Raphael Nadal is the hot favourite to take our this year’s Monte Carlo Masters, and why not? He has won the previous six, and current foe Novak DJokovic has bypassed this event this year. Don’t be surprised to see Roger Federer give Nadal a run for his money this year. While having a quiet start to 2011, Federer has blistered through his opening matches, winning them without having raised a sweat.

This will be an interesting tournament in a number of ways. Some of the questions that will be asked and answered include whether or not Federer is still a top five player. We will also see if Nadal is worthy of his number one ranking. If Nadal wins in Monte Carlo, then he will maintain his points advantage. If he loses, then he will drop down in the points, bringing him closer to the closing Djokovic.

In Monte Carlo Masters betting, Nadal is a very short 2/7 with Federer next best at 8/1. That says a lot about how bookmakers are assessing Federer’s current form. Andy Murray is at his longest starting price for a long time on the fifth line of betting at 40/1. Ahead of him are David Ferrer at 16/1 and Nicolas Almagro at 22/1. Admittedly, clay is not Murray’s preferred surface.

While bookmakers have Nadal as the hot favourite, Federer will be trying too hard to capitalize on Nadal’s recent run of losses in the finals. At 8/1, he is certainly great value, probably the best value he has been for ten years. On current form, backing a Nadal/Federer final at 5/4 looks to be the best bet.