2008 US Open Betting Odds Favor Rafael Nadal: On Monday August 25, the final tennis grand slam of the year, the 2008 U.S. Open, kicks off from Flushing Meadows in New York. The now Gold Medallist and No.1 ranked, Rafael Nadal, will for the first time (in his career) deal with the pressure of being the haunted one. Will the dream season continue for the young Spanish Matador? Oddsmakers at BodogLife.com seem to think so, as Rafael Nadal is the betting odds (5 - 4) favorite to capture his first U.S. Open Championship.

However, winning on the hard courts will be no walk in the park for Rafa, as Roger Federer (9 - 4) will certainly be looking for revenge.

Thus far this season, Rafael Nadal has beaten Roger Federer in the 2008 French Open Roland Garros, and at the All England Club, Wimbledon. Rafa has overmatched Federer in an unprecedented way, which I think no one saw coming; at least not this soon. But can Rafa really win in New York?

For starters, the young Spaniard has never gone pass the quarterfinals in the U.S. Open. Nevertheless, Rafa likes his chances: “When you are playing well you feel comfortable on all courts… in the past when I was playing well, I did well on hard courts, too. I feel good for sure. I won two tournaments in Toronto and the Olympics, and I played semifinals in Cincinnati.”

On the other hand, the world’s new No. 2, Roger Federer, knows how to win in Flushing. The Swiss, which hopes to find his game, aspires to win a 5th consecutive U.S. Open, but admits it won’t be easy, but not impossible: “I think I need the crowd support a little bit this year… but I still believe it’s an advantage if you know how to win a U.S. Open. It’s a tough tournament to win.”

Here is a list of other notable betting odds frontrunners to win the 2008 U.S. Open:

Novak Djokovic: 11 - 4

Andy Murray: 10 - 1

Andy Roddick: 33 - 1

Nikolay Davydenko: 50 - 1

David Ferrer: 66 - 1

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