The season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals get underway on Sunday with British No.1 Andy Murray tackling Paris Masters champion Robin Soderling.
Murray's fifth match-up with the Swede, who took his world No.4 spot with victory in the French capital last weekend, opens Group B at the O2 Arena in London.
The pair are tied at two wins apiece and in their only meeting this year Soderling triumphed 6-1 7-6(4) on the hardcourts of Indian Wells in Memphis.
Murray is the slight favourite and is best-priced at 5-6 with Boylesports. The Brit will have the majority of the crowd onside but if you fancy Soderling to edge clear in their head to head you will get 11-10 with bet365 and Stan James.
My forecast? Not sure on this one so I'll sit on the net. These two are so evenly matched it could go either way and despite only one three-setter in the past I fancy this one will go the distance.
Murray to win 2-1 is 10-3 with bet365, boylesports and Skybet with Stan James offering 4-1 on Soderling to triumph by the same margin.
Both prices are tempting, Soderling's slightly more so given his recent success, but my money will go on either player to win 2-1 (13-10, boylesports).
Swiss world No.2 Roger Federer (1-7, Betfred) and Spaniard David Ferrer (5-1, totesport, Paddy Power, Stan James, among others) meet on Sunday night in the other Group B tie.
Four-time champion Federer has been installed as the title favourite (5-2, 888sport) and given that he's won all 10 of his previous meetings with Ferrer he should get off to a winning start. Ferrer will target later wins over Murray and Soderling to realise his semi-final ambitions.
Ferrer, however, is rarely thrashed and has taken a set off Federer in their last four match-ups (2010, 09, 07, 07). He may do so again here so a 2-1 win for the Swiss might be worth considering (4-1, William Hill).
If you fancy Ferrer to win by the same margin you will be quids in with bet365, Paddy Power and Hills all offering 10-1 on such an outcome.
Last year's champion Nikolay Davydenko missed out on qualification this year while runner-up Juan Marin del Potro is also absent after a season dogged by a wrist injury.
My tip to win the tournament, second favourite Rafael Nadal (10-3, Hills), arrives in London refreshed after more than a month off and should have few problems seeing off American Andy Roddick in their Group A opener.
The world No.1 from Spain leads his opponent 5-3 overall and is available at 2-5 with boylesports, Betfred, Blue Square and 888sport while Roddick is 9-4 with Skybet.
In the other Group A clash, Serb world No.3 Novak Djokovic (3-10, Totesport, Paddy Power, Ladbrokes, William Hill) should be strong for Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic (11-4, Victor Chandler, Skybet). Djokovic leads their previous meetings 3-1.
ATP World Tour Finals prices: Federer 5-2, Nadal 3-1, Djokovic, Murray 5-1, Soderling 9-1, Roddick 22-1, Berdych 35-1, Ferrer 40-1.
SUPER SINGLE
- Soderling 2, Murray 1 (4-1, Stan James).
