Wimbledon Women's Semi Finals

With the Women's event at Wimbledon drawing to a close it's time to have a look at the final four in the draw and discuss who will be raising the trophy aloft over the weekend. So far we've had some high quality entertainment and an even higher standard of tennis. The rain may have come in strong but with some good scheduling and late night drama we've got the semi final line ups for the women's singles completed with all players getting a full day of rest before their semi finals. That means all players are on an even footing and there are no excuses from here on in, the player who produces their best will be rewarded greatly. 
          It's been a very exciting tournament and the standard of tennis has once again been very high. All eyes will be on the second match on Centre Court between four time champion Serena Williams and Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka but before that two women who have been outstanding this season and are both looking for their first Grand Slam final appearance will take the court. Agnieszka Radwanska and Angelique Kerber both came through very difficult quarter final matches on Tuesday and will both feel confident in their games having battled through tough final sets where they both could easily have been beaten. Radwanska faced a stiff challenge from Russian Maria Kirilenko and when they were moved under the roof it looked as though the Russian would be going through but an amazing drop shot which clipped the net saved Radwanska and she eventually took the match 7-5 in the third. Having watched that match I thought the Pole was playing very well. She's a solid player with very consistent shots off both sides and is good on serve. I think she struggles more when players take the game to her and play with no fear which is what I'd expect Kerber to be like. Angelique has been one of the best players of the year and her Wimbledon campaign has been very good so far. She showed no nerves when facing the legend that is Kim Clijsters on Monday and absolutely hammered the Belgian in her final Wimbledon and her win on Tuesday was even more impressive. Having beaten Sharapova, Sabine Lisicki was playing the best tennis of her life but Kerber played amazing tennis and even when it looked like Lisicki was going to win having saved match points and gone ahead in the third set Kerber somehow managed to find a way through to her second Grand Slam semi final, and first at Wimbledon. Without a doubt the match between Lisicki and Kerber was the best and most exciting match of the tournament and I feel that having come through it Kerber will raise her level again. The fact that Kerber has flat ground strokes will work against her if she allows nerves to take control of her play but I'd expect her to play with some more freedom having already achieved more than people expected. It's a great opportunity for both players to reach a Grand Slam final and having seen Kvitova win last year who's to say one of these two won't be crowned Wimbledon champion on Saturday? I think Kerber will play the way she did against Lisicki and Clijsters and really step up into the court and dictate play and if she manages to do that then I think she will overpower Radwanska and fire winners off her powerful forehand and backhand shots. I'd expect Kerber to just about get through.
          The main attraction for Thursday will of course be the Williams-Azarenka match. It's an intriguing match up and one that will split the public right down the middle. Williams has demonstrated why her serve is recognised as one of the greatest serves the women's game has ever seen. It's the reason she's got this far and the reason she still has a chance of winning a fifth Wimbledon crown. She looked down and out against Jie Zheng and she was simply overpowered and outclassed from the baseline and she managed an incredible 23 aces during that match to get through 9-7 in the third. Again against Shvedova she needed her serve to bail her out on numerous occasions to get through. Whether it's first or second serve it's very difficult to read and it contains so much power she is able to get on the front foot straight away in the rally which makes her very difficult to beat. I didn't think she would get through Kvitova on Tuesday if I'm honest. I thought Kvitova would match her on serve and be strong enough mentally to overcome Williams and she wouldn't be intimidated by Serena. I thought Kvitova played very well but Williams was a step ahead on the big points and was fully deserved of her win. Azarenka, in my opinion, has been the player of the tournament. She has been sensational and I think she could very well be the woman lifting the title on Saturday. If she does win it then it will put her back to number one and prove to everyone that her slight drop in form was simply because of the change to clay. She was brilliant on hard courts and has been stunning here on the grass of Wimbledon. Ana Ivanovic was in great form this championships but she was crushed by Azarenka and the in form Paszek was also dismissed in straight sets which shows just how dominant the Belorussian has been. Her statistics on the return of serve have been outstanding and that's the reason I think she could beat Williams. Williams won't get as much free points on serve and Azarenka will try her best to take time away from Williams. I think Williams movement is her weak point and at this stage of a Grand Slam the very best players should be exposing that, and Azarenka is one of the best. Her attitude is magnificent, from her walk out with the ipod on and the hood up in her own world to her patience in the rallies and positive reactions between points. I think she will constantly make Williams play that extra ball and eventually I think that will take it's toll on Williams. If Azarenka is allowed to play on the baseline then Williams won't be as dominant as she has been against other players because Azarenka has got the power to mix it with her and is more than capable of hitting huge winners. This match should be one of the highest quality and I think that in the end if she can stay on the baseline and not allow Williams be the aggressor then Azarenka will be in the Wimbledon final on Saturday.
          So that's my preview of the semi finals of the women's singles at Wimbledon which take place tomorrow. It's very difficult to say who will be in Saturday's final as we have four top class players in the semi finals and all have their own ambitions and beliefs of how far they can go. If I had to pick then I'd go for Azarenka and Kerber to be in the final and I think that would be a fitting way to end the fortnight as these two have probably been the most consistent of the year so far. With this being my 50th post I'd just like to quickly thank all the people who read my work and as always your feedback is much appreciated by e-mail at Deano24893@live.ie or on the Amateur Sports Journalism facebook page. So thanks again to all of you, it's your support that motivates me to write.   

Andy Murray vs Marin Cilic

Andy Murray continues his quest for Grand Slam glory today when he comes up against tall Croat Marin Cilic on Court 1. Murray has defeated Russian Nikolay Davydenko, Ivo Karlovic and Marcos Baghdatis so far and although he beat Davydenko with ease his last two matches have not been too impressive. Karlovic is severely lacking with movement and ground strokes and yet he managed a set off Murray and wasn't far off getting another one. Baghdatis also took a set off Murray and it wasn't until they closed the roof that Murray took control. To beat Murray players need to adopt a simple three step tactic, attack the second serve, be strong in your own service games and be aggressive in the rally. I've always said that any player who plays aggressive against Murray and attacks his second serve regularly will beat him. It's not just abut hitting the ball hard like Karlovic did, you must hit it cleanly and with purpose. When players do that we see two things happen. Murray's first serve percentage drops which draws negative body language from him and then we see him take the pace off the first serve. This then gives players the chance to be aggressive on his first serve and if players can combine this with holding their own serve they have a very strong chance of winning against Murray. Players also need to approach the net against him. Karlovic won't trouble Federer, Nadal or Djokovic at a Grand Slam because their too experienced and they play patient tennis and take their opportunities but Murray was in all sorts of trouble against him. Karlovic has got 2 out of the 3 points needed to beat Murray. He had the easy service games, he had the net approach but he didn't have enough of the aggression off Murray's serve. Baghdatis was in almost all of Murray's service games in the opening three sets beacuse he played aggressive but he lost his own serve too often and was engaging in way too many long rallies. Murray's next opponent is Marin Cilic who's natural game ticks all three boxes.   
          Cilic was a player threatening to break through in 2010 when he reached the Australian Open semi final but he fell away in the remainder of that year and last year. He is a talented player and at 23 he still has time to develop into a top five player and I think he can do it. He's got the game to beat the very best and it wouldn't surprise me to see him win Grand Slams in the future, possibly the near future. The key for him is learning to utilise his serve to it's maximum potential and make it as unbreakable as possible. Then he needs to improve his consistency on the groundstrokes and learn when to be aggressive and when to be patient. If he can do that then he will reach the top ten at least. His fitness is something I would have questioned in the past but having watched quite a lot of him this season I think he has the fitness levels to compete consistently at the highest level. So I think he has it in him to win multiple titles he just needs to adopt the right mentality and find the sort of confidence that saw him win at Queens this year.
          I think today could be a huge day not only in his year but for his career. Beating Murray would do wonders for his game and put him into a Wimbledon quarter final which would give him a huge boost. If Cilic plays the way I expect him to which would be his natural game then I see him exposing all the weaknesses in the Murray game. The first step for Cilic is to get his serve working from the start and give Murray no chances of breaking early. Cilic had 61% first serves in against Querrey and if he can post that number again he should be very solid on serve. That is the first step for him, being steady on serve. The next step is unsettling Murray and attacking his second serve. Murray will second serve into the middle of the box with no pace the majority of the time and it will sit into the comfort zone of Cilic. He restricted Querrey to just 47% of second serve points won and Querrey has got a very strong serve. Against Murray he will get a lot of joy from being aggressive. If he does that then he will cause Murray to drop his first serve speed and then he can attack the first and second serve. That's step two and possibly the most important, attacking the second serve, never leaving Murray get into a full rhythm. Finally he needs to play his ground strokes well. He has to play with some aggression and by that I don't mean hitting the ball his hardest every time. By that I mean he has to pick his spot and stick with it. As part of that aggression he needs to come into the net and take advantage of his big serves and heavy ground strokes. Against Querrey he came in to the net 70 times and won 50 of those points. He'll need to win a slightly bigger percentage today to find success.
          If Cilic plays at his best today and has the right game plan then I see no reason he won't win this game and eliminate Murray. Fitness levels might be a little low after his epic encounter with Querrey Saturday but by playing the right way he won't waste too much energy. I think Cilic will win this match and if he plays at his best then he could win it comfortably like he did at the US Open in 2009 for the loss of just nine games. If he doesn't play aggressively and gets drawn into Murray's game then won't be successful but I have a feeling he will get it right today.   

Wimbledon Day 7 Preview

The second Monday of Wimbledon is upon us and no matter what court you watch today your sure to find tennis of the highest quality. With all the fourth round men's and women's matches being played today we've got plenty to look forward to and I'm going to preview some of the top matches starting with a quick run through of the order of play. First up in Centre Court is Roger Federer, who survived a close five set match on Friday, and today he takes on Belgian Xavier Malisse. Following that game two stars of the women's game face off as Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka meets Serbian Ana Ivanovic. Two more Serbs as Novak Djokovic takes on countryman Victor Troicki in what is expected to be the final match on Centre. However, with showers expected throughout the day we could see a match moved from an outside court into Centre under the roof. Court 1 contains three high quality matches too as favourite for the title and world number one Maria Sharapova meets talented German Sabine Lisicki in a repeat of last years semi final. Marin Cilic, involved in the second longest match in Wimbledon history on Saturday, takes on Andy Murray in the second match on Court 1 and finally, David Ferrer and Juan Martin Del Potro meet in what looks to be an intriguing clash. Court 2 sees Serena Williams take on Yaroslava Shvedova, Agnieszka Radwanska plays qualifier Camila Giorgi and then Mardy Fish takes on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. On Court 3 defending champion Petra Kvitova faces Italian Francesca Schiavone, Kim Clijsters takes on Angelique Kerber and Richard Gasquet meets Florian Mayer. Court 12 has got Tamira Paszek and Roberta Vinci, Maria Kirlenko and Shuai Peng and finally, Brian Baker and Philip Kohlschreiber wrap up proceedings on Court 12 while Mikhail Youzhny and Denis Istomin play on Court 17.
           So starting with that Roger Federer and Xavier Malisse game and this should be an entertaining match. Malisse is a talented grass court player and has been impressive so far. He faced a tough opener against big serving Marinko Matosevis but came through with ease and then had brilliant wins over 13th seed Gilles Simon and then 17th seed Fernando Verdasco. Facing Federer will be a different challenge for him but not a new challenge. They met at Wimbledon in 2001 when the Swiss star came through in five tight sets. Federer leads the head to head 9-1 but many of their encounters came a decade ago and were tight affairs and I think Malisse might just give Federer a scare here. The Belgian is generally a more counter punching player but I expect him to be more aggressive and take the game to the six time Wimbledon champion. It should be a quality match but I would expect Federer to come through in four, maybe five sets but an upset wouldn't be totally out of the question.
           Novak Djokovic should have a much more comfortable time when he takes to the court against Victor Troicki. I expect this to be a relatively straight forward game for the defending champion and he should come through in three sets. I've watched Troicki on a number of occasions and been impressed but when he faces players in the top ten he looks like a very average player. He plays very defensively against the top players and he's nowhere near good enough to get away with that game and that's why Djokovic is going to pick him apart here. Djokovic will be looking to conserve energy with tough meetings coming up later this week and I expect him to be firing on all cylinders today.
           An interesting match in the women's draw takes place on Centre Court as Ana Ivanovic takes on Victoria Azarenka. Both players have had very contrasting but good seasons so far. Ivanovic has been on the rise again following a dramatic fall from the top of the game in the past few years but this season she's been back at her best and seems to be playing some of the tennis that saw her lift the French Open in 2008. Azarenka, on the other hand, has hit the heights of the sport having lifted her first Grand Slam in Australia and has been in great form this year. I think this one will be high entertainment as both players are very fit and move around the court well but I think Azarenka will have too much power for Ivanovic on these grass courts and should be able to progress. Ivanovic will look to take time away from the Belarussian and force mistakes out of her but I'm not sure that's a winning tactic against Azarenka these days.
           The most intriguing of the day's matches has to be match between Kim Clijsters and Angelique Kerber. Kerber has been the most improved player of the year by a country mile this season. She's improved her serve and her ground strokes are now carrying more pace and she's become a dominant player on the tour. She's played super so far here at Wimbledon and only for the fact that she's run into Clijsters I would think she could go all the way. Having said that if she managed to beat Clijsters then I wouldn't rule out her chances of winning the title here. Clijsters, though, is a player on a mission and will not be stopped easily. It's her final year here at Wimbledon and her final chance to win the title here where she's never been successful. It would be one of the finest moments of her fine career as she's made no secret of her want to win here. She's been sensational in her opening three rounds and playing some stunning tennis in the process. I expect Clijsters to win this one although she might just drop her first set of the tournament.
            Mardy Fish and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be a very very tight match. It could be straight sets either way but every point will be planned out and every shot will have a purpose. Tsonga is such an enigmatic player he becomes a crowd favourite everywhere and often draws on that support to produce his best tennis. Fish has had some heart problems in recent months which is a huge shame to him and to tennis fans. He is such a joy to watch on the court especially on a hard court or grass court. His aggressive style makes him so difficult to play against and I expect him to really take it to Tsonga today. In the opening few rounds it looked as though Fish was in big trouble but he has turned it around and his last match against Goffin was an example of how brilliant he can be. Fish will serve and volley alot today and make Tsonga have to hit winners to beat him and I think that strategy will be good enough today. Tsonga may be instilled as the favourite for this one but I think Fish is capable of causing the upset and it would be nice to see a guy who has worked incredibly hard in the past few years go deep into the second week. Last year was the best of Mardy's tennis career and a win here would see him face Kohlschreiber or Baker for a semi final spot. I tipped Fish to have a good week at the beginning of the tournament and I fancy him to edge this one in probably four or five sets.
          Juan Martin Del Potro and David Ferrer play each other for a quarter final place in what should be a very entertaining match. Ferrer has been very good so far in his opening three matches especially in his dismantling of Andy Roddick on Saturday. His game will be tested to the limit against his Argentine opponent who has been imperious at times himself. Del Potro wasn't given a strong chance at the beginning of the tournament due to his lack of movement but I think he makes up for it in his shot making ability. I like the way he's adapted to the grass and I think he has a great chance to go all the way and pick up his second Grand Slam. He's been aggressive in his opening three games and has hit through his opponents and was very impressive against Nishikori on Saturday. This one has potential go very deep into a fifth set as both players leave no points behind them and fight for everything on court. I think Del Potro will get through this one and it will depend on how well he plays whether he can win it in three or four sets. 
            Finally back to the story of the American Brian Baker who continues his incredible comeback and fairytale run here at Wimbledon when he takes on German Philip Kohlschreiber. Kohlschreiber is the man benefitting from Rafa Nadal's exit and that has allowed him to reach the second week here. This match is going to be a good one as both players are creative shot makers and I would expect to see alot of long rallies with plenty of winners. I like the German's grass court game and I think he can trouble some of the top players on the surface which we saw in Halle when he beat Nadal a few weeks back. I think the key to this game will be the backhand crosscourt exchanges and who can come out on top in that battle. Both players are strong off that wing and I think to win that exchange one of the two will need to be creative playing other shots to open up the short ball to attack. I would expect some serve and volley play from both at times and if one can be very successful they might find a winning play from that tactic. Baker has been phenomenal so far this year in what he's accomplished and it would be magnificent to see him go another step at least. I think Baker will find the inspiration needed to get through this one and reach what would be an unbelievable quarter final for him.
            So there you have my take on some of the fourth round matches taking place today, weather permitting of course. The final match I will cover is going to be the Andy Murray and Marin Cilic match which will be in a separate post in about a little while.         
             

Wimbledon Day 4 Selections

It's been a great week so far at SW19 and the quality of tennis is improving as each day passes. So far we've seen some of the main contenders of both draws eliminated as Thomas Berdych was beaten in round one while Sam Stosus and Caroline Wozniacki were also beaten early. Tomorrow is sure to provide us with some more top matches and possibly provide some more major upsets. I'm going to take a look at some of the games taking place and give my predictions for each match. To start I'm going to go through some of the schedule and talk about who is due to play and then I'll discuss some matches individually in detail.
          On Centre Court we have three matches to be decided as Serena Williams, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal all return to court for their second round encounters. Williams faces Hungarian Melinda Czink in what should be a relatively straight forward game for the former champion. Williams returned to Grand Slam tennis in style with a comfortable win over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova having lost in the first round of her last major in Paris. Following that match home favourite Andy Murray takes on big serving Ivo Karlovic in what could be a tricky game for the Scot. If the 6'10 Croat serves a high percentage of first serves then he will be tough to break down but Murray is a strong returner of serve and will fancy himself to make it through. Second seed Rafael Nadal then takes to the court against Lukas Rosol in what should be a one sided contest. Rosol doesn't contain enough variety to trouble Nadal and it should be an easier task than his encounter with Bellucci on Tuesday. On Court 1 we have some very competitive matches beginning with Maria Sharapova who is looking to finish off her match with Tsvetana Pironkova leading 7-6 3-1 from tonight. Sharapova saved 5 set points in the first set as Pironkova looked to have control but couldn't close it out. If Pironkova can get a good start tomorrow then I wouldn't rule out her chances of coming back but a good start is essential. Sharapova needs to start off quick herself to close it out and hit the practice courts to prepare for Friday. James Ward takes on Mardy Fish afterwards in a match which Ward should be totally outclassed by the American who has had some health scares in recent months. Sam Querrey and Milos Raonic square off third on Court 1 in a battle of the big hitters. Querrey is rediscovering his form in recent months and I think he is in for a good Summer when he reaches the American hard courts but for Wimbledon his run ends tomorrow. Raonic has a huge serve that is proving very effective on the grass and he also possesses all the qualities that Querrey doesn't have. Raonic should progress from this war of attrition. Home girl Elena Baltacha faces a monumental task to reach round three as she takes on defending champion Petra Kvitova. Kvitova started sluggish in her opening game but she recovered sufficiently and found her range by the end and I think she will dispose of Baltacha ruthlessly. Other women who should be successful are Victoria Azarenka who faces Romina Oprandi and Marion Bartoli who takes on Mirjana Lucic. On the men's side we should see wins for Andy Roddick against Bjorn Phau, David Ferrer against Kenny De Schepper and Phillip Kohlschreiber against Malek Jaziri.
        Some of the best matches of tomorrow will take place on the show courts where there are games which are almost too close to call. One match I think everyone should watch is the opening game on Court 9 where Finn Jarkko Nieminen faces American comeback sensation Brian Baker. Baker spent over five years out of the game with injuries and had to have multiple surgeries and feared he would never get to play again. However, last year he got back on the court ad began a long process which led him to an incredible return to action where he has had some good success. Having qualified for his first Wimbledon he is in round two with a great chance to make it through to a fourth round meeting with Rafael Nadal. Nieminen is a solid player that won't give you the game you have to earn it. He played some good tennis on the clay this year and had a great win over Feliciano Lopez in round one. I think Baker will be the winner of this one after a gruelling encounter but certainly one worth watching.
          Another match that should be of high quality is on Court 12 where stylish Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis takes on Queens semi finalist Grigor Dimitrov. Dimitrov was always compared to Roger Federer but never lived up to the hype while Baghdatis made a Grand Slam final in Australia losing to the great Federer. Dimitrov has been steadily improving this season in my opinion and I think his game looks very good on the grass. This match is very difficult to call as Baghdatis has got great ability which has seen him play well here in the past but Dimitrov is young and determined and is playing with a sense of freedom which makes him a joy to watch. I am giving a slight nod to Dimitrov in this one but it will be close, possibly five sets.
          Varvara Lepchenko and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova face off on Court 17 in a match which contains two talented women capable of big things. Lepchenko has improved significantly since gaining American citizenship last year and had a stunning run at Roland Garros reaching round four and will be hoping for similar results here at Wimbledon. Pavlyuchenkova is a talented youngster who needs to begin fulfilling her potential. She has played well this season but has lost to a lot of the top players. Her last two tournaments have been more consistent than normal for her which is a step in the right direction and I think she is capable of making a very good run here. This one should be a very entertaining match and I expect Pavlyuchenkova to get through in three sets.
          Court 18 plays host another high quality match as Ekaterina Makarova looks to continue her goo grass court form against German Angelique Kerber. Makarova has been outstanding this year with a quarter final run at the Australian Open and lenghty runs in Miami and Sydney before reaching the semi finals in Birmingham and the quarter final in Eastbourne where she lost to Kerber. Kerber herself is on an amazing run. She has risen up the rankings dramatically in the past twelve months and now sits inside the top ten. This season she has reached four semi finals and won two titles in Paris and Copenhagen and was a finalist in Eastbourne. During that time she's beaten Sharapova, Bartoli, Kvitova, Venus Williams, Wozniacki, Jankovic and Li all of whom are top class players. Kerber is pushing towards the summit of the sport and I expect her to progress to another quarter final at least here. Makarova will be a stiff test but one which she should pass with flying colours.
          So that's a look at some of the matches taking place tomorrow and it's clear to see there is a lot to look forward to.

Bet of the Day: David Goffin to beat Jesse Levine at 4/9 is my bet of the day for Thursday. Goffin is a talented young Belgian that should have too much for Levine. This game just beats the price for Mardy Fish to beat James Ward. Fish was apparently sick after his win Tuesday which is turning me off backing him but 1/3 is very generous.

Accumulator of the Day: Brian Baker (vs Nieminen), Gilles Simon (vs Malisse), Angelique Kerber (vs Makarova) and Aleksandr Dolgopolov (vs Paire) all to win works out around 5/1.

Potential Upset of the Day: Francesca Schiavone to be beaten by Kristyna Pliskova is currently 7/4. The Italian looks very beatable on the grass and I think Pliskova might upset the odds.
              
        

Wimbledon- Day 1 Picks

With Wimbledon starting tomorrow I'm going to give my predictions for the first day's action. On Centre Court tomorrow we have three matches as Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova and Thomas Berdych open their accounts. Djokovic faces Juan Carlos Ferrero in what should be an entertaining match. Ferrero has the ability to beat Novak but I think at his age he won't have it in him to win three sets. I wouldn't be surprised to see him take a set but if not I expect three very tight sets going to Djokovic. Sharapova should be a convincing winner in her match with Rodionova and I expect Berdych to beat Gulbis. Gulbis has got ability but Berdych has taken too much of a step forward to go backwards now. Court 1 looks to be a very interesting schedule with Nalbandian and Tipsarevic opening up before Federer takes on Albert Ramos. Kim Clijsters and Jelena Jankovic are the last game on court. I would expect Federer and Clijsters to win their matches but the other game is tough. Nalbandian may be unseeded but he is very capable of beating Tipsarevic. I would gove a slight nod to Nalbandian to win it to try make up for his disqualification at Queens. Another court worth watching is Court 2 where Radwanska and Venus Williams should both open their campaigns with wins. Stakhovsky is one who might beat the 28th seed Stepanek and young Olly Golding will fancy his chances of beating Igor Andreev which would be a major shock.
            In terms of betting the only real way to make money is with accumulators and they can be tricky to get right. The odds for the top players are very short so often it takes up to 15 players to make a worthwhile accum. Tomorrow I think there might be value in the matches taking place.Of the best value odds tomorrow there are a few I would look at. Fabio Fognini has been in good form in recent weeks and he is 7/4 to beat Michael Llodra tomorrow which is a very good bet. Nalbandian is 11/10 to beat Tipsarevic tomorrow also with the Serb at 4/6. With some bookies refunding losing 5th set bets both of those matches are worth a bet. Gilles Muller has played well here before and is evens to beat Benneteau which for me is terrific value. Ryan Harrison is just 4/6 to beat Yen Hsun Lu which is great odds to me, I think Harrison will win that one comfortably. A nice four part bet of Harrison, Muller, Clijsters and Stakhovsky pays around 11/1 which might be worth a small bet. A more safe bet would be to include the bigger names and the best I could find out of those would be Djokovic, Sharapova, Berdych, Federer, Gasquet, Verdasco, Radwanska, McHale, Isner, Kirilenko, Petzschner, Mahut, Venus Williams, Li and Stosur pays out around 3/1 which is a very good price and I think is a safe bet.
          For some more value I think the closer matches are the ones to watch. Picking three or four close matches will pay better price than picking fifteen certain matches. Flavio Cipolla, Tsvetana Pironkova, Melanie Oudin, Petra Cetkovska, Andrea Seppi and Steve Darcis as a six part accumulator pays around 7/1 which again is a very nice price.
          So those are some of my tips for tomorrow's matches. As the day goes on keep an eye on my facebook page where I will be giving some individual match betting tips. Also anybody who wants to give their opinions on the matches feel free to post them on the page which can be found at Facebook.com/AmateurSportsJournalism. Good luck with the tips.

Wimbledon Preview- Women's Contenders

With the women's game I think we have a very open tournament with up to 12 players having a genuine chance of winning the title. I'm going to look at the main contenders that I would be looking for.
         Maria Sharapova is the obvious choice and no wonder. She picked up her first French Open title and completed her career Grand Slam in doing so. Although she is playing some great tennis she wasn't tested in winning the French and I still haven't been convinced her second serve will hold up under pressure. It didn't here at Wimbledon last year. I actually don't think she will go too far in Wimbledon. I'm particularly liking her second round opponent Tsvetana Pironkova. Pironkova has been brilliant at the Championships the last two years in reaching the semi final and quarter finals beating Venus Williams both years. She recently destroyed Agnieszka Radwanska in her first grass court game of the year. It's the big hitters she enjoys playing as her results will show. She's beaten players such as Kerber, Petrova and Li this year which proves her talent. I think she can beat Sharapova and progress far in the tournament yet again. If Sharapova does win that one then I think she has the ability to go all the way provided she serves well.
         Serena Williams is another obvious choice with her Wimbledon record. I think she's coming to the end of her career now and we won't see much more of her at the highest level. She seems to be losing the drive she had in previous years. Having said that she certainly cannot be ruled out. She has the best grass court game of them all and won't fear anyone. The problem will come from players who can get her moving as she won't have the fitness to go three gruelling sets with players for two weeks. After her shock first round exit at the French Open she will be out to prove she still has it here and we should see some of the best of Williams early on. Whether she can win the title remains to be seen.
         Victoria Azarenka is coming in to this looking to add to her Australian Open title. She was disappointing in Paris but I'm sure we'll see a much improved performance from her. She is a very talented player that is hitting her best form this year. I've seen her crush the very best this year and I think if she plays at her best nobody will stop her winning the title here. She bullied Sharapova around the court already this year and has done the same to many other top players. I like her chances of at least making semi finals. Having won a Grand Slam already she won't let her nerves get the better of her and I wouldn't be surprised to see her win the tournament out.
       Agnieszka Radwanska is another player looking at a long run here. She hasn't won a major yet and will fancy her chances of doing so this year. She plays good solid tennis and is able to hit with the very best. She needs to go a step further and beat some of the top players at the Grand Slams. If she gets a few big wins under her belt at this tournament she will have the self belief to win. I don't think she will win the tournament but she could go deep into the second week.
          Defending champion Petra Kvitova has got real chances of winning the title again. She plays brilliantly here and on her game is a handful for anyone. Her serve is often the key and she wins a lot of cheap games with it. I don't see anyone that can safely believe they can beat her. She is my favourite to win the title as long as she keeps playing the sort of tennis we've come to expect from her.
         The real dark horse for the title for me is Kim Clijsters. She is playing in her last Wimbledon and is looking to win it for the first time to complete her career slam. It would be nice to see her complete it as she has worked so hard at adapting to the modern game since her return and the amount of commitment she has put into the game. If she plays her best here then I think she can go all the way. At her best not many of the players today could keep up with her. I hope we see her give a very good showing in her final appearance here before retiring after the US Open this year.
          Other players looking for a run here and very capable of it are Ana Ivanovic, Sam Stosur and Caroline Wozniacki and Na Li but I'm not sure how far any of those could go. Players who could actually go far are Angeliqe Kerber and Dominika Cibulkova who both have had good seasons but I don't know how could they can be on the grass. Kerber is in the top five players of the season and could be dangerous here too if she transfers that form over to the grass.
         It's difficult to predict who will win with the high quality of players and the unpredictability of the women's game. I'm almost certain we will see upsets in the women's draw every day and that will add to the excitement of the fortnight. I look forward to seeing the draw unfold and just which players will emerge throughout the fortnight as the contenders and which players will surprise everyone in making the breakthrough.   
       

Wimbledon Preview- Men's Contenders

It's that time of year again as we prepare for the lush green courts of Wimbledon for the 126th edition of the Championships. Monday sees the beginning of the main draw of both the men's and women's singles as players battle it out for the third Grand Slam of the year. This year looks set to be one of the most exciting years of tennis with the Olympics taking place a few weeks after the end of the Championships making this the longest grass court season of the open era.  As part of my preview I'm going to look at ten players from the men's draw and ten from the women's draw that will be looking to make a huge impact. So my first post is starting with the men's singles so let's look at those players now.
          1.  Novak Djokovic. The Serbian comes into Wimbledon with his world ranking under threat for the first time since last year's event having lost at the French Open to Rafael Nadal. As defending champion Novak will have the honour of opening proceedings on centre court on Monday as he looks to regain control of his rivalry with Nadal. Djokovic won the title last year in impressive style and his flat shots will be tough to beat on the grass courts. Novak isn't unbeatable on these courts though. If players can dominate their serve and play aggressively then they have a chance to take sets off him. The problem is they can't take three out of five. Djokovic will be anxious to get another victory over Rafa but to do so he has to make the final here. With Nadal having won three of their last meetings it's important for the sake of their competitive rivalry that Djokovic steps up and improve his game, just like Nadal did to finally get over Novak. I think Djokovic is good enough to adapt but the question is how does he do it? It will be interesting to watch how he tries to achieve his success here. Djokovic is certainly one of the main contenders for the title here.
          2. Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard is looking to return to the top of the rankings and regain his Wimbledon crown and he certainly has momentum on his side. After picking up his seventh French Open crown he is closing in on Federer's Grand Slam record. Nadal has adapted his game to cope with Djokovic's dominance last year and it's worked wonders for him. He looked better than ever on the clay and is now even more difficult to beat. Nadal lost in Halle to Kohlschreiber but I wouldn't read too much into it. It was very soon after his Roland Garros crown and he wouldn't have been at his best. The few days of rest he took back home will have helped him recover and he should be fully prepared for Wimbledon. It would be a massive victory for Nadal if he were to win the title here but he faces major competition with a number of players looking at possible success here. Nadal is right up there with Djokovic as the main contender for the crown.
         3. Roger Federer. Roger is coming into this event having lost in the final of Halle to veteran Tommy Haas which was a minor blip in his preparations. I expect Roger to be playing with a real freedom here as his main goal this Summer is on winning the gold at the Olympics which is also on grass. So Roger will be playing himself into top form here and won't be putting as much pressure on himself which might make him even more dangerous. Roger hasn't won a Grand Slam since the 2010 Australian Open and that's too long for a player with his talent and desire. The problem with the Swiss star is I don't think he has the two big games required to win majors anymore. Those big games are against Nadal and Djokovic successively. This tournament might be his best and possibly last remaining chance to do so. I think Roger is very dangerous here and is definitely third favourite if not joint favourite with Novak and Rafa.
          4. Thomas Berdych. This is a guy that has improved dramatically over the past few seasons. He is now a danger at all tournament to all players. He is fully established as a top 10 player and I expect him to go one step further and break into the top five. We used to have the top four dominating all tournaments but we don't have that anymore and it's because of players like Berdych that the game has evolved and become more competitive. Thomas is a tall man with a big serve and carries a powerful forehand that will worry the very best. I expect Berdych to at least make another Grand Slam final in his career having done so already here at Wimbledon. Whether or not he can go a step further and win a major is another question but he is one of the players that deserves one for the progression and desire he has shown throughout his career. Nobody will want to face the Czech star during this tournament and I think he might be a dark horse.
         5. Marin Cilic. Not many people will see this man as a threat but I really think he might be in for a big tournament. Cilic looked like he was on the verge of breaking through a couple of seasons ago but he fell away but he is now starting to play more like the player we saw win seven ATP titles and reach the semi final of the 2010 Australian Open. The past few months has seen him return to some form with a final appearance in Munich and win the title in Queens club albeit in controversial circumstances. Cilic has a big serve and some huge ground strokes and if he fully utilises his power he might just make a good run at this tournament and make a mark on the Grand Slam stage again, like we know he can. I don't think he can win Wimbledon but he has the ability to go into the second week.
        6.  Milos Raonic. It's no secret that this is a guy I really like and I'm certain that he will win multiple Grand Slams. Since bursting on to the scene last year he has jumped right up the rankings and by the end of the season I expect him to be in the top 10. So far this season he's beaten Andy Murray and he's pushed Federer very close on three occasions. It's only a matter of time before he causes some big shocks at the Grand Slams. A fourth round meeting with Murray is likely here and that's a chance for him to have a big win over a top five player over five sets. He has a monstrous serve and some very impressive ground strokes and he great movement for a man of his height. Wimbledon will suit him perfectly and it's tough to see how players can break him down on this surface without playing outstanding. Federer beat him 7-6 in the third in Halle and I think Roger won't want to play him too often more this season. I think Raonic has the potential to go deep into the second week and I hope he does his talent justice and shows the world what he can do.
          7. John Isner. This man has some wonderful memories of Wimbledon having won the longest match in tennis history here against Nicolas Mahut a few years back. This year he comes in slightly under the radar with no competitive practice leading into Wimbledon. I think the American is in for a massive tournament. He was outstanding in the first few months of the year beating Djokovic and Federer in Davis Cup action and during the American hard court swing. Unfortunately for John the clay court season came up next and he lost a bit of his momentum. I think Isner might finally be ready to make the step up and go deep into a Grand Slam tournament. With his power he should be right at home on the grass and I expect him to cause one or two shocks along the way even if he isn't quite ready to win Wimbledon. John has a potential rematch with Mahut in round two but if he can get through that (quickly this time) then he can go very far. I'm looking forward to seeing John's progress over the next few months starting with a good run at Wimbledon.
         8. Juan Martin Del Potro. This man should have been in the French Open semi final. He was robbed by injury against Federer having been two sets up before struggling with his knee injury which finally caught up with him. If he's fully recovered now then he will be looking forward to Wimbledon. Nobody ever puts pressure on Delpo here. He's often written off because of his poor movement on the surface but with the shot making ability he has he can compensate for it. We saw him compete with Rafa last year until he got injured and that's enough for me to believe he has the potential to go deep here too. Were still waiting for Delpo to make his mark on the tour again and this year has been a big step for him. Nobody could doubt he has the talent but it's a question of whether he has the appetite to and desire to push on and establish himself at the top of the game again. I think he will win more majors and maybe he will win Wimbledon at some stage but not this year, this year is about going as far as he can and building on that in the coming months.
          9. Mardy Fish. This guy has had some shocking results this year and won't expected to do much at all here. However, I'm confident he can play some good tennis here and rediscover the sort of form that saw him make it to the top ten. He plays a nice brand of serve and volley tennis which could see him upset a few players. He takes time away from players and it's tough to know when he's coming in and when he's staying back which leaves constant doubt in opponents mind. The main reason I'm picking him is because I can't see him being beaten in the fist three rounds as I don't think the players he faces early are capable of beating him here, with the possible exception of Bernard Tomic. He can build up some momentum before a fourth round clash with Tsonga or Wawrinka which he would be more than capable of winning. This could go either way, he could flop and lose early again or he could do what I think is more likely and that's have a good run here before heading on to his favoured American hard courts.
          10. Tommy Haas. The German is back yet again at Wimbledon on the back of a great run of tournaments. At 34 he still manages to motivate himself to play at such a high level. He may be getting older but his talent is just as prominent as it was a decade ago. Watching him in Halle two weeks ago will have reminded everyone of how dangerous he is. A stunning run of wins over Berdych, Kohlschreiber (who had beaten Nadal, and who he meets in the first round here) and then a magnificent final win over Federer saw him lift his 13th tour title. After winning in Halle a few years back beating Djokovic that time he went on to have his best run at Wimbledon. This year he would face Nadal in round three but I don't think Haas can be ruled out of that one. He could very easily upset the Spaniard if he plays at the level he has shown lately. This season has been a good one for Haas as he moves ever closer to 500 wins on tour and he has already beaten plays such as Tsonga, Baghdatis, Tomic and Granollers. I think we'll see a good performance from Haas and possibly a few upsets along the way.
          So there the ten players I've picked to watch out for at Wimbledon and I'm sure we'll see the winner come out of that group. Other top players who might have good runs but I don't think will threaten the top players could be Andy Murray, Janko Tipsarevic, David Ferrer and Richard Gasquet. I don't see any of those coming close to winning the title but they might have a few good wins to show for their efforts. I think this year will be a very exciting tournament with a number of strong contenders. We can expect to see some very high quality tennis and some brilliant matches and I'm sure many upsets in the next fortnight.