Tennis Point Exhibition Series Odds & Picks on May 2
- There’s actual sports being played and available for wagering this weekend thanks to the Tennis Point Exhibition Series in Germany
- World #143 Yannick Hanfmann and #239 Dustin Brown are the top-ranked players in the event. Can anyone beat them?
- Analysis of the odds and picks for Saturday’s matches follow in the story below
They might not be household names in tennis but thanks to them and the Tennis Point Exhibition Series, you can bet on actual tennis matches this weekend from your own household.
The first tennis tournament of the coronavirus era, the Tennis Point Exhibition Series began Friday in the Rhineland-Palatinate area of Germany. After consulting with health officials in her country, German Chancellor Angela Merkel granted her approval for the event.
It’s one of three regions in the country where playing tennis has been given the go-ahead as the country slowly opens up from COVID-19 lockdown.
Tennis Point Exhibition Series Odds
| Player | Moneyline | Player | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jean-Marc Werner | -200 | Florian Broska | +150 |
| Constantin Schmitz | +450 | Yannick Hanfmann | -800 |
| Jan Choinski | +120 | Dustin Brown | -163 |
| Benjamin Hassan | -325 | Johannes Haerteis | +250 |
| Yannick Hanfmann | -200 | Dustin Brown | +150 |
| Johannes Haerteis | -700 | Florian Broska | +400 |
| Jan Choinski | -500 | Jean-Marc Werner | +333 |
| Benjamin Hassan | -225 | Constantin Schmitz | +163 |
Odds taken May 1st.
The event hasn’t exactly attracted a who’s-who of tennis sensations. Germany’s Dustin Brown is the most well-known player in the event. He’s currently #239 in the ATP rankings and is best remembered for defeating Rafael Nadal in the second round at Wimbledon in 2015.
Fellow German Yannick Hanfmann is the top-rated player in the ATP rankings involved in this event. He’s slotted in at #143.
Tennis Point Exhibition Format
Matches are best two-out of three sets. A set is won by the first player to take four games, as opposed to the traditional six-game format.
Tiebreakers will take place at 3-3, as opposed to the normal 6-6. And only one point is needed for deuce, instead of the usual two.
The goosebumps, the white knuckles, the fist pumps…
It's all coming back. ?
The 2020 (Re)Open begins with the Tennis Point Exhibition Series in Germany, beginning May 1 on Tennis Channel →https://t.co/w6HfcFkoxp pic.twitter.com/ICLcIkq9w9— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) April 30, 2020
The event is taking place from May 1-5 and the contesting of matches is done via a round-robin format. Once all the players have faced each other, the top four in the standings advance to a playoff competition.
Due to COVID-19 precautions, the matches are also being played indoors in a stadium without spectators. Only the two competing players and the umpire are permitted to be on court during a match.
Eight matches are on tap for Saturday. Let’s look at some of the best bets available.
Hassen, Haerteis Have History
Johannes Haerteis (#342) and Benjamin Hassan (#354) are close in the ATP rankings. As well, unlike many of the competitors involved in the Tennis Point Exhibition Series, they’ve got a history of facing each other on court.
Granted, none of the matches were in ATP Tour events but nonetheless, there’s a measuring stick to be applied.
? Tweener alert!
Perfect timing from Benjamin Hassan in Augsburg. pic.twitter.com/UGOXAAMJ9F
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) August 9, 2019
Three times, they’ve clashed in qualifying, Challenger And Futures play. Twice, Hassen came out the winner.
He beat Haerteis twice in 2019. The lone victory by Haerteis over Hassan came in 2016.
Pick: Benjamin Hassan (-150).
Werner Should Best Broska
Once ranked #482 in the world, Jean-Marc Werner hasn’t played on the ATP Tour since 2016. Still, he gave veteran Brown all could handle on Friday, forcing the 35-year-old to a pair of tiebreaks before succumbing 3-4 (5-7), 3-4 (4-7).
We are less than a week away until the first match.
Introducing Jean-Marc Werner, from Wuppertal Germany. Werner turned pro at 20 playing tournaments around Europe and reaching a high of 482 in the ATP rankings.
Good luck and stay safe #BringingTennisBack pic.twitter.com/bDwsF2oiD7— exo_tennis (@exo_tennis) April 24, 2020
Florian Broska’s also been away from the big leagues of tennis since 2017. His rankings history shows him never moving up higher than 1517th in the world.
Pick: Jean-Marc Werner (-200).
Hanfmann-Brown Showdown
Sure, it’s not Djokovic-Nadal but as far as marquee matches, it’ll have to do. Saturday’s clash between Hanfmann and Brown figures to be a preview of the Tennis Point Exhibition Series final.
Both were 2-0 on Friday. Brown is the more experienced and accomplished player. He’s 2-0 lifetime against Nadal, twice reached the third round at Wimbledon and boasts of five career victories against players ranked in the ATP top 10.
He shows $2.95 million in earnings during his career. Brown soared as high as #64 in the world at one time.
Currently, Hanfmann, 28, is the higher-ranked player. He’s climbed as high as #99 in the ATP. Hanfmann shows $542,636 in career earnings, of which $40,663 has been earned thus far in 2020.
After an impromptu rain delay, the match was finished with Yannick Hanfmann defeating Benjamin Hassan 4-2 3-4 (5-7) 4-1 #BringingTennisBack pic.twitter.com/bLsdPhEKv1
— exo_tennis (@exo_tennis) May 1, 2020
They’ve met four times in the lower series and qualifying. Each won twice. Three of four meetings went three sets.
Brown hasn’t beaten Hanfmann since 2015.
Pick: Yannick Hanfmann (-200).
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
