Jankovic, Clijsters, Henin win; Schiavone exits Wimbledon
Tennis Betting Lines
06/21/2010 - Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former world No. 1s Jelena Jankovic, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin were among Monday's first-round winners, while surprise French Open champion Francesca Schiavone exited the draw at The Championships, Wimbledon.
The fourth-seeded former U.S. Open runner-up Jankovic was tested in a 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) victory over promising British teenager Laura Robson, a lefthander with top-20 potential.
Jankovic will face Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak in the round of 64.
Meanwhile, the fifth-seeded Schiavone, who struggles mightily on grass, gave way to Russian Vera Dushevina 6-7 (0-7), 7-5, 6-1. Three weeks ago, Schiavone became the first Italian woman to reach and win a Grand Slam final, as she upset big-serving Aussie Samantha Stosur at Roland Garros.
The eighth-seeded Clijsters needed just 65 minutes in a 6-0, 6-3 rout of Italy's Maria Elena Camerin.
Clijsters is making her first appearance at the All England Club since 2006. The Belgian star came out of retirement last summer and won the U.S. Open, but she has never fared well in the London suburb, with a pair of semifinal finishes her best results.
Up next for Clijsters will be Croat Karolina Sprem, who stunned Venus Williams in the second round here six years ago.
A 17th-seeded Henin handled Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova 6-4, 6-3.
This marks Henin's first appearance here in three years. The seven-time major champion retired from tennis in the spring of 2008 only to return at the beginning of this 2010 season.
Henin was this year's Australian Open runner-up to reigning world No. 1 Serena Williams. The diminutive Belgian has won every major tournament with the exception of Wimbledon, where she finished as the runner-up in 2001 and 2006.
Up next for the Belgian stalwart will be German Kristina Barrois.
Eleventh-seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli moved on by dusting German Julia Goerges in 6-4, 6-3 fashion on Day 1. Bartoli was the Wimbledon runner-up in 2007, but has been eliminated in the third round here each year since.
Other winners Monday included Russians Nadia Petrova and Vera Zvonareva and Belgian Yanina Wickmayer. The 12th-seeded Petrova topped Germany's Tatjana Malek 6-4, 6-3, while the 15th-seeded Wickmayer held off American Alison Riske 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 and the 21st-seeded Zvonareva earned a 6-4, 6-1 triumph over Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives.
Some other seeded winners were No. 26 Russian Alisa Kleybanova, No. 27 Russian Maria Kirilenko and No. 30 Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan. Shvedova was a surprise French Open quarterfinalist three weeks ago.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The best young team in basketball will have a chance to add a few more pieces to the puzzle in the 2010 NBA Draft. The past three drafts have given Oklahoma City Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and
<< Federer survives; Roddick rolls at Wimbledon
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Six-time champion Roger Federer was on
the ropes but managed to avoid an opening-round shocker against game Colombian
Alejandro Falla at Wimbledon. Last year's runner-up Andy Roddick joined
Federer in the s
<< In the FCS Huddle: App State QBs under microscope
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It is hard to imagine that there are bigger
shoes to fill in the FCS than what Appalachian State's starting quarterback
faces in replacing Armanti Edwards this season.
What Jamal Jackson and DeAndre Presle
<< Mauer still leads AL All-Star balloting
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer remained the
top vote-getter among American League players in the latest fan balloting
results for this year's All-Star Game, which will be played July 13 at Angel
Stadium
<< Harman and Clemson handle Arizona State
Omaha, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Casey Harman worked six-plus solid innings and
five different players drove in a run, as Clemson knocked off Arizona State,
6-3, in first round action at the College World Series in Omaha.
Clemson tallied t
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A celebratory parade didn't seem plausible a week ago, with the Lakers having returned to Los Angeles after dropping Game 5 of the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics. The loss placed the defending champs in
Venus, Jankovic, Clijsters, Henin advance at Wimbledon >>
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former world No. 1s Venus Williams,
Jelena Jankovic, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin were among Monday's first-
round winners at Wimbledon 2010.
The second-seeded Williams blew past Paraguayan veteran
Orlando Magic 2010 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Magic are clearly one of the most skilled teams in the
NBA but seem to lack the requisite toughness to get over the top.
I'm not sure you can correct that in the draft and you certainly can't do it
at No. 29, where Orl
Philadelphia 76ers 2010 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the more active
teams early in the offseason, naming Doug Collins as the team's new head
coach, and trading disappointing center Samuel Dalembert to the Sacramento
Kings.
Collins is
Monterey is more than Pebble Beach >>
Monterey, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Most golf nuts are always searching for that
ultimate buddy trip. To play 12 rounds of golf in 5 days, visit the local
establishments and enjoy the fruitful libation to the wee hours of the
morning.
Myrtle Be
FOOTBALL BETTING
After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.