Henin, Sharapova ready for French semis

Tennis Betting Lines

06/06/2007 - Paris, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top-two seeds, Belgian Justine Henin and Russian Maria Sharapova, will play their French Open semifinal matches Thursday against a pair of rising Serbs.

The top-seeded/world No. 1 Henin will battle fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic, while a second-seeded Sharapova will encounter seventh-seeded Ana Ivanovic.

Henin is a perfect 5-0 lifetime against Jankovic, including three victories already this season. The Belgian bested her Serbian counterpart in last year's U.S. Open semis.

The 25-year-old Henin owns five major championships, including three of the last four French Open titles. She bested Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in last year's finale to capture a second straight Roland Garros title.

Henin is trying to reach a fifth final in her last five Grand Slam events. She appeared in all four major finales last year (1-3) before missing this year's Australian Open due to personal reasons.

The diminutive Henin has won her last 31 sets at Roland Garros, which is an Open Era record, and is trying to become the first three-peat champion here since Monica Seles turned the trick from 1990-92.

Meanwhile, the former top-ranked Sharapova will face Ivanovic for a third time, as the two women have split two career matchups. The Serb captured a meeting in Tokyo earlier this season, 6-1, 0-1, as the tall Russian retired from that semifinal match because of an injury.

Sharapova is a two-time Grand Slam champ and seeking her third straight trip to a major final. She beat Henin in last year's U.S. Open championship match and was pasted by Serena Williams in this year's Aussie Open title bout. Henin dismissed Williams from this 2007 French Open in straight sets here in Tuesday's quarterfinals.

Upsets victories by both Jankovic and Ivanovic on Thursday would produce a first-ever all-Serbian Grand Slam final. Ivanovic will appear in her first- ever major semi, while Jankovic appeared in one in New York last season, losing to the formidable Henin.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.