Wimbledon

Wimbledon is seen by many as being the premier grand slam of the tennis calendar, and it is eagerly watched and bet on by British people who are desperate for a British winner. No British man has won a grand slam since Fred Perry in 1936, but Andy Murray looks set to break this duck in the near future, having already reached two grand slam finals at the age of 22.

Roger Federer has completely dominated Wimbledon in recent years, winning six of the last seven tournaments, and losing in the final of the other against Rafael Nadal. Murray reached the semi-finals last year, but lost to American Andy Roddick, who has an excellent record at Wimbledon, having reached three finals only to lose each one against Federer.

Federer is the early favourite to claim the title for a seventh time, priced at 13/8, followed by Murray who is at 4/1. Rafael Nadal, the only man to have beaten Federer at Wimbledon in the last seven years, is at 11/2. Last year’s US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro is next, at 9/1, while Novak Djokovic is at 10/1. Roddick is at 14/1 for the title.

Serena Williams won the Women’s title last year, and will be hard pressed to defend it against a women’s field which is stronger than ever at the moment. The return of the Belgian duo of Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin has added spice to the women’s game, and Henin especially is desperate to claim the Wimbledon title – the one grand slam which eluded her before her retirement.

Nevertheless, Serena is still favourite to win the title again, priced at 9/4. Venus Williams, who has won at Wimbledon five times, is next at 3/1. Henin is at 5/1, and Clijsters is at 6/1. Victoria Azarenka and Elena Dementieva are next at 12/1 and 14/1 respectively, and Maria Sharapova, who won the title as a 17 year old, is also at 14/1.

Traditionally in the betting for the event, if a British player goes far then the public get behind them and they are heavily backed, and we can expect this for Andy Murray again this year, assuming he does well. However, the hopes of the nation will likely be resting squarely on his shoulders, and this is a big burden for anyone. Federer is also only one title away from the record, which is held by Pete Sampras, who won seven titles, and he will be a tough proposition for whoever is unfortunate enough to come up against him.

Wimbledon Men’s singles betting odds

Wimbledon Women’s singles betting odds

Tennis betting previews