Finnish Football today. There is plenty of football up coming, especially the Confederations Cup International Competition. The tennis continues. I hope you are trying out tennis trading. I was happy with my research especially regarding Youzhny v Kokkanikis. I put up a lay of Youzhny given that Kokkanikis is an unknown on his return to ATP tennis. Kokkanakis won with ease and looks in fine fettle. I am starting to look at last years grass court form in a hope that this improves research conclusions.

16:30 - PS Kemi v IFK Mariehamn - 2.16 IFK

• This is an unmanaged market and is not ideally suited to trading. I will not research it.

16:30 - HIFK v SJK - 2.4 SJK

• 3-1 HIFK and 3-3 in the last 2 head to heads.
• This is 11th v 8th in the Finnish Veikkausliiga.

HIFK stats

• Only 1 win.
• Only 2 clean sheets in the last 9 matches.
• Failed to score in 3 of their last 4 matches.
• Failed to score in their last 3 at home.
• Not scored more than 1 goal at home.
• Not scored in both halves at home.

SJK stats

• Only 2 clean sheets came at home.
• Loss, Loss, Draw, Loss in their last 4 away matches.
• Failed to score in only 3 matches.
• No 0-0.

Conclusions

• Lay any late 0-0.
• Both sides are in poor form and this is a match which does not get the pulses racing.
• Logically, lay HIFK if HIFK score first as they are yet to score 2 goals at home.

16:30 - KuPS v VPS - 2.26 KuPS

• 1-1 and 2-2 in the last 2 head to heads.
• This is 4th v 2nd in the Finnish Veikkausliiga.

KuPS stats

• Only 3 defeats and lost last match.
• Only 2 clean sheets came within the last 3 matches.
• Failed to score in only 3 matches.
• Not yet met the top 2 at home.
• Scored and conceded in 4 of 5 at home.
• Not led at halftime at home.
• Not conceded in both halves at home.
• No 0-0 at home.

VPS stats

• Only 3 defeats.
• Only 1 loss in 10 matches.
• Only 3 clean sheets and failed to score in only 3 matches.
• 0-1-0-0 conceded in their last 4 away matches.
• Only away loss was v 1st in the league.
• 2-2 the last time these 2 met.
• 7 of 9 goals conceded away came 1st half.

Conclusions

• Both sides are in good form this season.
• With KuPS scoring and conceded in recent matches, I would lay KuPS if KuPs scored first.
• Lay any late 0-0.
• Slight favour towards VPS who have just the one loss in 10 matches. That does not discount a draw.

TENNIS

ATP Stuttgart

Hanfmann v Mischa Zverev - 1.26 Zverev

• 262nd v 35th.
• 2 German players in Stuttgart.
• Hanfmann had to go through qualifiers to get here.
• Zverev had a solid clay court season and is the better player. As we saw yesterday we only have recent clay court form with which to determine how the players should play on grass.
• Zverev has pretty unconvincing grass court form from last year. He lost at this tournament at odds of 1.14 last year.
• Hanfmann does not have any grass court form to work with.
• Logic suggests that Zverev should be the winner here. He has vastly improved, at least on clay, this year. Lay Hanfmann if Hanfmann wins the first set.

Steve Johnson v Kohlschreiber - 1.63 Kohl

• 25th v 31st so tight rankings.
• Johnson lost the first set yesterday and came back and won the match. Kohlschreiber had a walkover as Baghdatis retred.
• The last 4 Johnson matches have seen both players winning a set. Prior to Baggy, Kohlschreiber had 3 consecutive tie breaker sets which he lost but he was playing quality players.
• A feeling that Johnson likes grass. Looking last year, he won Nottingham, reached the quarter final at Queens, and the round of 16 in Wimbledon.
• This time last year, Kohlschreiber reached the final at Stuttgart and lost to Thiem.
• This looks a tight match and I can make a valid argument for either player. In cases such as this I would lay the first set winner, or lay both players 2-0 set betting and hope this is a 3 setter.
• Both players like grass and had an excellent pre-Wimbledon last year. A bit of a headscratcher!

Roger Federer v Tommy Haas - 1.07 Roger

• Federer took the clay court season off and returns today.
• 4th v 459th in the rankings.
• Haas is German in Germany and that seems the only straw to clutch.
• 13-3 head to heads for Roger.
• Federer prior to the Clay court lay-off reached 3 recent Finals.
• Haas lost to the likes of Raonic and Berdych.
• I would actually lay Roger at 1.08. It is a lay to nothing. He should win in 2 sets. We must hope Haas gains something from playing in his home country and Federer is a little ring rusty.

Struff v Pouille - 1.64 Pouille

• 52nd v 14th.
• Struff is a German playing in Germany.
• Pouille won the 2017 head to head on Hard in 2 sets.
• Struff had a pretty poor record on grass last year.
• Pouille reached the quarter finals at Wimbledon last year.
• Pouille looks like a fighter if dropping a set so I would be keen on Struff winning the first set so I can lay him (and a German in germany might get some Oom-pah-pah from the home crowd). Pouille looks the more capable grass court player if last years efforts can be replicated.

RICOH OPEN

Bedene v Escobedo - 1.48 Bedene

• 68th v 85th so tight enough rankings.
• Bedene won the head to head in this tournament last year. The first set was a tie breaker.
• Very recent collateral form. Escobedo lost to Istomin who was beaten by Bedene in this tournament.
• I would lay Escobedo if Esco wins the first set.

Tsurenko v Krejsova - 1.18 Tsurenko

• 42nd v 285th.
• Krejsova tends to play in the lesser tour events.
• Poor grass form for Tsurenko last year. She lost at odds of 1.27 in Birmingham.
• In 3 events, she played only 4 matches.
• No real grass court form for Krejsova.
• A match where I would be keener on laying Tsurenko if Tsurenko wins the first set at short odds just based on a hope she is not that hot on grass. The problem is that Krejsova is a relative unknown.

Cibulkova v Lottner - 1.27 Cibulkova

• 4th v 180th and it is a shock to me that Cibulkova is 4th and a shock too that such a discrepancy in rankings should see a relatively high odds.
• Tough to weigh up Lottners form as she does not tend to play WTA events.
• Cibulkova had a poor clay court season.
• She looks superb on grass though if we look at last year. Winning in Eastbourne and quarter finals in Wimbledon, Cibulkova should be one to follow this grass court season and should be strongly fancied today. React if anything other than a simple win!

Mannarino v Alexander Zverev - 1.34 Zverev

• 51st v 21st.
• Zverev won the sole head to head on hard in Stockholm in 2016.
• Final, Quarters, Final for Zverev but then he bombed in the first round at Roland Garros.
• Mannarino looks limited. He gets through qualifiers then cannot get past that first round.
• Mannarino reached the quarters here last year.He reached the round of 16 in Queens and Nottingham but unfortunately met Djokovic early on in Wimbledon.