Murray's Masters and on to L.A.

So he's done it at last!

Andy Murray made the step up to become a Masters Series winner by beating Novak Djokovic in Cincinnati last night and at the same time earned me a profit on the event.

I've been saying all tournament that Nadal's punishing schedule would let him down and that an outsider would take this event and so it proved, although whether you consider Murray to be a genuine outsider is up for debate I guess.

Anyway, my each way bet on the Scot at [7.5], as advised when Federer was defeated came in with no real problems and saved my bacon in what is often a trappy tournament to predict due to the heat, humidity and close proximity to other events.

All of which means that the tour rolls on to Los Angeles for the Countrywide Classic - an event which holds great memories for me after I backed Radek Stepanek at 50-1 outright last year and the Czech came in by beating James Blake in the final. Good times.

This year's field has a rather depleted look about it due to the Olympics starting in four days time and Andy Roddick is the only top ten player to have swerved Beijing and opted to stay at home.

A-Rod is a rather meagre looking [2.78] to bring home the title in an event he has only entered three times in his career and never made it further than the semi finals (in 2002, lost to Jan-Michael Gambill).

This doesn't look to be a tournament to get too heavily involved in, so I'm having a couple of small bets and hoping for a similar result to last year if at all possible.

Feliciano Lopez has all the talent in the world, but rarely displays it except on the big occasion or when he has nothing to lose, but with all eyes on Beijing, I reckon this is the sort of event he might play well in.

The Spanish lefty is in the tougher top half of the draw with Roddick, Safin and Haas, but is decent value at [26] to cause an upset and add to his solitary career title in Vienna in 2004.

A bigger priced punt is the [65] I had matched about Sebastian Grosjean and if he's back to full fitness after an injury ravaged season, then that could represent value.

The Florida resident is in the easier-looking bottom half of the draw and still possesses the ability to win a title like this if the body will allow.

As far as the first round matches are concerned, nothing really appeals today, so I'll keep my money in my pocket and stick with the outright wagers for now.