Category Archives: Tennis

Pressure no problem for Laura Robson

  June 29, 2013 - 11:14 |
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Laura Robson is happy with the way she is coping with the pressure at this year’s Wimbledon as she prepares to face Marina Erakovic in the third round at SW19.

Pressure no problem for Laura Robson

The British number one was moved to Centre Court on Friday after rain forced her match against Mariana Duque-Marino to be called off 24 hours earlier but, after making a nervous start under the roof, the 19-year-old eventually saw off her Colombian opponent 6-4 6-1.

I think I’m handling the pressure and the crowd support fine.

Laura Robson

Robson lost her serve early on and trailed 2-1 in the first set but never looked back after breaking straight back.

Robson will not find it easy against 25-year-old New Zealander Erakovic though, who was born in Croatia and has been as high as 39 in the world rankings.

Robson is 6/4 to win the match in straight sets while Erakovic can be backed at 4/1 to move into the fourth round with a victory in three sets.

“I didn’t think I played my best,” Robson said after beating Duque-Marino. “My timing wasn’t perfect so I had to deal with that as best I could and managed to control it. It’s a big win for me. Any match on the Centre Court is big for me. The crowd under the roof is a lot louder, which is really exciting – you feel so much more of an atmosphere.

“I think I’m handling the pressure and the crowd support fine. I love it when they get involved. Sometimes they do a massive groan when I deliver a double fault, but I’m doing it too, so we’re going through it together.

“I knew I was favourite to win this match and I thought I handled it pretty well. I was nervous, but I thought she must be more nervous because I’ve played on the Centre Court before. So I just got away with that one.”

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Wimbledon SHOCK Nadal crashes out

  June 24, 2013 - 20:03 |
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World number 135 Steve Darcis of Belgium produced a huge upset at Wimbledon on Monday, defeating French Open champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets. 

SHOCK Nadal crashes out of Wimbledon

The 29-year-old had only ever won one match at Wimbledon before being drawn against Nadal in the first round this year, but played sensationally to win 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (10-8) 6-4. The defeat was the first in the opening round of a major for the two-time Wimbledon champion, whose left knee was heavily strapped with tape, and he looked to be struggling to adapt to the grass court.

I did not target his knee, tennis is hard enough when you are thinking about yourself.

Steve Darcis

“I just wanted to play my own game, coming to the net and not playing far from the baseline,” said Darcis after the victory.

“I did not target his knee, tennis is hard enough when you are thinking about yourself.

“I have always played well on grass, perhaps not here where I have had some tough draws, but I am really happy. I do not know what to say.”

Nadal, who lost in the second round last year to Lukas Rosol before being sidelined for several months with his knee injury, had been drawn to meet Roger Federer in the quarter-finals and Andy Murray in the last four. Defending champion Federer is now 4/1 to retain his title, while Murray can be backed at 9/4.

Earlier, Federer made short work of his opponent Victor Hanescu, defeating the world number 46 6-3 6-2 6-0 in just 69 minutes.

“I’ve won it a few times now but it still feels special,” said the Swiss.

“I still enjoy myself in the first round and it’s a pleasure playing on centre court again this year. I thought it was a good first round for me.”

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Murray can’t guarantee Wimbledon success

  June 23, 2013 - 17:30 |
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Last year’s beaten finalist Andy Murray says that he would be ‘comfortable’ even if his dream of winning Wimbledon never comes true.

Murray can't guarantee Wimbledon success

The 26-year-old lost in four sets to Roger Federer in the 2012 SW19 finale, while he has also reached the semi-finals on three other occasions, but Murray accepts that he may never get his hands on the trophy at Wimbledon.

I’ve thought about finishing my career and not winning Wimbledon and I’m comfortable with that.

Andy Murray

The reigning US Open champion told BBC Five Live’s Sportsweek: “It’s still an incredibly difficult tournament to win.

“The players that are around right now are so good and so consistent that it’s going to be a tough tournament for me to win.

“I’ve thought about finishing my career and not winning Wimbledon and I’m comfortable with that. I can’t guarantee I’m going to win Wimbledon.

“When I’ve started to accept those sorts of things I’ve started to play better tennis.”

Murray opens his latest bid for Wimbledon glory against Benjamin Becker and is 7/2 to defeat the German in four sets.

He is seeded to reach the final, with Murray 6/4 to be eliminated in the last four and 7/2 to become the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to be crowned champion at SW19.

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Andy Murray 5/1 to serve up most Aces

  June 22, 2013 - 20:09 |
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Andy Murray 5/1 to serve up most Aces

British number one Andy Murray is priced at 5/1 to serve the most aces at Wimbledon this year, with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga the 7/2 favourite for the market.

The Scot can also be backed at 33/1 to serve the fastest serve at the Championships.

Wimbledon 2013

Most Aces

Player

Price

Player

Price

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

7/2

Milos Raonic

5/1

Andy Murray

5/1

John Isner

7/1

Tomas Berdych

9/1

Philipp Kohlschreiber

12/1

Sam Querrey

12/1

Roger Federer

12/1

Ernest Gulbis

16/1

Nicolas Almagro

16/1

Novak Djokovic

16/1

Gael Monfils

40/1

Kevin Anderson

40/1

Fastest Serve

Player

Price

Player

Price
Milos Raonic 5/2 John Isner 11/4
Jerzy Janowicz 7/2 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4/1
Sam Querrey 10/1 Ernests Gulbis 10/1
Fernando Verdasco 14/1 Feliciano Lopez 16/1
Kenny De Schepper 25/1 Benjamin Becker 33/1
Tomas Berdych 33/1 Andy Murray 33/1
Any Other Player 3/1

Outright Betting

Player

Price

Player

Price
Novak Djokovic 11/10 Andy Murray 10/3
Rafael Nadal 4/1 Roger Federer 15/2
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 25/1 Juan Martin Del Potro 40/1
Tomas Berdych 40/1 David Ferrer 66/1

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Wimbledon – Nadal & Federer 2/9 for quarter-final clash

  June 22, 2013 - 10:26 |
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Novak Djokovic is now 5/4 from 6/4 to win Wimbledon after the draw on Friday morning.

Wimbledon - Nadal & Federer 2/9 for quarter-final clash

bet365 spokesman Steve Freeth said: “Djokovic will start the SW19 showpiece as a rock solid favourite after that dream draw.”

bet365 are offering 2/9 about big guns Nadal and Federer meeting at the quarter final stage and the firm also have a market on how many Wimbledon singles titles will be won by Andy Murray.

2013 Wimbledon – Mens Outright E/W ½ 1,2

Player Price Player Price
Novak Djokovic 5/4 Andy Murray 3/1
Rafa Nadal 4/1 Roger Federer 7/1
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 22/1 Juan Martin Del Potro 40/1
Tomas Berdych 40/1 David Ferrer 66/1

Nadal & Federer to meet at Quarter-Final stage

Yes                  2/9
No                   3/1

How many Wimbledon Mens singles titles will Andy Murray win?

None                9/4
One                  6/4
Two                  11/4
Three+             11/2

(For settlement purposes by end of 2020)

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Murray happy to face the best at Wimbledon

  June 17, 2013 - 19:13 |
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Andy Murray is happy to play anyone in the draw for Wimbledon.

Murray happy to face the best at Wimbledon

Andy Murray has said he is not concerned about the possibility of playing Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.

The British number one showed he was back from the injury which forced him to miss the recent French Open when he came from a set down to defeat Marin Cilic and clinched his third title at Queen’s Club in the AEGON Championships final on Sunday.

If you want to win the biggest tournaments you have to beat the best players in the world. It doesn’t really matter where they are in the draw.

Andy Murray

Looking towards Friday’s singles draw for Wimbledon and second seed Murray faces the possibility of a last-eight clash with Spanish star and two-time champion, Nadal, who is likely to be seeded fifth because of his second round exit last summer.

If Murray progresses past Nadal then there is a chance he could be up against defending champion Roger Federer in the semi-finals before a final showdown against world number one Novak Djokovic.

However the Scot is adamant that he will have to come up against the top players at some point if he is going to pick up his second grand slam title in his home tournament and the draw is not something that concerns him.

He said in his BBC Sport column: “I know there will be a lot of interest in the draw this year as Rafael Nadal looks like being seeded fifth, but as a player you can’t get too obsessed about the draw.

“I’d sign up to be in the quarter-finals against Rafa tomorrow if someone offered me that.

“You could say if I get through that match, then the semi-final might not be as tough, but if you want to win the biggest tournaments you have to beat the best players in the world. It doesn’t really matter where they are in the draw.”

Murray is as rated as 11/4 to win Wimbledon, with Federer 5/1, Nadal 11/4 and Djokovic 6/4.

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Rafael Nadal wary of Almagro threat

  April 28, 2013 - 10:08 |
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Rafael Nadal wary of Almagro threat

Rafael Nadal will defend a 38-match unbeaten record in the final of the Barcelona Open, where he faces fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro.

Neither Nadal nor Almagro have dropped a set in reaching the final on home soil, with Nadal having won the title in Barcelona in seven of the last eight years.

He will come out aggressive and my goal is not to find myself in defensive positions all the time.

Rafael Nadal

The 11-time Grand Slam champion holds a 9-0 career record against Almagro and Nadal is 1/12 to make it ten wins in a row on Sunday and is 2/7 to win in straight sets.

However, despite such an imposing record against his compatriot, Nadal is expecting a tough encounter, saying: “Almagro will be a tough rival.

“He will come out aggressive as always and my goal is not to find myself in defensive positions all the time, and even though it will be tough, try to move him around.”

Meanwhile, the man who beat Nadal at Wimbledon last year, Lukas Rosol, will face Florian Mayer in the final of the BCR Open in Romania.

On the WTA Tour, Maria Sharapova will meet Li Na in the final of the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart after ending the run of home hope Angelique Kerber in the semi-finals.

Sharapova is 4/5 to defeat Na and take the title and is 11/4 to do so in three sets.

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Andy Murray through to Djokovic showdown

  January 25, 2013 - 19:12 |
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Andy Murray will face Novak Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open after outlasting Roger Federer 6-4 6-7 6-3 6-7 6-2 in a classic semi-final encounter.

Andy Murray through to Djokovic showdown

Murray looked to be on course for victory in four sets in Melbourne when he served for the match at 6-5 in the fourth, but he was eventually pushed all the way by the 17-time Grand Slam champion before coming out on top.

I hope it is a painful match because that means it will be a good one.

Andy Murray

Murray is now 6/4 to win his first Australian Open title by defeating Djokovic in the final and is 6/1 to win in five sets, with Djokovic 4/7 to emerge victorious and become the first man in the open era to win the Australian Open title in three consecutive years.

Djokovic holds a 10-7 winning record against Murray over their previous 17 meetings, with the Serb having come out on top in their two previous meetings at the Australian Open.

Twelve months ago Djokovic won a bruising semi-final 6-3 3-6 6-7 6-1 7-5, before beating Rafael Nadal in the final and in 2011 the current world number one won a one-sided final against Murray 6-4 6-2 6-3.

Murray, however, will be boosted by the knowledge that he prevailed in another five-set classic to win his first Grand Slam title at the US Open last year, having also beaten Djokovic on his way to Olympic gold in London.

Murray is expecting another battle royal against Djokovic, saying after edging past Federer: “Every time we play each other it is a physical match.

“He is an unbelievable mover, so I will need to be ready for the pain, but I hope it is a painful match because that means it will be a good one.”

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Andy Murray targets Djokovic showdown

  January 14, 2013 - 21:18 |
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Andy Murray would relish the opportunity to go head-to-head with Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, with the defending champion already safely through to round two.

Andy Murray targets Djokovic showdown

Djokovic, who is 10/11 to become the first man to complete a hat-trick of victories in Melbourne in the open era, saw off Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-2 6-4 7-5 to progress on the opening day of the tournament.

If I get to play Novak here that would mean it would be in the final.

Andy Murray

The Serb, also world number one, will stand in Murray’s way if both men reach the final and the Scot, 11/4 to win the title, would relish the chance to test himself against the best once again.

He said: “It’s not worth making any predictions about rivalries or whatever, but when I do play against him it’s a match I enjoy.

“If I get to play Novak here that would mean it would be in the final, so obviously that’s what I would like to do.”

Meanwhile, fifth seed Tomas Berdych, a potential quarter-final opponent for Djokovic, also eased into the second round as he saw off American Michael Russell 6-3 7-5 6-3.

Berdych, a former Wimbledon finalist, is 40/1 to win his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne, having lost in the last eight in each of the last two years.

However, the Czech’s hopes of upsetting Djokovic may be slim with the Serb holding an 11-1 winning record against the big-hitting right-hander.

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Andy Murray reaches Brisbane final

  January 5, 2013 - 11:01 |
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Andy Murray is on course for his first title of the new season after reaching the final of the Brisbane International.

Andy Murray reaches Brisbane final

The world number three will play Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the final after his semi-final opponent Kei Nishikori withdrew midway through their match with a knee injury.

There is stuff for me to work on.

Andy Murray

Murray had been leading 6-4 2-0 when the Japanese player opted to retire. The top seed has beaten Dimitrov in their only previous meeting, at the 2011 Thailand Open. He is 4/9 to win the final, while the Bulgarian, who defeated Marcos Baghdatis in his semi-final, can be backed at 5/1.

Murray believes the tournament is providing valuable preparation for the Australian Open, which begins in little over a week.

“I’m playing okay, a bit up and down,” said the Scot, who is 9/4 to win the year’s first Grand Slam. “I served pretty well for the majority of the tournament.

“I’ve moved better every single match. Returning could have been better and my groundstrokes, I think with more matches, I’ll start to hit them cleaner.

“When I’ve come up to the net I’ve volleyed relatively well…there is stuff for me to work on.”

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