Bammer, Zvonareva win openers in Slovenia

Tennis Betting Lines

09/18/2007 - Portoroz, Slovenia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-seeded Austrian Sybille Bammer and fifth-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva were among Tuesday's first-round victors at the $145,000 Slovenia Open.

Bammer blew past her countrywoman Yvonne Meusburger 6-2, 6-1, while Zvonareva zipped past France's Olivia Sanchez 6-3, 6-3 on the hardcourts at SRC Marina in the beautiful coastal city of Portoroz.

Two other seeds moved on, as No. 6 Emilie Loit of France dropped German Greta Arn 6-2, 6-4 and No. 8 Russian Vera Dushevina drilled Croatian qualifier Nika Ozegovic 6-2, 6-1.

France's Nathalie Dechy outlasted German Angelique Kerber 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), while veteran American Meghann Shaughnessy got past Slovakian qualifier Magdalena Rybarikova 6-1, 6-4. Shaughnessy will meet fourth-seeded Slovenian crowd favorite in the round of 16.

Other first-round wins came for Italians Karin Knapp and qualifier Nathalie Vierin, Croatian qualifier Ana Vrljic and Czech Iveta Benesova, who toppled last year's Portoroz runner-up Maria Elena Camerin 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5). Knapp is rewarded with a second-round match against top-seeded Frenchwoman Tatiana Golovin. Camerin gave way to Austrian teenager Tamira Paszek in last year's finale here.

Three other matches were either suspended or postponed because of rain and darkness on Tuesday, including ones for seventh-seeded Argentine Gisela Dulko and ninth-seeded American Meilen Tu.

The 2007 Portoroz winner will pocket $21,140.

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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.