Men's French Open Final Betting: Unstoppable Nadal to brush Ferrer aside

9Jun 2013

Roland Garros

The final of the men's singles in the 2013 French Open takes place on Sunday afternoon, with Rafa Nadal looking for yet another title to add to his collection. After landing a couple of winners in the semi finals, tennis expert Sean Calvert selects the best bets...

Backers of my over 40.5 total games recommended bet on Friday would have had the chance to put their feet up and enjoy the final set of a dramatic and fluctuating encounter between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic that only ended after 55 games of what was indeed the bruising battle I had expected.

It may be somewhat less of a battle on Sunday when Nadal takes on David Ferrer, who landed another winning tip for this column in the second of the semi finals when he dismissed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets to make his first Grand Slam final.

So, at 2pm UK time on Sunday it will be part 24 of Ferrer vs Nadal, with the defending champion holding a 19-4 lead in their personal career series and having won the last eight in a row and 14 of their last 15 meetings, the exception being when Ferrer beat a physically below par Nadal in Melbourne in 2011.

The last time that Ferrer defeated Nadal on clay was their first meeting back in 2004 and this season they've met three times on clay, with Ferrer taking a set twice and he really should have beaten Rafa in Madrid, but choked.

I very much doubt that the five set marathon with Djokovic will have done a great deal in terms of blunting Rafa's seemingly inexhaustible energy levels and Ferrer's simpler win won't give him much if any of an advantage in this match in my view.

In finals, Ferrer has taken one set of the 15 they've contested, while he was humbled two, two and one by Nadal here last year in the semi finals and he will need to start well to have any chance, which might be tough for him on the occasion of his first major final.

I can quite easily see Ferrer keeping it close for a set or maybe two, but I don't see him taking a set in this one - not in a major final in Rafa's backyard after the champion came through that match with Djokovic in the manner that he did, and I think Nadal will get this one done in less than the 35.5 total games mark at a price of around 1.9.

Recommended Bet
Back under 35.5 total games at 1.9