Jankovic outlasts Sharapova to capture Birmingham crown

Tennis Betting Lines

06/17/2007 - Birmingham, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jelena Jankovic of Serbia rallied to beat Russia's Maria Sharapova in Sunday's final at the weather-plagued DFS Classic.

The rain finally held off Sunday and allowed play at this Wimbledon tuneup to finish, as one quarterfinal first needed to be completed before the semifinals and championship match were staged.

Jankovic, seeded second, notched a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 triumph for her fourth title of 2007 and the fifth of her career.

After Marion Bartoli finished off Daniela Hantuchova in the quarterfinals, Sharapova and Jankovic both won semifinal matches. The top-seeded Sharapova toppled a tiring Bartoli with a 7-5, 6-0 triumph and Jankovic knocked off eighth-seeded Mara Santangelo, 6-1, 7-5.

Sharapova and Jankovic then took the court again later in the afternoon and played a thriller that lasted just five minutes shy of two hours.

Two breaks of serve gave Sharapova the first set, and the second set featured five breaks. Jankovic broke three times, including once to take a 5-3 lead. She finally held again to send the match to a decisive set.

Sharapova then raced out to a 3-0 lead in the third, but Jankovic rallied to win the next three games. A break in the 11th game gave Jankovic the lead once more and she quickly won the first three points on her serve in the next game before finally finishing it off to beat Sharapova for the first time in four all-time meetings.

The two hadn't faced each other since Sharapova claimed a three-set triumph in the final at this event two years ago. Sharapova also won this tournament in 2004.

Jankovic is having a stellar season. She won earlier this year in Auckland, Charleston and Rome, and lost a title match in Sydney.

Sharapova, who won the Wimbledon crown in 2004 and was a semifinalist in each of the past two years, is still trying for her first title of 2007. Her only other appearance in a final came at the Australian Open in January.

Lotteruamerica Tennis Betting News

<< Twins' Hunter leaves with hand injury
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Minnesota Twins outfielder Torii Hunter left Sunday's contest against the Milwaukee Brewers after being hit by a pitch on his left hand. In the first inning, Milwaukee starting pitcher Jeff Suppan thr

<< Becker, Haase win Ordina openers
's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Germany's Benjamin Becker and Robin Haase the Netherlands were first-round winners Sunday at the Ordina Open. Becker polished off Belgium's Olivier Rochus, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), while Haas

<< Donnelly placed on DL
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox placed relief pitcher Brendan Donnelly on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 11, with a right forearm muscle strain. The right-hander has made 27 relief appearances th

<< Phillies place Rosario on 15-day DL
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies placed right-handed reliever Francisco Rosario on the 15-day disabled list with an undisclosed injury Sunday. The 26-year-old Rosario is 0-3 with a 6.64 earned run a

<< Chakvetadze rallies to win Ordina opener
's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Russia's Anna Chakvetadze rallied for a three-set triumph on the first day of play at the Ordina Open. The third-seeded Chakvetadze posted a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Victoria Azaren

Reds' Phillips injures hand >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips left Sunday's game against Texas with an injured hand. Phillips was hit on the left hand by a pitch from Texas starter Kevin Millwood in the bottom of

Zimmerman, Nationals down Blue Jays >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Zimmerman homered to help the Washington Nationals avoid the sweep by edging the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-2, at Rogers Centre. Frank Thomas made some history in defeat, hitting his 244th home run a

Toronto hammers Hoops >>
Toronto, Ontario (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Toronto FC scored a franchise-high four goals en route to a 4-0 win over FC Dallas at BMO Field on Sunday. Maurice Edu, Danny Dichio, Carl Robinson and Jeff Cunningham each found the back of the ne

Carmona, Indians top Braves to avoid sweep >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fausto Carmona pitched seven-plus strong innings, as the Cleveland Indians avoided a three-game sweep with a 5-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Jacobs Field. Carmona (8-2) gave up two runs

Nady lifts Pirates past ChiSox >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Xavier Nady snapped a seventh-inning tie with a two-run single and Jason Bay made a game-saving catch in the ninth, as the Pittsburgh Pirates held on for an 8-7 victory over the Chicago White Sox in the

NFL Football Office Pool Printable Schedules
MySportsbook.com , leading online sportsbook, offers free NFL football office pool printable sheets! Run your own NFL Football Office Pool. Create your own pool, invite your friends to join. Compete with your with co-workers, friends or family for bragging rights every week. Exchange some hard hits without risk of injury -- Trash Talk with your fellow co-workers.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football sportsbook needs.

MySportsbook.com is operated by Sportingbet, a UK gambling company which is publicly traded on the AIM on the London Stock Exchange.

Sportingbet easily forms the world's largest Internet gaming company, with a truly global outreach. This also provides added transparency and accountability to this online Sportsbook and thus provides more safety and security for our customers. MySportsbook offers betting lines on all major sporting events. Our staff of almost 400 people includes clerks ready 365 days a year, 24 hours a day to care for your needs.

MySportsbook's competent, experienced managerial staff and personnel are backed by a state-of-the art sports wagering software.

We offer a 15% sign-up bonus to new customers who use Neteller for deposit and 10% bonus for all other deposit methods. Casino clients can take advantage of a 5% cash back monthly. Clients are also eligible for a 5% re-up bonus on subsequent deposits and 10% cash back on NFL losses.* Our instant-play flash casino is no-download, just click and go to a wide range of games including online Blackjack, 3-Card Poker, Craps, Baccarat, Roulette and Pai-Gow Poker, as well as a variety of slots and video poker games for the complete online casino Las Vegas experience.

My Sports book accepts all credit cards, online checks, Neteller, Firepay and bank wires. MySportsbook guarantees prompt, hassle-free payouts, as well as unparalleled individual attention from its acclaimed customer service department.

To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.