Henin-Hardenne to meet Mauresmo in Madrid finals
Tennis Betting Lines
11/11/2006 - Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Justine Henin-Hardenne will finish 2006 as the top-ranked player in the world after halting Maria Sharapova's 19-match winning streak in the semifinals of the WTA Championships on Saturday.
The third-seeded Belgian bested Sharapova in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5).
The French Open champion Henin-Hardenne dominated the opening set before holding off the second-seeded Russian superstar in the second frame to reach her first Championships final.
Sharapova had not dropped a set on the way to the semis, but Henin-Hardenne has had the 19-year old phenom's number in 2006. Henin-Hardenne downed Sharapova for the third time in four tries this year.
The victory clinched Henin-Hardenne's second year-end No. 1 ranking and gave her a spot in the finals against the previous top-ranked player, Amelie Mauresmo of France.
Mauresmo, who spent 34 consecutive weeks as No. 1, will fall from the top spot despite reaching the finals by getting past Belgian Kim Clijsters in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Mauresmo, the defending champion and No. 1 seed here, and Henin-Hardenne have split their previous 10 matchups with the Frenchwoman taking two of three bouts in 2006.
Henin-Hardenne will be looking to clinch a tour-high sixth title in 2006 if she can get by Mauresmo. This despite missing significant time with a muscle tear in her right knee.
Mauresmo will be looking to take home her fifth crown in 2006.
This exclusive tournament featured the top-eight women in the world. The players were divided into two four-women groups. The Yellow Group consisted of Mauresmo, Henin-Hardenne, Nadia Petrova and Martina Hingis, while an almost all-Russian Red Group boasted Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Clijsters and Elena Dementieva. The field featured four former Championships titlists (Clijsters, Hingis, Mauresmo and Sharapova) and five current or former No. 1s.
The winner of Sunday's final claims $1 million and the runner-up pockets $500,000.
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NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl
The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
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