Tennis Tips: ATP Shanghai Masters Betting Tips

This week the ATP World Tour stops off at Shanghai, the penultimate Masters Event in this season 1000 Master series and we have got free tennis betting tips for this week's tournament.

Last year Shanghai witnessed one of the most memorable finals of recent years, where Novak Djokovic came back from the dead to defeat Andy Murray. Can Novak Djokovic, on the back of his triumph in Beijing last week, successfully defend his title twelve months on, or can the newly crowned world number one, Rafael Nadal gain revenge over Djokovic for last week’s final? Or will the contenders for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals produce an upset with only four weeks remaining to book those all important spots?

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The field is lead by world number one, Rafael Nadal (Betfair 3.18) and defending champion Novak Djokovic (Betfred 2.1). These two players are clear favourites with the bookies, a fact not surprising when considering both players have dominated the tour in recent months. Rafael Nadal comes into the tournament as still the man to beat after a stellar year, where he has only failed to reach one final of the fourteen tournaments he has entered thus far this season, winning twelve of them. However, I would guard against backing Nadal to go all the way this year. Historically he has struggled in Shanghai as the fast indoor court doesn’t really compliment his game, making it hard to time the ball for Nadal. His best performance here came back in 2009 where he lost to Nikolay Davydenko in the final.

For me, Djokovic represents the better value when picking a tournament winner outright. As one of only two players to have won the event since its debut appearance on the ATP World Tour in 2009, Djokovic will enter the tournament in confident mood. He is also coming off the back of his title success over Nadal in Beijing just last week, so will be desperate to maintain his winning form. Yet the biggest factor in favour of Djokovic is the court surface. In Shanghai, the court service is remarkably similar to the Australian Open, an event Djokovic has not lost at since 2010. Murray is also absent from the draw, debatably the one player who can cause Djokovic problems on this service. Back Djokovic with confidence to win the tournament outright at (Betfred 2.1).

So what about the contenders for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals who could possibly be a profitable outside tennis bet tip? Roger Federer faces the unusual position of not having already qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals due to an alarmingly poor summer. Federer’s bid has not been helped with an unfavourable draw this week. He is seeded to face the defending champion Novak Djokovic, a man he has failed to beat in over a year. Additionally, despite Federer enjoying these fast indoor conditions and his claim of “beginning to feel back to my best”, stay clear of Federer at (Betfair 20) for now as no-one is quite sure if Federer still has it in him to compete at the very top of the game.

When looking at other Barclays ATP World Tour Finals contenders who will be looking for a deep run this week to enhance their chances of qualifying for London’s season finale, I would tend to look at the players with the big serve and game considering how much this surface would suit their game styles.  

Tomas Berdych falls into this category and comes into the tournament in decent form. However, stay clear of Berdych at (Betfair 67) as he pulled out of his semi final clash with Nadal with an injury. Milos Raonic looks a better value for money at (Betfair 67). At this year’s ‘Asian Swing’ Raonic has finished champion and runner up at his last two events, so enters Shanghai in the best form possible. However he has been dealt a difficult draw with both Stan Wawrinka (Sportingbet 101) and Nadal both in his quarter of the draw. Because of this, my tip as the most likely outsider to go all the way to the final and possibly win the tournament outright is Juan Martin Del Potro. Possessing a massive serve and forehand, he will take some stopping on these courts that favour the aggressive player. On the back of last week’s success at the Japan Open, Del Potro (Betfair 15.3) looks a tempting price.

Tennis Betting Tips This Week

Djokovic to win the tournament outright (2.1 Betfred)

Del Potro to win the tournament outright as an EW bet (15.3 at Betfair)

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By Jon Drinkwater