ATP Tour tips: Adrian Mannarino to cause an upset at the Hall of Fame Open
Adrian Mannarino in action at Wimbledon in 2023
With none of the men's world top 10 attending the Hall of Fame Open in the USA, Planet Sport tennis guru Derek Bilton reckons there's plenty of value to be had.
Does the house always win? Mention gambling around people who do not like a bet and I will guarantee you will get someone who says 'you never meet a poor bookmaker' or words to that effect.
However, while I am willing to concede there is a ring truth to the old racing adage, the camel coats do sometimes get it wrong.
Nobody can mention Buster Douglas' seismic upset win over Mike Tyson in Tokyo back in 1990 without pointing out that Ol' Buster was a 42/1 shot in the betting before he stopped the 'Baddest Man on the Planet' in 10 extraordinary rounds.
And at the start of the 2015/16 season, the opening line with one bookmakers on Leicester City winning the Premier League was 5000/1. The Foxes of course - inspired and guided by "The Tinkerman" Claudio Ranieri - went on an improbable run that season to claim their only Premier League title.
And in tennis this year the bookies have made the wrong guy favourite at the last two Grand Slams. Carlos Alcaraz was a piping hot 6/4 favourite to win French Open and may have done so if cramps didn't ruin his semi-final with Novak Djokovic just as it was heating up in Paris. And Djokovic himself was odds-on across the board to win Wimbledon, coming into the event protecting an unbeaten run on Centre Court that had stretched back over a decade.
Alcaraz proved too good for him in last Sunday's final of course, and I was able to appreciate the aesthetic brilliance of that match despite being conkers deep on Novak and waiting on him for just shy of a grand.
Alcaraz was not even born the last time someone other than Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray won the men's singles at Wimbledon. Just let that sink in. However, his epic five-set victory felt like a changing-of-the-guard moment at the top of men's tennis. The bookies certainly think so, with his odds to win the US Open in New York slashed just moments after he served out for victory at SW19.
After the drama and solemnity of Wimbledon, there's more mundane feel to the ATP Tour this week. The Championships may be over but the grass season is not done just yet, with the Infosys Hall of Fame Open currently taking place in Newport.
Interestingly, the Hall of Fame Open remains the only professional tournament played on grass outside of Europe. Alas Messrs Alcaraz and Djokovic have skipped Newport, along with the rest of the men's top 10, but it still looks an interesting tournament for wagering purposes.
Tommy Paul - currently ranked 14 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings - is the top seed and he's the betting favourite. This is not a huge surprise given he is the only member of the world's top 30 who has turned out this year.
However, Paul has never won a tournament on grass, and only has one ATP win to his name (indoors in Stockholm back in 2021). With this in mind, he looks short enough at 12/5 currently with Planet Sport Bet.
Adrian Mannarino has shown he can do the business on grass, and I like the 11/2 Planet Sport Bet are currently offering on him winning Newport.
The Frenchman was a finalist in Mallorca - on grass - earlier this season and he also dusted Taylor Fritz at Queen's.
To be fair the Frenchman has not been gifted the best of draws. He is in the same quarter as Aussie Jordan Thompson but his experience on this unique surface could be crucial.
Mannarino won on grass in 's-Hertogenbosch in 2019. He has a lot of skill and subtlety in his game and having turned pro in 2004 is not exactly lacking when it comes to experience.
If he goes on to win in Newport it will not be a shock of Buster Douglas proportions, but would be another example of how those pesky bookies sometimes get their sums wrong.
Hall of Fame Open tip: Mannarino to win Infosys Hall of Fame Open at 11/2 (Planet Sport Bet)
