08/14/2008 - Beijing, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - James Blake has finally slayed the dragon.
The eighth-seeded Blake had been 0-8 against Super Swiss Roger Federer going into Thursday's tennis quarterfinal match at the Olympics, but the American pulled out a 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) victory.
It was a night filled with highs and lows for the Americans. On the women's side, the Williams sisters were bounced from singles play. Fourth-seeded Serena was taken down by fifth seed Elena Dementieva of Russia, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Seventh-seeded Venus, bidding for a third Olympic gold medal, was beaten by China's Li Na, 7-5, 7-5.
The start of the tennis session was delayed more than four hours by rain, but Blake was steadfast in his first win against Federer, who will fall from his perch atop the rankings next week when Spaniard Rafael Nadal takes over that slot.
Federer though won't get a chance for Olympic gold, as Blake surged ahead in the tiebreaker with a fabulous passing shot before falling to his knees in elation at the end.
"This is unbelievable," said Blake. "It's not very often you get to say you beat the No.1 player in the world anytime, but to do it at the Olympics with USA on your chest, I'm so proud to be part of this team."
Blake's semifinal encounter will be against 12th-seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu.
It was an amazing accomplishment for Blake, considering he'd won just one set against Federer prior to Thursday night.
"Maybe if you play him enough times he's bound to have an off day," said Blake. "He didn't play his best today, but I felt like I served well when I needed to, especially in that tiebreaker."
A break of serve in the ninth game of the first set sent Blake on his way to the lead. Federer dropped the first three games of the next set, but rallied from a 5-2 deficit to force the tiebreaker. The problem was 56 unforced errors set back Federer.
The other semifinal will be between Nadal, the second seed, and third-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic. Nadal powered past Austrian Jurgen Melzer, 6-0, 6-4, while Djokovic rallied to beat Frenchman Gael Monfils, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Also on the women's side, ninth seed Vera Zvonareva of Russia beat France's Sybille Bammer, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Zvonareva will play Dementieva in the semis.
Second seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia was set to play sixth-seeded Russian Dinara Safina in the other quarterfinal, but rain put a halt to the match before it was supposed to start well after 1 a.m. local time. It was postponed to Friday.
<< Playoff hopefuls conclude set in South Beach
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Cardinals have to be frustrated with the way
the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers have been playing lately. The Cardinals are four
games behind the Brewers in the NL Wild Card standings, but their Central
division riva
<< Glavine returns from DL in finale with Cubs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Braves are expected to have Tom Glavine back on
the mound tonight, when they close out a three-game series versus the Chicago
Cubs at Turner Field.
Glavine has been on the disabled list since June 11 with a sor
<< Phils, Myers close series at Chavez Ravine
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time Brett Myers took the hill he had a fantastic
outing spoiled by his behavior. Tonight, Myers will try to keep his cool and
put the Philadelphia Phillies back in the win column in the finale of a four-
game series
<< Mets wrap up series with Nationals
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The race for National League East supremacy seems much like
a see-saw, with teams either sharing the lead or trading the top spot on
several occasions.
The New York Mets are back at the top of the heap tied with the Philad
Roy has successful surgery >>
Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy
underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on Thursday to repair a meniscus
tear in his left knee.
The All-Star from the University of Washington learned of th
Flyers extend head coach Stevens once more >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Flyers reached an
agreement with head coach John Stevens on a two-year contract extension on
Thursday.
Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"I am very exc
Three share early lead in Sweden >>
Stockholm, Sweden (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nick Dougherty opened with a four-under-
par 66 Thursday to grab a share of the lead after the opening round of the SAS
Masters.
Dougherty was joined in the lead by Peter Hanson and Pedro Linhart.
Rob
Coyotes ink Perreault >>
Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Coyotes re-signed center Joel
Perreault to a two-year contract on Thursday.
The 6-foot-1, 197-pound Perreault appeared in 49 games for the Coyotes last
season and notched seven goals and 10
Barry Bonds Watch: Giants Slugger Says He'll Be Back
With only 21 home runs standing between him and Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds is indeed planning on coming back for more in 2007. At least, that's what his agent told the Los Angeles Times.
"Barry's going to play in 2007," Jeff Borris of Beverly Hills Sports Council told the Times on Tuesday. "I've had many discussions with Barry and he's going to play. My intentions are to see to it he's in a big-league uniform next season. Those are my marching orders."
Contract negotiations could get started as early as next week. Let's see which team has the deeper pockets. Will MLB baseball betting lines despite allegations of steroid use? Bet On It at www.MySportsbook.com .
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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
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