Marin Cilic (1.6) v Sergiy Stakhovsky (2.62)

Cilic dropped just two games in their only previous meeting, but that was 3½ years ago and the Croat is in appalling form. Cilic has not won back-to-back matches for three months as he’s been beaten in the first two rounds in his last eight events. Back to June Cilic has won six of 11 matches against players now ranked 26-100, with all 11 matches settled in straight sets suggesting who starts quickest will win. Moreover, he’s lost half his last eight matches when a 1.3-1.6 favourite.

Stakhovsky was an impressive winner against a qualifier in round one and he’s won five of his last six completed matches against players now ranked 11-50 (three in straight sets) as well as eight of his last 14 matches when a 2.4-4.0 underdog.

Recommendation: Split Stakes – Stakhovsky to win at 2.63, Stan James

                                       Stakhovsky to win 2-0 at 5.0, Stan James

Andy Roddick (1.33) v Jarkko Nieminen (3.75)

This is their second meeting with Nieminen having pushed Roddick to five sets at the French Open earlier this year.

Roddick reached the semis in Basel last week before being predictably thrashed by Federer. Ignoring retirements Roddick has split his four matches since Wimbledon against players now ranked 26-50 with just one win by more than three games. Again ignoring retirements Roddick has won three of his past four hard-court Masters second round matches but none by more than four games. Furthermore, since Wimbledon Roddick has won just three of seven matches when a 1.2-1.4 favourite and the only one he won by more than three games he dropped a set in.

Nieminen is in great form having come through qualifying and improving to W19-L5 since the US Open including three wins in his last five matches against current top 25 ranked players with one of the two defeats in a final set tie-break and the other a fairly close match against Djokovic. Moreover, he’s lost by more than four games in just one of nine matches in the past 12 months when a 3.0-5.0 underdog as he’s taken at least a set on six occasions.

Recommendation: Split Stake - Nieminen to win +3.5 games at 1.96, Betfair

                           Nieminen to win at 3.9, Betfair

Stanislas Wawrinka (1.86) v Ivan Ljubicic (2.2)

Ljubicic leads the head-to-head by three wins to two but Wawrinka has won their last two meetings which have both been on hard courts, including a year ago in Basel.

Wawrinka has won his last seven matches as a favourite and his last six when 1.6-1.9 to win including five 2-0 wins. Moreover, he’s won 13 of 21 matches against players currently ranked 11-25 since 2008.

Ljubicic has reached a final and semi-final in his last two tournaments. However, he’s lost seven of his last nine matches as an underdog as well as seven of his last eight when 2.0-2.8 to win.

Recommendation: Wawrinka to win at 1.9, Betfair