2008 Pacific Life Open
Roger Federer barely broke a sweat yesterday when he defeated France’s Nicolas Mahut in third round action on Tuesday at Indian Wells. He now faces No. 23 seed Ivan Ljubicic in the fourth round to try and reclaim his title. BetUS.com has heavy favored Federer as 2500-moneyline fav over Ljubicic who is listed as +900 underdog. Get your ATP Pick in now at BetUS.com
Federer beat Mahut 6-1, 6-1 in just 53 minutes and he proved why he’s the best tennis player in the world. Federer lost just one point on serve and he broke Mahut three of five chances. Asked about his play, Federer replied “I want to try to run over my opponent. Not give him a chance anymore. I was really happy to break that often, and had no problems whatsoever on my own serve. It was a perfect match really for me.” He’s won this tourney three straight times from 2004-06. Last year Federer was knocked out in the second round by Argentine, Guillermo Canas, 6-1, 7-6 (4). Federer is 8-0 SU against Ljubicic throughout his career, and two of those wins were at Indian Wells. Get your ATP Tennis pick in now!
Ivan Ljubicic beat 15th seeded Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-4 to reach the fourth round. A win over Federer will put him in the quarter finals for the third straight year. Ivan Ljubicic's first tournament of 2008 was in Doha, where he reached the semifinals, losing to Stanislas Wawrinka in the semifinals. However, Ivan suffered a shocking first round defeat at the 2008 Australian Open, losing to Dutchman Robin Haase in four sets. He is 0-8 SU against Federer overall. Ljubicic is tall and powerfully built; he is noted for his strong serve and has achieved his best results in indoor tournaments played on carpet or hardcourt. He uses a one-handed backhand and often plays from the baseline.
Roger Federer vs Ivan Ljubicic
First Serve: Wed, Mar 19, 2008 10:30 PM ET
Line: BetUS.com
Pick: Federer
The Low Down: Federer has had some surprising loses to lowly ranked players in the past. Ljubicic has the speed and power to compete against Federer, but Federer is on his game and has beaten his opponents in devastating fashion. Get your ATP Pick in now at BetUS.com and receive a onetime 10% sign-up bonus on your initial deposit.
