Can Andy Murray Reign At Wimbledon Once Again?
The French Open threw up a big surprise as Stan Wawrinka beat the world number one Novak Djokovic in the final, but things are expected to be business as usual as we edge closer to Wimbledon. The grass court season is upon us once again, and defending champion Djokovic is predicted to retain the title and lift his 9th Grand Slam trophy, no mean feat. Standing in his way will be the usual suspects, and the player with the biggest chance of defeating him could be our own Andy Murray.
Murray usually performs well at Wimbledon, but the difference this year is that he’ll be going in with added confidence after performing well at the French Open. He had an epic five set battle with Djokovic in the semi-final, a match he looked very close to winning at one point, and that will surely give him some momentum going into a tournament he has traditionally done well in. And this is all before we mention his recent triumph at Queens, something that surely bodes well for the summer ahead.
At the time of writing Djokovic is the favourite with the bookies, and you can find him priced at 7/5 at Bwin. Don’t rule out Murray, though, as he is a lot stronger on grass and if they meet later on in the tournament then the Scot will fancy his chances. He’s available at 10/3 from William Hill to get the job done and lift the Wimbledon trophy for the second time in his career.
Roger Federer’s career appears to be winding down now, but the Swiss legend is still a very formidable opponent for anyone, and on his day he can conjure up the magic to beat the best. Grass is his most successful surface, and you can never count out a man who has won Wimbledon on seven separate occasions, so if you fancy him to rediscover his old form then you can find him at 13/2 from Coral and Unibet.
Unfortunately things aren’t looking so great for another legend of the sport, as Rafael Nadal is struggling to string a run of wins together. He’s now ranked 10th in the world, his lowest position in a decade, and lost at the French Open for the first time since 2009. His preparation for the grass court season didn’t start off too well either, as he crashed out of Queens in the first round to the unseeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov. It doesn’t sound good for Nadal, and his odds of 15/1 from Bwin might not be enough to tempt you.
When we look away from the big four there are a few outsiders who might be worth a flutter, and one that is catching our eye is Milos Raonic at 50/1 from Winner. The Canadian has a big, powerful serve which gives him an advantage on grass courts, and he performed well at Queens earlier in the month. Another outside tip could be Marin Cilic, a strong server who got to the quarter-finals of last year’s tournament. He’s also the US Open champion, so his odds of 66/1 from Sportingbet appear to be very generous.
Elsewhere, 40/1 from 888bet for Thomas Berdych to be the victor doesn’t sound too bad, considering he reached the final of Wimbledon back in 2010 and the 29 year old remains a solid performer today. If you’re interested in some special bets then William Hill is doing a few, including 8/1 odds on a full day’s play being washed out, not including centre court. If you’re feeling really quirky then the same bookmakers is also offering a price of 33/1 on the official caterers for the event running out of champagne or strawberries!
Djokovic is imperious but Murray has the backing of the home crowd, and Federer will always be dangerous. However you’re betting, Wimbledon looks set to be another enticing tournament full of quality tennis.
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