Bartoli, Sharapova reach second round in Stanford

Tennis Betting Lines

07/28/2010 - Stanford, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reigning champion Marion Bartoli and former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova were first-round victors Tuesday at the $700,000 Bank of the West Classic tennis event.

The former Wimbledon runner-up Bartoli handled American Ashley Harkleroad 6-1, 6-4 on the hardcourts at Taube Family Tennis Stadium, while Sharapova straight-setted Zheng Jie of China, 6-4, 7-5.

Bartoli, seeded fourth this week, surprised American Venus Williams in last year's Stanford finale and was the runner-up here in 2008. The Frenchwoman lost to Williams in the 2007 Wimbledon final.

In other seeded play: sixth-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel recovered from a slow start to upend Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, 0-6, 6-4, 6-3; No. 7 Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium downed China's Yung-Jan Chan, 6-3, 6-1; and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, seeded eighth, cruised past Ayumi Morita of Japan, 6-0, 6-2.

American Melanie Oudin defeated Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak, the 2008 champion, 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 6-3.

Other first-round winners included Maria Kirilenko, Olga Savchuk and Christina McHale, who ousted Mirjana Lucic, Jill Craybas and Kai-Chen Chang, respectively.

This week's top seeds, both of whom received opening-round byes, are French Open runner-up Samantha Stosur and Russian star Elena Dementieva, who has been sidelined by a calf injury since retiring from her semifinal match against Francesca Schiavone at the French Open early last month. Stosur lost to Schiavone in the finale at Roland Garros.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.