All aboard the tennis bandwagon! Yes, it’s Wimbledon and the two weeks of the summer where most people become experts. There’ll be a few less of these people this year thanks to the European Championships, but still a few people who need to read the ‘Tennis for Dummies’ book, available at all imaginary bookshops near you.
To guide their way through the betting, we got one of our traders to throw together an acca for day one featuring some of the favourites.
Roger Federer
Federer is hoping the third time will be the charm. He’s reached the last two Wimbledon finals only to be thwarted by that pesky Serb Novak Djokovic. The year before his loss in the second round to Sergiy Stakhovsky had brought up questions of retirement but the Fed Express has recovered brilliantly from that temporary breakdown. His six tournaments so far in 2016 have seen him fall in three semi finals and come runner up at the Brisbane International. His last two appearances on grass brought semi finals as well.
Up against Argentinian Guido Pella who has shot up the rankings to 39, but never won at Wimbledon, it should be easy for the Swiss superstar.
Kei Nishikori
Nishikori has been one that people are whispering could be a dark horse in this year’s Men’s singles. The number five seed begins his tournament against Sam Groth and has already made almost $2,00,000 in prize money in 2016. A win at the Memphis Open and two final defeats (one to Djokovic and one to Rafael Nadal) has helped.
His record on grass isn’t the most impressive (25-18) but at odds of he should dismiss of Groth, who has never got past the third round at the All-England club.
Kevin Anderson
Anderson is seeded 20 but has had a miserable start to 2016. A 3-8 win-loss record is a result of persistent shoulder problems. However, he took some time off after defeat in the round of 128 at Rolland Garros and returned to action at Queen’s, losing in the round of 32 to Bernard Tomic.
The South African is one of the tallest at the Championships, standing at a massive 6’8” but is surprisingly agile. His Uzbekistani opponent Denis Istomin has won a title on grass at Nottingham last year, but go for the big Springbok.
Gael Monfils
Monfils seems like he’s been around for ages. That’s because he has. This is his twelfth season as a pro and he’s yet to turn 30. He’ll be happy enough with his draw as he comes up against fellow Frenchman Jeremy Chardy. Monfils reached the final of the Monte Carlo Masters before falling to Nadal but hasn’t played a match on grass in 2016.
Even still, he should be able to get past Chardy (who’s dropped down the rankings thanks to a 14-14 record in the year so far) for the third time in his career.
The latest tennis odds served up on PP.com
Sam Stosur
Despite never making it past the third round at Wimbledon, Stosur is always an outsider that could easily storm her way to the title. The Aussie reached the semi final at the last major in Rolland Garros a semi final defeats in Madrid and a runner up trophy in Prague already this season.
It’ll be her first ever tie against Magda Linette, who got to the semis at Eastbourne last week. Caroline Wozniacki got rid of Stosur at the same tournament, and Linette has played on grass more than Stosur. That isn’t enough for me to think there’ll be an upset. There’s 77 ranking places between them for a reason.
Danka Kovinic
Kovinic is unseeded and up against Mona Barthel , also unseeded, in the opening round. Barthel has had a poor 2016, losing in the first round of every tournament she’s entered bar one. Kovinic on the other hand has a win in Marseille, a final appearances in Istanbul and $244,836 in prize money so far in 2016.
She’s slowly moving up the rankings and probably meet Kiki Berkens in the second round when she gets past Barthel.