In 2013, Andy Murray ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a Wimbledon champion. The World No. 5 will now look to successfully defend his crown in this year’s tournament, to be held on June 23-July 8, 2014, at the All-England Club. But with several former champions gunning for his title, it certainly won’t be easy.
Wimbledon has seen four different champions in four years, and all four will once again be in contention this year. Create a betting account today and read on for more on English tennis’ biggest moment of the year.
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2014 Wimbledon Men’s Draw Betting Preview
Favorites – Djokovic, Nadal, Murray, & Federer
Novak Djokovic may have fallen to World No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the French Open, but World No. 2 Djokovic will be the no. 1 seed, as well as the no. 1 favorite, for this year’s Wimbledon crown. This is due to the tournament’s own formula based on a player’s grass-court record to determine the seedings. The 2011 champion has reached at least the semifinal in four consecutive years, and is the +160 favorite to win at this year’s tournament.
Despite not being the top seed, Nadal (+300) will also be very much in contention. The reigning French Open champion is a two-time Wimbledon winner, although he has crashed out within the first two rounds in each of the last two years.
[sc:Other240banner ]The other likely top favorite will be Murray. Murray finally broke the British drought at The Championships last year after exiting in the semifinals from 2009-11 and finishing as the runner-up in 2012. Murray (+300) has an outstanding record in Wimbledon (37-7, 84.09%), a mark topped only by another likely favorite, seven-time champion Roger Federer.
Federer (+500) will want to redeem himself for his poor showing in last year’s tournament, where he crashed out to Serhiy Stakhovsky in the second round. That loss marked the first time in since 2003 that Federer had failed to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
High-Value – Ernests Gulbis and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Fresh off his surprise semifinal run at the French Open, look for Ernests Gulbis to be a potentially valuable bet at +5,000. Although he doesn’t have the proven track record of other players in the field, Gulbis is finding success now that he has firmly committed himself to tennis after years of underachieving. His French Open run has propelled Gulbis to a career-high no. 10 in the ATP World Ranking this season.
One such player with a proven track record in Wimbledon is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The Frenchman reached consecutive semifinals of the tournament in 2011 and 2012, and owns a famous Wimbledon quarterfinal victory over Federer back in 2011. Furthermore, the World No. 17 Tsonga has a terrific grass-court record of 35-14 (71%) for his career. Tsonga is worth a look at +4,000.
Long Shot – John Isner
John Isner has not had much success at the All-England Club during his career, but this could be the year the 29-year old turns it around. The American is well-known for his service game, which is considered one of the best in the game. Isner (+10,000) is 19-10 on the season, which has helped his rise to no. 11 in the World Ranking. Isner excels on grass, with a 20-12 record and two career titles on the surface.
Writer’s Prediction
Federer has a point to prove in this year’s tournament after last year’s disappointment. That hunger fuels Federer toward a record-breaking eighth Wimbledon crown.
