The Rafael Nadal-dominated French Open is over, so tennis fans will now be treated to the next Grand Slam tournament of the year, the prestigious Wimbledon Championship.
As expected, tennis’ big four consisting of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Roger Federer are installed as the favorites to win the tournament, as discussed at some length in our complete preview of the event.
But given that this is a Grand Slam tournament, the talent on the field is going to be deep, meaning this year could see an unlikely champion. Below, we breakdown three men who have a shot to be sleepers in this year’s tournament.
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Three 2014 Wimbledon Men’s Singles High-Value Sleepers
Kei Nishikori
Ken Nishikori (+6,000) had a very disappointing outing in the French Open. Nishikori was ousted in his first round match against 59th-ranked Martin Klizan to the tune of 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-2.
[sc:Other240banner ]However, the debacle was more likely a result of a nagging injury than anything else. Before plunging into action at Roland Garros, Nishikori was forced to withdraw because of the injury in the Madrid Open final last May against world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. Nishikori even won the first set of that match before losing via retirement midway through the third set.
Now with a full bill of health, watch out for Nishikori to make a run at Wimbledon. He appears to be in fine condition after making it all the way to the semis of the ATP Gerry Weber Open, beating Gael Monfils and Steve Johnson along the way before bowing out to Roger Federer (3-6, 6-7 (4-7)).
Nishikori owns the second-best percentage of second serve points won this year on grass courts with 63%.
David Ferrer
Known as a workhorse and fierce competitor, seventh-ranked David Ferrer is an enticing player to back at odds of +6,000. In the last tournament he competed in, he made it to the quarterfinals of the French Open, bowing to countryman and eventual champion Rafael Nadal.
A stomach flu derailed his participation in the recent Topshelf Open, fueling speculation that he might not be able to compete at the All-England Club. But a clearance from his doctors erased all doubts, and if anything else, the news only helped fatten his odds of winning in Wimbledon. Just like Nishikori, a healthy Ferrer will be a serious threat to anyone in London.
Ferrer has reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in each of the last two years after 10 years straight of not getting out of the fourth round. So far in his career, Ferrer has a record of 38-16 (.704) on grass courts with two titles.
A mere $50 bet on Ferrer calculates into a huge $3,000 in return, if the Spaniard indeed wins it all. To get into the action, create a betting account now, if you’re feeling confident on his chances.
Tomas Berdych
World No. 6 Tomas Berdych (+4,000) has reached at least the fourth round in four of the last six Wimbledon events, which includes a personal-best quarterfinal finish last year when he lost to Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Nonetheless, the Czech hotshot has shown consistency at the All-England Club, and at +4,000, he deserves to be noticed by bettors looking to cash in big in the tournament.
A strong server on grass courts, Berdych dominates opponents with his big serves. He has won 118 of his total 136 points on grass through his first serves for 87%, second-highest among active players.
