US OPEN BETTING PICKS NADAL vs. GABASHVILI

Rafael Nadal leads off the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium when he opens his US Open campaign against Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia. Following Nadal, 2009 US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki opens her bid against wild card American Chelsey Gullickson.
At the start of the US Open series, Nadal was firmly installed the favourite to win the 2010 US Open, a smidgeon ahead of five-time US Open champion Roger Federer in the market, and a country mile ahead of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.
Upon the conclusion of the US Open warm-up events, Murray winning a second consecutive Rogers Cup and Federer snagging a second straight Cincinnati title, bookies had a rethink. Federer moved ahead of Nadal, assuming the role of top favourite; meanwhile Murray remained third in line to the throne but closed the gap between him and the top tandem of Federer and Nadal.
Popular opinion in the market has Nadal reaching his first-ever US Open final this season; to that effect, how well he gets his campaign started is going to be revealing.
To get to the feature men’s match under the lights in the Big Apple, Nadal is listed as the solid 1/50 favourite to win outright at William Hill while Gabashvili is tipped a whopping 12/1 underdog.
The hard courts at Flushing Meadows are faster than those at Melbourne. The ball moves quicker and favours flat-hitters more than it does Nadal and his spiny brand of tennis.
These slick conditions have given Nadal trouble over the years and have been largely the reason why he’s never won the US Open. Why he’s never made it to the final. So they say and by they, I mean all those pundits and experts that love to weigh in against Nadal.
He’s been to the semis – a stage that is but wishful fancy for most players to reach at a grand slam. So I ask, how much trouble has he with the conditions really. Need I remind you, he did so each time when he was in less than 100% form.
Isn’t it possible that he’s just been bested by a better hard court player – such as Murray and Del Potro were these last two seasons in the final four?
Speaking of better hard courters than Nadal essentially is, does Gabashvili fit that billing? No, I should say.
This isn’t to suggest that Gabashvili will be a cakewalk; it would be disingenuous to discredit any player so. Moreover, Gabashvili was a quarterfinalist last week in New Haven, so he has some chops on the cement.
Facts are these: Gabashvili has never come close to upsetting a massive favourite like Nadal is in this match, let alone a world No.1. In two encounters and five sets played he’s come up blank against Nadal in both categories.
Importantly, Nadal is seemingly 100% healthy this season. No knee issues or any other injuries that are known. Need I say more? Should be straightforward methinks.