Roddick, Agassi and Williams sisters among US Open favorites

Flushing Meadows, NY (August 24, 2005) – Sportsbook.com has posted odds on the US Open, the final Grand Slam event of the tennis season which starts Monday, August 29 at the USTA National Tennis Centre in Flushing Meadows, New York. American stars Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, Venus and Serena Williams and Lindsay Davenport are all listed among the pre-tournament favorites, but competition will be tough as they try to keep the crown on US soil.

On the men’s side, defending champion Roger Federer is an overwhelming favorite at 1-2 odds. Federer has only captured one Grand Slam this year, compared to three in 2004, but has been dominant with a total record of 54-3 in 2005. In fact, Federer has an incredible record of 138-9 over the past two years and has won 22 straight tournament finals.

Battling Federer for supremacy will be young French Open champion Rafael Nadal (3-1) who won his first hard court event in Montreal last week. Americans Andy Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion and Andre Agassi, champion here in 1994 and 1999 are 5-1 and 10-1 favorites respectively. Lleyton Hewitt, the 2001 champion is listed at 12-1 as is 2000 champion Marat Safin.

Kim Clijsters leads the way on the women’s side of the draw. Clijsters, a 2-1 favorite, is the hottest player on the women’s tour having won three hard court tournaments this summer at Stanford, Los Angeles and last weekend in Toronto. However, Clijsters has never won a Grand Slam event and will be in tough against fellow Belgian and 2003 US Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne (11-5), Maria Sharapova (4-1) and the Williams sisters.

Venus, a US Open winner in 2000 and 2001 is a 6-1 favorite followed by Serena, US Open champion in 1999 and 2002 at 7-1. After a poor 2003 season, both Serena (Australian Open) and Venus (Wimbledon) won Grand Slam events this year and seem to be back in form. Defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova is a 20-1 long shot to repeat.

“Wimbledon has the history behind it and the French Open is more popular with some of the European players, but the US Open is probably seen as the most exciting tennis tournament,” says Peter Childs, Odds Maker, Sportsbook.com. “Fans and players really get behind this event in the United States, whether it’s the New York crowd or the fact that it’s the last chance of the year to win a Grand Slam, there’s something electric and a little different about this tournament.”

Below is a list of odds for both the men’s and women’s tournament.

US Open Odds – Men
Roger Federer (Switzerland) 1-2
Rafael Nadal (Spain) 3-1
Andy Roddick (United States) 5-1
Andre Agassi (United States) 10-1
Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 12-1
Marat Safin (Russia) 12-1
David Nalbandian (Argentina) 25-1
Guillermo Coria (Argentina) 60-1
Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) 60-1
Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 60-1
Carlos Moya (Spain) 60-1
Andrew Murray (England) 60-1
Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) 75-1
Greg Rusedski (England) 75-1
Taylor Dent (United States) 80-1
Tommy Haas (Germany) 80-1
Tim Henman (England) 80-1
Thomas Johansson (Sweden) 80-1
Mario Ancic (Croatia) 100-1
Sebastien Grosjean (France) 100-1
Field (any other player) 5-1

US Open Odds – Women
Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 2-1
Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) 11-5
Maria Sharapova (Russia) 4-1
Venus Williams (United States) 6-1
Serena Williams (United States) 7-1
Lindsay Davenport (United States) 12-1
Amelie Mauresmo (France) 12-1
Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 20-1
Mary Pierce (France) 25-1
Anastasia Myskina (Russia) 30-1
Elena Dementieva (Russia) 50-1
Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) 50-1
Shuai Peng (China) 60-1
Nadia Petrova (Russia) 60-1
Alicia Molik (Australia) 100-1
Field (any other player) 10-1