Come June 23, the best tennis players in the world will be donning pristine white outfits at the All-England Club to compete in the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon.
We have already preview the Wimbledon Men’s Singles Draw, including profiling some high-value sleepers on the men’s side, and it’s time to focus on a stacked women’s field. Will the likes of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova show their top form to dominate the competition? Read on for a full preview and prediction for this year’s tournament.
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2014 Wimbledon Women’s Draw Betting Preview
Favorites – Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova
Serena Williams has completed two career golden slams in women’s singles tennis. She achieved this goal by winning five Wimbledon Championships, five Australian Opens, five U.S. Opens, and two French Open titles, adding a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics just for fun. Her accomplishments alone are enough to justify being the favorite to win a sixth Wimbledon Championship at +120.
[sc:Other240banner ]Serena possesses one of the most powerful forehands and two-handed backhands in women’s tennis. She also has a powerful and consistent serve to boot. Being a player who utilizes speed and power, her style translates very well to the grass court’s low, fast bounce.
However, she has yet to win a Grand Slam event this year. This may be her chance to do so as she plays some of her best games on grass.
Maria Sharapova is another favorite to win the 2014 Wimbledon Championship at +400. Sharapova has won a Wimbledon Championship “only” once in her career in 2004. While Sharapova’s speed and power make her a dangerous opponent on the grass court, she has struggled on grass since suffering a shoulder injury in 2009.
Nevertheless, Sharapova has recovered her form in recent years, winning the silver medal in the 2012 London Olympics as well as winning her second French Open title this year. She will be in fine form at The All England Club.
High-Value – Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki
Venus Williams (+3,500) isn’t about to just let her sister own the day. Like Serena, Venus has achieved a career golden slam, and has had her best performances in Wimbledon, winning the championship five times. She uses her explosive and powerful swings to take advantage of the low and fast bounce on grass.
This year will mark Venus’ 17th Wimbledon participation, but she is seeded just 30th this year. However, she has defied the odds before when she won as the lowest-ranked champion in history in 2007 as the 31st seed.
Caroline Wozniacki (+8,000) is another high-value pick to win the 2014 Wimbledon Championship. She was the former no. 1 in women’s singles tennis, holding the position for 67 weeks. Wozniacki won the Wimbledon Girls’ Singles Title in 2006 as a 15-year old but has yet to win a Grand Slam.
Wozniacki has a defensive tennis style, preferring to wait for counter-attacking opportunities. Her counter-attacks come fast and powerful, and can be especially devastating on grass. Wozniacki has performed well on the grass court reaching the semifinals in the 2014 Aegon International in preparation for Wimbledon.
Long Shot – Kristina Mladenovic
Kristina Mladenovic is the rising star of French women’s tennis. The 21-year old Frenchwoman has had her share of success at Wimbledon, albeit with some help, winning the mixed doubles title last year. Achieving the same success in the singles competition will require much more from her.
In her defining moment in singles competition in Wimbledon, she gave Sharapova a stern challenge. Mladenovic put the 2004 Wimbledon Champion under intense pressure last year, playing a tiebreaker in the first set of their first round encounter before eventually losing in straight sets. The performance gives her a spot as a long shot to win this tournament at +15,000. If she can hang with one of the best, maybe this year will be her chance for upsetting one of the favorites.
Writer’s Prediction
Serena Williams uses her perseverance and championship experience to win her first Grand Slam this year. Who do you think will come out on top? Create a betting account now and get into all the action ahead of Britain’s finest tennis tournament.
