10/23/2008 - Lyon, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded former champion Andy Roddick and Australian Open runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga moved into the quarterfinals, while second-seeded former titlist Richard Gasquet was among Thursday's second-round losers at the Lyon Tennis Grand Prix.
The former top-ranked 2005 Lyon champion Roddick snuck past fellow American Robby Ginepri 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3), while the 2006 titlist Gasquet succumbed to tough Belgian Steve Darcis 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) on the indoor carpet at Palais des Sports Lyon Gerland. Roddick fired 26 aces past Ginepri.
A third-seeded Tsonga outlasted fellow Frenchman Fabrice Santoro 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 to setup a quarterfinal against former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero. The 35-year-old Santoro titled here 11 years ago. The Spanish Ferrero erased eighth-seeded French crowd favorite Paul-Henri Mathieu, the 2002 Lyon champ, 6-4, 6-1.
Meanwhile, last week's Madrid Masters runner-up Gilles Simon, of France, held off Italian Andreas Seppi 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-4. The fourth-seeded Simon is quietly up to No. 10 in the world after losing to Brit Andy Murray in this past Sunday's title bout in Madrid.
Another former Lyon titlist prevailed here on Day 4, as seventh-seeded Swede Robin Soderling subdued Belgian qualifier Christophe Rochus 6-1, 6-2. Soderling titled here in 2004.
Friday's other quarterfinals will pit Roddick against his fellow former Lyon champion Soderling, Simon versus fellow Frenchman Josselin Ouanna and France's Julien Benneteau against Darcis.
French players will account for half of the quarterfinalists on Day 5.
<< Report: Daunte Culpepper un-retires
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Daunte Culpepper announced the end of his
short-lived retirement on Thursday via e-mail.
In a report on NFL.com, the nine-year veteran wrote, "Now that there are some
real opportunities that match my des
<< Patriots' Morris misses practice again
Foxboro, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New England Patriots running back Sammy Morris
did not practice with the team on Thursday.
The 31-year-old Morris, who also sat out Wednesday's practice, injured his
knee during New England's 41-7 victo
<< Federer tops Nieminen in Basel, again
Basel, Switzerland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In a rematch of last year's final,
hometown hero Roger Federer bested Finn Jarkko Nieminen to reach the
quarterfinals at the $1.2 million Swiss Indoors Basel.
The top-seeded/former world
<< Rams RB Jackson misses second practice with thigh injury
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson
missed practice on Thursday with a thigh injury.
Rams interim head coach Jim Haslett on Monday termed the injury a strain, and
said he did not expect Jackson
Friday News and Notes on the Breeders' Cup Classic >>
Arcadia, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Casino Drive (Tr: Kazuo Fujisawa; ex. rider:
Naruhito Kasai ) - Casino Drive, the unbeaten 3yo colt from Japan, jogged 3f
on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track under assistant trainer Naruhito Kasai
before
Thursday News and Notes on the Breeders' Cup Classic >>
Arcadia, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Casino Drive (Tr: Kazuo Fujisawa; ex. rider:
Naruhito Kasai ) - Casino Drive, the unbeaten 3yo colt from Japan, jogged 3f
on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track under assistant trainer Naruhito Kasai
before
Ivanovic lands in Linz quarters >>
Linz, Austria (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic was among
Thursday's second-round winners at the $600,000 Generali Ladies Linz
tennis event.
The top-seeded Ivanovic handled Austrian crowd favorite Sybille Bammer 6-4,
6-
Newcastle's Beye has one-game ban lifted >>
Newcastle, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Newcastle United defender Habib Beye is
available to face Sunderland in Saturday's Wear-Tyne derby after winning an
appeal for wrongful dismissal Thursday.
Beye was shown a straight red card during
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.
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