Rafael Nadal & Andy Roddick Favored In 3rd Round At Australian Open

Sports News - January 21st, 2010 - Written By John

Through two rounds of the Australian Open on the men's side, events have transpired as expected. With the top seeds on both sides of the bracket advancing, fans of the sport are sure to be in store for some epic matches. Despite a few scares, such a Roger Federer being pushed to a fourth set, and Del Potro being pushed to 5 by James Blake, it has been business as usual.

The defending Australian Open champion, Rafael Nadal, has easily disposed of his first two opponents, winning in straight sets each time. The top seeded American player, Andy Roddick, has also cruised through his opening two rounds without dropping a set. The two continue into their 3rd round matches as heavy favorites as Australian Open play continues today.

In his second round match against Peter Luczak, Nadal was pushed in the first set, winning 7-6, before taking the match over, winning in straight sets. Nadal is coming back from injuries that plagued him through the 2009 season, working extremely hard to get back into shape as the calender shifts to 2010. Nadal, the #2 seed in the tournament, is looking to regain his old form despite taking time off last year. Nadal enters third round play as a heavy favorite to defeat Philipp Kohlschreiber, the 27th seed in the tournament.

Kohlschreiber's opening round went four sets before he defeated American Wayne Odesnik. He over-matched his second-round opponent Horacio Zeballas, of Argentina in straight sets (6-1, 7-5, 6-1). He comes into the match up with Nadal confident in his play and vying for a major upset.

Currently, Bodog Sportsbook has Nadal listed as a -3000 favorite to advance to fourth round play according to their Tennis Betting lines. As a +1000 underdog Kohlschreiber definitely has the odds stacked against him. The match will be played at 7pm EDT which equates to a 3am EST start on Friday morning in the U.S.

Seventh seeded Andy Roddick has breezed through his first two matches. In his last outing, Roddick defeated Thiemo de Bakker in three sets (6-1, 6-4, 6-4). Roddick has the strongest serve in the game, one of the most powerful forehands and is now set to face Feliciano Lopez of Spain. Roddick's backhand has also improved over the last year, a big reason for his recent success, which includes a win at Brisbane to begin 2010. Though Roddick has never made it to an Australian Open final, he has made it to the semi-finals on four separate occasions, including a loss last year to Roger Federer.

Against Feliciano Lopez, Roddick is an asserted favorite. Currently listed at -1200 according to Bodog Sportsbook, Roddick looks to continue his journey to the finals of the Australian Open. Obviously, Lopez assumes the underdog role, and is currently installed at +600. This third round match up begins at 11am EDT local time, or at 7pm EST in the U.S. on Thursday.

Coverage of the Australian Open won't begin until 9pm EST on ESPN2, however matches can be seen live or replayed on ESPN360.