hurt the world number one and threaten her. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out the next time they meet on whichever surface. Sharapova isn't someone who lacks self-belief or will to win but she has been devoid of self-belief in important moments against Serena for many years.

I'm not convinced future matches will be more like this one as opposed to their other encounters last season, but it's certainly something we will have to consider more seriously when they next face each other.

Here's our weekly breakdown and season numbers thus far;

Weekly performance - Stake: 5.00 Profit/Loss: +5.50 ROI: 110.00%

Season performance - Stake: 116.00 Profit/Loss: +54.41 ROI: 46.91%

WTA Miami

Main draw action is already underway in Miami as Serena Williams makes her return to the tour following her yearly boycott of Indian Wells. Serena and Victoria Azarenka have separated themselves from the remainder of the tour over the past twelve months and that dominance is liable to continue in Miami.

Azarenka may well have to withdraw from the event at some point as she continues to struggle with injury which forced her to allow Caroline Wozniacki a walkover at Indian Wells. That leaves the legitimate challengers to Serena sparse as Azarenka and Petra Kvitova are the only players currently on tour that can give Serena a run for her money when she's in form on hard courts.

Kvitova and Li Na are in Serena's half of the draw with Li playing an event for the first time since the Australian Open final. Indian Wells champion Maria Sharapova will fancy her chances of reaching a consecutive final with an ailing Azarenka in the bottom half of the draw.

The Overrule estimates Serena's chances of tournament success are significantly higher than the 47.6% that she is priced at - at 11/10. 8/13 would be a fairer reflection of Serena's true value in this event given Azarenka's injury issues, Li's absence of match sharpness and Kvitova's unreliability. We're happy to go all in on Serena with a maximum five point selection.

5* Serena Williams win Miami @ 11/10 (Boylesports)

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Weekly Overview (7)

This week's breakdown below;

Petra Kvitova's winning streak ended at nine as she was beaten by Maria Kirilenko in the last eight. We were one step away from an intriguing battle between Maria Sharapova and Kvitova but Kirilenko scuppered any chances of that match-up coming to fruition. Kvitova led 6-4 4-1 before imploding at the flick of a switch in the second set.

Tomas Berdych made good progress on his way to the last four where his section of the draw opened up very nicely. Berdych had said he would rather face Roger Federer than Rafael Nadal in the last four and the Spaniard - playing his first hard court event since returning from injury - proved why with a largely commanding performance. Berdych had his chance to extend the match into a deciding set but he couldn't serve out the second set when his opportunity came.

Here's our weekly breakdown and season numbers thus far;

Weekly performance - Stake: 6.00 Profit/Loss: -6.00 ROI: -100.00%

Season performance - Stake: 111.00 Profit/Loss: +48.91 ROI: 44.06%

ATP Indian Wells

Tomas Berdych has been in a rich vein of form reaching the final in Dubai and Marseille in recent weeks and has the opportunity for a deep run at Indian Wells having been drawn in the most appealing quarter of the draw.

World number one Novak Djokovic takes his place at the top of the first quarter, Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro reside in the second quarter while Rafael Nadal and defending champion Roger Federer could meet in the last eight from the fourth quarter. Berdych and David Ferrer are in the third quarter and both players will view this as a chance to have their best run at the tournament.

Neither Berdych or Ferrer have been beyond the quarter-final stage at the first Masters event of the season but that should change for one of them over the next ten days. Ferrer dismantled Berdych during the Davis Cup final in straight sets and if they meet at Indian Wells it will be their first battle since that encounter.

Should Berdych reach the last four he's liable to meet Federer (who he just beat in Dubai) or Nadal (who is playing his first hard court event back on tour since returning from injury). Djokovic is unbeaten this season and it's hard to back against him reaching another final and winning another title. Berdych has an awful record against Djokovic but the 11/1 for a place in the final is more than big enough for us to get involved.

The Overrule is happy to ride the hot hand of Berdych at an inflated 22/1. We'll back him with one point each-way meaning one point at 22/1 to win the title and one point at 11/1 to reach the final.

1* Tomas Berdych win Indian Wells (each-way) at 22/1 (Stan James) (each-way terms 1/2 odds 1-2 places)

WTA Indian Wells

The path is clear for Victoria Azarenka to defend her Indian Wells title and the prices are a fair reflection of that. Azarenka is no bigger than 11/8 to lift the title and as short as EVS. The Overrule expects Azarenka to demolish the top half of the draw to reach the final but it's in the bottom half of the draw where we find some value.

Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova are on a collision course for a semi-final meeting and the 9/1 on Kvitova is too big in the The Overrule's assessment. Kvitova's first test is likely to come in the fourth round against Dominika Cibulkova followed by a quarter-final encounter with Agnieszka Radwanska. Sharapova is as big as 9/2, but we're more interested in the 9/1 on Kvitova because it's the Czech who would have more chance of beating Azarenka in a potential final.

The Overrule will back Kvitova with two points each-way meaning two points at 9/1 to win the tournament and two points at 9/2 to reach the final.

2* Petra Kvitova win Indian Wells (each-way) at 9/1 (Stan James) (each-way terms 1/2 odds 1-2 places)

Pending Selections Overview (1)

As there is a lull in the tennis season as we await Indian Wells to begin on both the ATP and WTA Tours it gives us a chance on The Overrule to overview our selections outstanding.

Sara Errani under 2.5 singles titles 3* @ EVS - Errani won her first title of the season in Acapulco on clay where she was tournament favorite to do so. The Italian also reached the final of Paris and Dubai where she lost to Mona Barthel and Petra Kvitova respectively. Clay court events will define whether Errani will go over this total. If she is still on one title going into the grass court season we will be very short odds-on to win this selection.

Petra Kvitova ranked higher than Angelique Kerber 3* @ 4/5 - Kvitova is closing in on Kerber having captured the title in Dubai. Kerber currently ranks 6th on 5400 points while Kvitova has moved up to 7th since the start of the season on 4980 points. In the yearly race Kvitova is ahead on 976 points (6 events) to Kerber's 602 points (5 events). Kvitova appears to be regaining her confidence and form while Kerber is playing while not 100%. Kerber has much to defend as the season progresses and Kvitova would have to be priced more in the 1/2 range to finish above her at this point.

Mona Barthel under 37.5 year end ranking 2* @ 20/23 - Barthel is already well under her ranking quota at 28 having won the indoor title in Paris. With so little to defend over the coming months it's hard to see anything but further progress for Mona. She has a great chance of ending the season in the top 20 and making a mockery of her ranking quota.

Eugenie Bouchard under 106.5 year end ranking 2* @ 20/23 - Bouchard is ranked 123 up from 147 at the start of the season. Genie hadn't produced much of anything this season up until a recent good showing in Acapulco. 78 points off a place in the top 106 of the world I'd fully expect Genie to beat her ranking quota by the end of the season.

Svetlana Kuznetsova French Open outright each-way 0.5* @ 150/1 - The Overrule backed Kuznetsova for the French Open at 150/1 at the tail end of the Australian Open and that price has since been slashed. Sveta is now as short as 33/1 and as big as 50/1. The 150/1 is long gone and with the French Open likely to be the most open Grand Slam of the year for the women we are very happy with the value obtained on this selection.

Czech Republic Fed Cup outright 2* @ 5/1 - All four favorites won their ties in the last eight and so there wasn't much movement in the market. The Czechs who have won Fed Cup the past two years are now as short as 3/1 to defend the title and as big as 4/1. The Czechs travel to Italy on clay in April and if they reach the final they would host either Russia or Slovakia indoors on hard. The Overrule would maintain the Czechs still represent value at 4/1 and we are quite happy to have got them at 5/1.

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Weekly Overview (6)

This week's breakdown below;

Sam Querrey lost in the second round for a consecutive week falling to eventual champion Ernests Gulbis at Delray Beach. Querrey led 4-0 in the deciding set but somehow found a way to lose in a tie-breaker having also served for the match at 5-4.

Kristina Mladenovic had a very straightforward march to the last four in Florianopolis without dropping a set but was completely bamboozled by the slice of Monica Niculescu in the semi-finals. Mladenovic failed to hold serve once in the match and could only put two games on the board. Niculescu went on to win the title in Brazil. Valeria Savinykh fell in the first round to Timea Babos in three sets. The 100/1 selection was soon cut down to 50/1 and then 33/1 by Betfred after The Overrule had highlighted the value on offer.

In one of our season long selections Sara Errani won her first title of the season in Acapulco. It was an expected triumph for Errani who has had a very good start to the season. The Italian reached the final of Paris and Dubai earlier this year. The Overrule backed Errani to win less than 2.5 titles this season and now Sara has her first title on the board. It's unlikely she'll win the title at Indian Wells or Miami up coming, it's the clay court season which will largely define this selection for us.

Here's our weekly breakdown and season numbers thus far;

Weekly performance - Stake: 5.00 Profit/Loss: -5.00 ROI: -100.00%

Season performance - Stake: 105.00 Profit/Loss: +54.91 ROI: 52.30%