The world’s top men and women gather to compete in Miami for the Sony Ericsson Open, which will be one of the hottest non Grand Slam tournaments of 2011. The event will immediately be played after BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California and Scheduled to begin on March 21. Because of two consecutive major events in North America, that’s why March has always been an important month on the Calendar.

Tennis Odds for this event have not yet been posted in various sports betting sites.

About the Sony Ericsson Open, the preceding event at Indian Wells has traditionally provided good insight. It is early to pick favorites for Miami’s tournament however, since Indian Wells has yet to be played. For the hard court tournaments in North America, the recent events in Asia and South America provide the most accurate predictions.

In late February, the number three player in the world Vera Zvonareva defeated the world’s No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in Doha, Qatar. With seeds corresponding to their current world rankings, it’s most likely that both of them will enter the Sony Ericsson draw.

As the second seed, defending Champion Kim Clijsters comes into Crandon Park. In the final, last year, she overpowered Venus Williams 6-2 6-1. This year, the runner up will make a comeback, as the sixth seed.

Several other less known players who are coming off hot streaks in late February are to watch out for. While at the same time Anastasia Pavluchenkova raised the trophy in Monterey, Mexico, Gisela Dulko claimed the title in Acapulco, Mexico. Jelena Dokic won the event in Malaysia. If Dokic will even play, unless she competes at the qualifying rounds, though it is uncertain.

Even though Victoria Azarenka had a poor February, losing early in Dubai and Doha, the 2009 Champion comes into Miami as the ninth seed. Samantha Stosur, Francesca Schiavone, Li Na, and Jelena Jankovic are the other top ten seeds, who are possible “dark horses” which can be unpredictable at big events.

BNP Paribas · Jelena Jankovic · Kim Clijsters · Sony Ericsson Open · sports betting

This week, the world’s top women tennis players compete at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship. The urban oasis of the United Arab Emirates growing city has become a venue for one of the most prestigious tournaments on the WTA tour, besides Grand Slam and Masters Events. The $360,000 prize money is one of the largest sums offered on regular WTA events. The winner odds for this tournament have been published in various sportsbook betting sites.

Eight of the world’s top tennis ladies came to compete for the title in Dubai. Last year’s champion Venus Williams could not defend her title this year. Australian Open champion and current world number 1 Kim Clijsters will also be absent from the event. Nevertheless, there is plenty of excitement in Dubai coming from the game’s other stars.

The top seeds received byes in their first round matches and enjoyed some time off the court exploring Dubai. There weren’t any surprising victories in the first round of action featuring the lower ranked players. 14th seeded Ana Ivanovic lost her first match to the lefty veteran Patty Schnyder, but Ivanovic has a history of inconsistent results. Wildcard Sania Mirza of India, who is also a fan favorite in Dubai, won her first match 6-3 6-1.

The competition heated up in the second round as the top seeds got to show off their form. First seed Caroline Wozniacki won her match, as Anna Chakvetadze retired in the second set. 7th seed Victoria Azarenka was challenged by Chinese qualifier Peng, but Vika prevailed in a tough third set tiebreak. Second seed Vera Zvonareva comfortably won 6-3 6-1. After two and a half hours on court, Australian Open runner up Li Na lost to Yanina Wickmayer in three sets, which is the upset of the tournament so far.

Australian Open · Kim Clijsters · Sania Mirza · sportsbook betting

It is the first time in five years, Kim Clijsters, the Australian tennis Open winner is two matches away from returning to the number one ranking. Of the Paris-Coubertin tournament this week, the Belgian needs to make the semi-finals to overtake Denmark’s incumbent Caroline Wozniacki. A tournament she won in her only other attempt in 2004.

In 2003, Clijsters held the top ranking and in 2006, she had it for seven weeks before her retirement and subsequent return to the game two years later. She now has four grand slam titles. She said that if she manages to do it again during her second career, it would be great. She added that if she could not make it, then she would not be disappointed.

Clijsters first became No. 1 in August 2003 and it would always mean more to her. She was 20 years old then. In January 2006, the Belgian last held the top spot. before her premature retirement four years ago, she was at No. 1 for 19 weeks. Out of those 19 weeks, 12 came before her first major victory at the 2005 U.S. Open.

After the world No. 78 beat Iveta Benesova in her opening match, she will be facing Germany’s Kristina Barrois.

Meanwhile, Vera Zvonareva made a winning start to her campaign at the WTA Tour’s Pattaya Open in Thailand. She had lost the No. 2 ranking after her semifinal defeat by Clijsters in Melbourne.

To set up a second-round clash with Thai qualifier Nungnadda Wannasuk, the top-seeded Russian, Wozniacki beat Austria’s Tamira Paszek 6-4 6-2. Former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, in her first match since her early exit at the Australian Open beat Thai wildcard entry Nudnida Luangnam 6-0 6-2 and the second-seeded Serbian will next play veteran American Jill Craybas.

Australian tennis Open · Caroline Wozniacki · Kim Clijsters · U.S. Open

Justine Henin, former woman’s World No.1 announced her retirement from active tennis due to her elbow injury. On her website, the 28-year-old Belgian said that the doctors told her that she could not continue her profession at this high level as her elbow is too fragile. In Melbourne last week, Henin’s final match was a third-round defeat to Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova. Since her third-round loss in the Australian Open to Kuznetsova, she had undergone multiple medical examinations.

During her career, she won seven Grand Slams and in 2008, she had quit the sport first when she was ranked number one in the world before returning to the WTA Tour in Jan 2010. Henin won the US Open twice, the Australian Open in 2004 and the French Open on four occasions. Wimbledon was the only Grand Slam title to elude her. There she was the beaten finalist in 2001 and 2006. In 2004, she had won Olympic gold.

At the beginning of the 2010 season, she had a change of heart and returned to the game, reaching the final at the Australian Open. The rest of her comeback season was not as reassuring. In her fourth-round loss to Kim Clijsters, she fractured a ligament in her right elbow.

Henin said that she was shocked, when doctors asked her to give up tennis. The same injury has forced her to call time on her playing days for good. She added that she suffered a lot last week and she has rarely been spared the pain. She believed that her will would take the upper hand. She has accepted that her career finally ends.

French Open · Grand Slam title · Justine Henin · Kim Clijsters · Svetlana Kuznetsova

An older and happier Kim Clijsters is in sparkling form and she hopes to continue the same when she heads into Australian Open as one of the hot favorites for the women’s crown.

Clijsters had a stunning return to tennis in 2009 after the birth of daughter Jada. In her fourth tournament back, she won the US Open, suffered a setback in Melbourne last year when she crashed out in the third round. In 2010, the 27-year-old Belgian was also one of the favorites, but she suffered a humiliating 6-0, 6-1 loss to Nadia Petrova, bewildering herself and her fans, after cruising through the first two rounds.

Clijsters, who went on to win five tournaments in 2010, including her third US Open. The wins made the Australian Open disaster only a temporary setback for the popular Clijsters. She is now ready to make amends for last year.

To move into the final of the Medibank International, Kim Clijsters dodged an upset bullet as the Belgian finally held off Russia Alisa Kleybanova 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1). The three-time US Open winner will face off against China’s eighth seed Li Na. Since winning in Birmingham on grass the week before Wimbledon, Li Na will play in her first final.

Li said that she is ready for the challenge against Clijsters and she has nothing to lose because she has played with her so many times. She said that all she has to do is to show the best tennis on the court.

Previously, the pair has met five times. On four occasions Clijsters has won, out of which two were at this tournament, in 2006, and then in the 2007 semi-final. Li can continue her affinity with Australia, if she can get over Clijsters. It would be Li’s biggest career win. Last year in Melbourne at the Open, she had reached the semi-finals and in 2008 won on the Gold Coast.

Australian Open · Kim Clijsters · Nadia Petrova · Tennis · US Open

Day 5 of the 2010 Wimbledon was very routine, especially for the top players on both the men’s and women’s draws. This was surely one of the quietest days of the tournament so far. Part of it is due to all of the doubles action that’s going on around the grounds.

At the dawn of Day 5, all eyes were still on John Isner, who completed the longest match in tennis history on the previous day. Isner spent more than 11 hours on the court throughout three total days, and won the match 70-68 in the fifth set. However, Isner’s second round match was a whole different story. Isner was scheduled to play the first match of the day on court 5. Mentally and physically exhausted from the previous marathon match, John Isner was dismantled 6-0 6-3 6-2 by Thiemo De Bakker. After the match, John Isner said he would take a break from tennis to get some well deserved rest before playing his next tournament.

On the men’s side, the top players cruised through their third round matches comfortably. Defending champion Roger Federer defeated veteran Frenchman Arnaud Clement 6-2 6-4 6-2. Number 3 seed Novak Djokovic took out Albert Montanes 6-1 6-4 6-4. Andy Roddick, last year’s runner up, had a slight stumble in his match against the young German Philipp Kohlschreiber. Roddick lost the second set in a tough tiebreak, but eventually took control of the match and won it in four sets. Tomas Berdych and Paul Henri Mathieu both won tough five set matches.

On the women’s side, the top players also didn’t have any trouble in their third round matches. Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Venus Williams, and Jelena Jankovic all won in straight sets.

2010 Wimbledon · John Isner · Kim Clijsters