Betting.Betfair

Tuesday at the All England Club didn't go to plan, thanks to an impressive return to form from Serena Williams.

Petra Kvitova was beaten by the best performance that I've seen in a long time from Williams that was several levels above anything that she had previously produced this fortnight.

And Marin Cilic's error-strewn effort did nothing to lighten my mood as he went down in straight sets to Andy Murray.
So, it's on to men's quarter finals day at Wimbledon and Murray takes on David Ferrer, who blew away the weak challenge of Juan Martin Del Potro for the loss of just eight games.

That was a surprising result to say the least, but it was a fine display from Ferrer - his best on grass and one of Delpo's worst, most lacklustre efforts that I've seen from him for a long time.

But it does highlight that Ferrer can't really be classed as a 'clay court specialist' these days and he will be a big obstacle for Murray to overcome in their last eight match today.

Murray is trading at around 1.49 to reach another Wimbledon semi final and he's rightly the favourite based on past performances on grass.

But Ferrer's game has improved considerably on the supposedly faster surfaces, which could be something to do with the fact that the grass plays so much slower these days than it used to.

If Murray doesn't seize the initiative, be aggressive and take the game to Ferrer right from the off and serve a high number of first serves, he's in trouble in this match-up, but on the other hand if he does, he should win.

So, as ever with Andy Murray, it's all about his attitude to the match. He has it in him to win this (probably in four sets) but he also has it in him to lose in three or four if he plays like he did against Marcos Baghdatis.

Their head-to-head record mirrors the improvement shown recently by Ferrer, who has won their previous two matches and in their last two slam meetings (on clay and hard) both have gone over today's handicap mark, which is one bet to take on in this match.

I don't trust Murray anywhere near enough to back him to win this at 1.49 and if he doesn't play in the manner I suggested above it will turn into a slugfest and Murray won't win that type of match against this new, improved, slightly bigger hitting Ferrer.

Even if the positive, attacking Murray does turn up, I doubt he will keep it up consistently to win in less than four or five sets, so the 1.83 about over 39.5 games appeals the most.

My other bet is to back Ferrer at the start at 3.0 and trade in play from that start point.

Recommended Bets
Back over 39.5 games in Murray v Ferrer at 1.83
Back to lay Ferrer at 3.0

For more Wimbledon betting articles, go to http://betting.betfair.com/tennis/wimbledon/

Roger Federer (2) v Mikhail Youzhny (26) 13:00 Centre Court
H-to-H 14-0
The head-to-head stands at 14-0 in favour of Federer, make it 15-0 after today. They met last month on grass in Germany where Federer won 6-1, 6-4 to preserve his unbeaten record against Youzhny. Even though Youzhny has had a good Wimbledon it is very difficult to see him extending Federer. He had his tournament wobble against Benneteau, but can win easily to conserve his energy for a likely semi-final against Djokovic
Selection: Federer

Novak Djokovic (1) v Florian Mayer (31) 13:00 Court 1
H-to-H 2-0
It's very hard to see beyond Djokovic. Mayer is the lowest ranked seed to make it through to the quarter-finals, though there has been a renaissance in his career as he hits thirty. He reached the same stage in the 2004 Wimbledon after beating the number three seed Coria (remember him) and had a good win over the mercurial Gasquet. Another Wimbledon quarter-final on his cv, but no semi.
Selection: Djokovic

David Ferrer (7) v Andy Murray (4) 15:30 Centre Court
H-to-H 5-5
If these two meet on clay, there is only one winner, Ferrer, as was proved in Paris in last month. They've never met on grass and all Murray's successes have been on hard courts. However Ferrer has proved that he's not allergic to grass, winning the UNICEF 10 days ago and beating two big servers in Del Potro and Roddick at Wimbledon. This could be the closest quarter-final and don't be surprised if goes to five sets with Ferrer pushing Murray all the way. We take Murray to win after he's put his supporters through the wringer.
Selection: Murray

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (5) v Philipp Kohlschreiber (27) 15:30 Court 1
H-to-H 5-1
German tennis is doing well with two men and two women in the Wimbledon quarter-finals. Unlike the women where Germany was guaranteed a semi-final place as Kerber and Lisicki played each other, the men won't have the same luck. Kohlschreiber has slightly better chance than Mayer of progressing, having put together a good grass court season. Tsonga, who hasn't totally fulfilled his potential after his only appearance in the Australian 2008 Grand Slam final, has a chance here to get to second Slam final. It what is likely to be a close game with Kohlschreiber having the advantage of an extra's day rest, Tsonga's extra power will ensure a second Wimbledon semi-final in succession.
Selection: Tsonga

For more Wimbledon betting articles, go to http://betting.betfair.com/tennis/wimbledon/

Women's Singles

Agnieszka Radwanska (3) v Maria Kirilenko (17) 14:00 No. 1 Court
H-to-H 5-2
Radwanska had a brilliant start to the year, but recently seems to be playing from memory. At Wimbledon she has shown a return to form and hasn't yet dropped a set and only lost 16 games. Kirilenko has had a comparatively easy draw. She shows flashes of brilliance, but remains frustratingly inconsistent. She is yet to play someone of Radwanska's class at this tournament and so this is as far as she goes.
Selection: Radwanska

Serena Williams (6) v Petra Kvitova (4) 14:30 Centre Court
H-to-H 2-0
These two have met at Wimbledon before in 2010 when Williams won the semi-final in straight sets. That was the last time Kvitova lost here and she's been slowly playing here way back into form on grass. Both players have flattered to deceive at SW19 this year, but a good win against Schiavone in the last round will give Kvitova some confidence. Williams is not the all-conquering player she once was and has moments of total fallibility. She has lost sets in previous rounds against inferior players and only beat Zheng 9-7 in the third. At her best, it's no contest. And yet... Kvitova should take another step to retaining her title and gain her first win over Serena, the current tournament favourite.
Selection: Kvitova

Tamira Paszek v Victoria Azarenka (2) 16:00 No. 1 Court
H-to-H 0-2
Paszek enjoys Wimbledon and reaches another quarter-final. The only non-seed to make it through to the quarters, she is there on merit. Last year, Azarenka knocked her out at this stage and the Belarussian will be out for revenge. Unfortunately, Azarenka is having a fantastic year - after her dominance of the hard courts, she has adjusted that game effectively to the grass surface. Vika destroyed Ivanovic yesterday, no mean player herself, and looks in awesome form. Expect her to power past Paszek on towards another potential Grand Slam.
Selection: Azarenka

Sabine Lisicki (15) v Angelique Kerber (8) 16:30 Centre Court
H-to-H 0-2
This Teutonic battle is set to go all the way. Lisicki obviously likes grass, having reached the semi-final here last year and made surprisingly short work of the in-form favourite Sharapova in the fourth round. However she is up against Kerber, the runner-up at Eastbourne, who has already beaten her twice this year. Kerber had a good showing at the French Open, when she also made the quarter-final, and should go a stage further here. We went for Kerber against Clisters and there's no reason to desert her now.
Selection: Kerber


Men's Singles

Brian Baker v Philipp Kohschreiber (27) 11:30 Court 12
H-to-H 0-0
Kohlschreiber must have been the loudest cheerleader for Rosol's giant-slaying in the 2nd Round, and he made light work of the Czech player on Saturday. He's now up against another 'story' in the comeback Kid, Brian Baker. Having come through qualifying, Baker clearly enjoys the grass courts of SW19 and he's got the game to push Kohlschreiber. The seeded player is in for a battle against and could well be surprised by the American - Baker reached the boy's Quarter-Final back in 2003 and now has a great opportunity to do it in the Men's Singles.
Selection: Baker

David Ferrer (7) v Juan Martin Del Potro (9) 12:00 Centre Court
H-to-H 3-2
Ferrer's performances on grass this year have defied his tag as a clay court specialist. The title in 's-Hertogenbosch has clearly given him confidence and he disposed of the experienced Roddick in four sets in the previous round. Neither player has passed the fourth round at Wimbledon in the past and, although Ferrer won the previous grass court meeting, it will be the Argentine who makes the Quarter-Finals. Del Potro had a good workout against Robin Haase on No. 2 Court in Round one, since when his lack of grass court preparation has been barely noticeable. Both play high energy tennis, but the hard-hitting Argentine should have enough in the locker to win a game that could well go the distance.
Selection: Del Potro

For more Wimbledon betting articles, go to http://betting.betfair.com/tennis/wimbledon/

Viktor Troicki v Juan Monaco (15) 11:30 No. 2 Court
H-to-H 2-1
Monaco must be suffering from altitude sickness as he's never even won a match at Wimbledon before this year, let alone got to round three. In fact the fourth round is the furthest he's got in any Grand Slam, French & US. Will he add Wimbledon to that list? This time last year Troicki was seeded 13 at Wimbledon, buoyed by his part in Serbia's Davis Cup triumph. He has since slid down the rankings, but has survived two five-setters to get to round three and will overturn the rankings to progress.
Selection: Troicki

Alejandro Falla v Denis Istomin 11:30 Court 18
H-to-H 1-1
Falla has had two really good wins against Isner and Mahut, both over five sets, which must have give him confidence to take on anyone. Istomin is a journeyman tour player and though higher ranked must be vulnerable to a player like Falla on a roll.
Selection: Falla

Novak Djokovic (1) v Radek Stepanek (28) 13:00 Centre Court
H-to-H 6-1
The one and only time Stepanek beat Djokovic was back in 2006 and that stat will not change today. Djokovic looks in imperious form and can't see him being challenged until the semi-finals at least.
Selection: Djokovic

Fernando Verdasco (17) v Xavier Malisse 14:00 No. 3 Court
H-to-H 2-0
Malisse has already disposed of one seed in Simon. Can he do the same with Verdasco? Malisse's form seems to have been built on good runs at both the grass tournaments before Wimbledon. Verdasco has a patchy record at Wimbledon - he is after all predominately a clay courter - and could be caught out by a rampant Malisse.
Selection: Malisse

Florian Mayer (31) v Jerzy Janowicz 14:00 Court 12
H-to-H 0-0
Janowicz has at least done better than his country's football team and the win against Gulbis was the best of his career. Mayer on form and the fact he plies his trade on the ATP rather than the Challenger Tour like the Pole should have the advantage. Should have the advantage. Think he will win, but expect a close match that could go all the way.
Selection: Mayer

Mikhail Youzhny (26) v Janko Tipsarevic (8) 16:00 No. 2 Court
H-to-H 2-2
Youzhny has got to the fourth round in every Wimbledon he's played starting in 2001 (he missed a few years), but not this year. Tipsarevic looked in good form when he overcame Nalbandian, a potentially tricky tie, and Sweeting. He will be one of a Serbian triumvirate in the fourth round.
Selection: Tipsarevic

Nicolas Almagro (12) v Richard Gasquet (18) 17:00 No. 1 Court
H-to-H 3-1
An interesting match-up - on skill alone Gasquet has the measure of most players, but can he keep it together long enough to beat the higher-ranked Almagro. Also because Gasquet is such a great player to watch at best, second only to Federer, it is very frustrating for his supporters that he doesn't get further in tournaments. And unfortunately that will be the case today - no second week at Wimbledon for Gasquet.
Selection: Almagro

Roger Federer (3) v Julien Benneteau (29) 17:30 Centre Court
H-to-H 3-1
Expect another master class from Federer who has dropped only nine games in six sets. Benneteau can push him further than the previous opponents - he might win 10 games all on his own.
Selection: Federer

For more Wimbledon betting articles, go to http://betting.betfair.com/tennis/wimbledon/

Match Odds

I agree with the view that Germany have been the best team in the tournament. They overcame Portugal 1-0, outplayed Holland (2-1) and rode their luck but still won against Denmark (2-1). In the quarter-finals, with what you could call an under-strength Starting XI, they were much better than Greece (4-2). Germany are the only semi-finalist to have won all four games en route to the last four, and Opta point out they go into this match on a 15-game winning run, an all-time German record.

By reaching the semi-finals, Italy have exceeded most people's expectations. A draw is probably the best they can hope for here. That's been the outcome in three of their four matches to date, which merely underlines their lack of quality in front of goal. Whereas Germany have scored freely (tournament top scorers with nine goals) and have several players that can find the net, Italy are altogether more limited in the final third. Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli will have to raise their game considerably to give the Azzurri a chance.

That's unlikely to happen, so I'd ignore Italy to win in 90 minutes at 4.9. Germany at 1.97 or the draw at 3.45 are both worth considering.


Over/Under 2.5 Goals

Three of Germany's four games have featured over 2.5 goals, with the average goals-per-game count 3.25. All four of Italy's games have featured under 2.5 goals, with the average goals-per-game count 1.5.

As a result of that fairly even split in scoring form, the prices - 1.68 on unders, 2.48 on overs - are a minor surprise. To me, the decisive factor will be whether Italy can find the net. Should they do so overs becomes a touch more likely than unders because of Germany's scoring potential, but I'd leave this market alone as it's really a marginal decision.


Corners Match Bet

This is the one market on the game where the prices look 'wrong'. So far at the finals, Italy have won 26 corners to their opponents' 18. Italy have won corners match bets - that is, had more corners than their opponents - in three of four games.

In contrast, Germany have managed fewer corners than the opponents they have faced in the competition so far - 21 to 23. They have won just one corners match bet, and that was against a feeble Greece. They lost to Portugal and Denmark, and tied with Holland (6-6).

So it's surprising to find Germany 1.63 favourites to have more corners than Italy. The Azzurri are 3.4, with the Tie 8.4. My selection would be to lay Germany at 1.66, as this means a tie, as well as Italy winning, will net you a profit.


Correct Score

The 1-1 draw 7.6 and a 2-1 Germany win 10.0 would be my picks in this market for those looking for more speculative odds on the game. I can see Italy finding the net but Germany have the firepower to score at least once, leading me to favour those two scorelines. Remember, all scorelines apply to 90 minutes only


Best Bet
Lay Germany in Corners Match Bet @ 1.66
Other Recommended Bet
1-1 and 2-1 scorelines @ 7.6 and 10.0 respectively

For more Euro 2012 betting articles, go to http://betting.betfair.com/football/euro-2012/

Day Two at Wimbledon began in sensational fashion and closed with a whimper as the rain came down in south west London.

Another of my recommended five potential first round shocks was victorious at the great price of 4.35 when David Goffin upset Bernard Tomic, who incurred the wrath of the crowd by obliterating at least two of his racquets in frustration.

But it was me who felt the same later as Tommy Haas blew points for a two set lead over Phillip Kohlschreiber and went on to lose a classic encounter in five sets.
There was also success for Yanina Wickmayer at odds-against and Laura Robson proved to be a great trade when she took the first set against Fran Schiavone.
Ana Ivanovic didn't get to play at all, so that one carries over to today first up on Court 14 at 11.30 am.

There are two women's bets that I like today and the first is Heather Watson to continue her fine form when she takes on America's Jamie Hampton on Court 2 also at 11.30 am.

Watson loves playing on the grass of Wimbledon and it's hard to see how baseliner Hampton will be able to cope with the Brit - as she couldn't the first time they met.

Heather took Hampton apart 6-1, 6-2 on a hard court in Auckland last year and although she may not be able to repeat that result, Watson should win this well.

Hampton has only played one match on grass in her life, but it was a great one, taking out Daniela Hantuchova at a big price in round one here.

That match has certainly made the odds closer than they would have been and I'm going to back Watson to win this with a handicap of -3.5 games at around 1.8.

The other women's match that I like is Shuai Peng to beat Ayumi Morita and at around 1.45, she can be backed in a multiple with Watson.

Peng's game suits the grass, as she showed last year by reaching the fourth round before losing to Maria Sharapova. And she also has a 4-1 head-to-head record over Morita.

The lower ranked Morita hasn't been past the second round of any grass court tournament since 2007 and is a regular first and second round loser on the green stuff. Peng should come through this, despite struggling in round one.

On the men's side you would have to give chances to Phillip Petzschner and Jeremy Chardy to upset the odds but the one I like is for Alejandro Falla to knock out Nicolas Mahut at a tasty price of 2.96.

The Colombian loves a scrap at a Grand Slam, as he has shown on many occasions and did so again in round one here when he took out John Isner in five sets to save us all from the horror of another Isner v Mahut match.

The Frenchman had to go five against Paulo Lorenzi and only just squeezed through against a clay court player who'd lost six of his last seven matches and nine of his last 11 on grass.

Falla has won three of their five career matches and he has to be the value on these courts, as they're slower than the ones at Queen's (where Mahut plays his best tennis) and he hasn't been past the second round at Wimbledon since 2006.

This one will probably go long and Falla should prove a good back-to-lay investment.

Recommended Bets
Back Watson -3.5 games to beat Hampton at 1.8
Back Watson and Peng in a Betfair Multiple at 2.04
Back to lay Falla at 2.96 against Mahut

For more Wimbledon betting articles, go to http://betting.betfair.com/tennis/wimbledon/

Match Odds
Portugal's results appear to be welded to the performances of Cristiano Ronaldo. After a quiet start to Euro 2012, the captain has scored three goals in two matches and the team has started to look like plausible tournament winners.

Portugal beat their neighbours 4-0 in a friendly at the end of 2010, but that was a while ago now and Spain gave the impression that the result of that game mattered less to them than it did their local rivals.

That's not the case here. Spain will be writ large in the history books if they win this match and one more at the weekend. As Opta have noticed, the European and world champions have 17 wins from their most recent 18 competitive games, so there seems to be value in backing them to win in 90 minutes at 2.02.

There is a concern, however: Portugal last played on Thursday, while Spain were in action as recently as Saturday. Spain games tend to be more strenuous for their opponents, but del Bosque's players work very hard on the odd occasions when they don't have the ball. If the difference in rest times proves decisive, it will be cause for Uefa to have a think about how they organize these things.


Over/Under 2.5 Goals
This market - and probably the entire game - will turn on in-form Ronaldo's jousts with a Spanish defence that has conceded only once at Euro 2012 and not at all in any of their last eight knockout matches.

Right-back Arbeloa and centre-half Ramos are club-mates of Portugal's star man at Real Madrid. If you think they will handle him better than most, Under 2.5 Goals is on offer at 1.56. It's a bet that has paid out in nine of Spain's 11 tournament matches under del Bosque, but the price will be a little tight for many.


Corners Match Bet
One thing we definitely know: Spain are going to dominate possession.

So far in Polkraine they've had 61% of the ball, while Portugal have made do with 46%.

Spain have won the Corners Match Bet market in each of their four games so far, but they have not played a team with anything like the wide threat posed by the Portuguese.

Portugal conceded almost 60% of possession to the Netherlands, but won the corners battle 7-5. They claimed 44% of the ball against Germany, but ended up with nine more corners.

With a little help from their full-backs, Nani and Ronaldo could spring a surprise in this market and make the Portuguese worth backing at around 3.5.


Shown a Card?
Ronaldo is a star, but he is a prima donna too. He refuses to get involved in harrying opponents when Portugal lose the ball and takes a very liberal view of what it means to play on the left of an attacking trio. He's the main man and he'll go where he wants.

That can leave the left-back, Fabio Coentrao, very exposed. Ronaldo's Real Madrid club-mate was booked three times in five appearances playing behind him against Barcelona this season. The comparison of Spain to Barcelona is a little crude, but it does highlight the perils of defending against ball-hogging opposition when one of your players doesn't think it's for him.

Coentrao will be up against David Silva at first, but, if del Bosque wants to stretch the game later on, he will send on a nippy right-winger like Jesus Navas or Pedro. All three of those can create problems for an overloaded defender, who is likely to be around 3.25 to see yellow in Donetsk.


Best Bet: Back Portugal @ 3.5 in the Corners Match Bet
Other Recommended Bet: Back Fabio Coentrao @ 3.25 to be Shown a Card

For more Euro 2012 betting articles, go to http://betting.betfair.com/football/euro-2012/

Bernard Tomic (20) v David Goffin 11:30 Court 2
H-to-H 0-0
Tomic is another potential Wimbledon winner which he showed last when he went out in the quarter-final after a great fight against Djokovic. Seeded this year he will account for little known Belgian wild card Goffin
Selection: Tomic

Jurgen Zopp v Malek Jaziri 11:30 Court 6
H-to-H 0-0
First Wimbledon for both players - difficult to choose between the two, the taller Zopp's game better suited by grass and he won through from the qualifiers so is the selection
Selection: Zopp

Alex Bogomolov Jr v Alexandr Dolgopolov (22) 11:30 Court 7
H-to-H 0-0
The match-up of the olovs, the umpire's nightmare, who've never met before with the younger seeded Dolgopolov expected to come through in a close match
Selection: Dolgopolov

Edouard Roger-Vasselin v Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 11:30 Court 8
H-to-H 0-0
The male double barrelled match with Roger-Vasselin having the better grass court preparation so is the selection here
Selection: Roger-Vasselin

Jesse Levine v Karol Beck 11:30 Court 9
H-to-H 0-0
Both players did well at the Challenger event at Nottingham this month, with Beck reaching the final and qualifier Levine the semi. A close call with Beck getting the vote
Selection: Beck

Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo v Mardy Fish (10) 11:30 Court 12
H-to-H 0-1
2012 has been a bad year for Fish with poor results persuading him take some time off. Wimbledon is his first tournament for two months and he wait and see if the rest has done him good. On his return he hasn't got the most difficult opponent Ramirez Hidalgo, someone he should beat easily at his best. Even if Fish is feeling his way back and not at his best, he is the selection to get through to the next round.
Selection: Fish

Kei Nishikori (19) v Mikhail Kukushkin 11:30 Court 14
H-to-H 2-0
Kukushkin at least has an easier draw than last year when he met Roger Federer in the 1st round, but still is up against a seed in Nishikori. Should take at least set, but Nishikori to win
Selection: Nishikori

Brian Baker v Rui Machado 11:30 Court 16
H-to-H 0-0
Machado a clay man so go for the lower ranked Baker who reached the Nice final last month
Selection: Baker

Matthew Ebden v Benoit Paire 11:30 Court 17
H-to-H 0-0
Paire has been unfortunate to come up against David Ferrer in his last two tournaments, but last week it was the semi-final in Holland - will be easier today
Selection: Paire

Feliciano Lopez (14) v Jarkko Nieminen 11:30 Court 18
H-to-H 2-5
Two 30-year-old left handers meet for the eighth time - all Nieminen's successes were the earlier meetings and in last two Lopez has had the upper hand and will have again in this match
Selection: Lopez

Kevin Anderson (32) v Grigor Dimitrov 13:30 Court 3
H-to-H 2-2
Dimitrov's two wins against Anderson have both been on grass, two weeks ago at Queen's and last year at Eastbourne so expect a third here and the demise of the bottom seed
Selection: Dimitrov

Andrey Kuznetsov v Florent Serra 13:30 Court 10
H-to-H 1-1
A match between two qualifiers who normally earn their livings on the Challenger tour. They've met twice, both this year within a week on clay and the score is 1-1. Kuznetsov was junior champion at Wimbledon in 2009 so has a grass pedigree which should see him through here.
Selection: Kuznetsov

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (5) v Lleyton Hewitt 14:00 Court 1
H-to-H 2-0
Should be the match of the day with an old Grand Slam champion against a player who surely must win one as soon as he believes. Hewitt will fight all the way as he always does, but Tsonga too young and fit
Selection: Tsonga

Albert Montanes v Marcos Baghdatis 14:00 Court 6
H-to-H 1-1
Baghdatis, always a popular player at Wimbledon and a semi-finalist in 2006, to beat Montanes who has slid down the rankings in the last two years
Selection: Baghdatis

James Ward v Pablo Andujar 14:00 Court 14
H-to-H 0-0
Andujar just out of the seedings and much the better player to beat Brit wild card Ward
Selection: Andujar

Go Soeda v Igor Kunitsyn 14:00 Court 16
H-to-H 0-0
Soeda has better form going into this match and should be good enough to beat Kunitsyn
Selection: Soeda

Philipp Kohlschreiber (27) v Tommy Haas 14:30 Court 19
H-to-H 1-2
At 34 Tommy Haas is having a late-flowering period in his career, surprisingly beating Roger Federer in the Gerry Weber final two weeks ago. And with Kohlschreiber retiring in his quarter-final match last week in Eastbourne Haas should account for the 27th seed.
Selection: Haas

Thomaz Bellucci v Rafael Nadal (2) 15:00 Centre Court
H-to-H 0-2
Tough draw for Bellucci in his first and only round at Wimbledon in 2012.
Selection: Nadal

Robin Haase v Juan Martin Del Potro (9) 16:00 Court 2
H-to-H 0-0
These two have never met before in seven years on the tour. Del Potro on the way back up the rankings is the one of the few players who have the game to worry the top three - could be Murray's quarter-final opponent, something Haase won't prevent
Selection: Del Potro

Lukas Lacko v Adrian Ungur 16:00 Court 5
H-to-H 2-0
Lacko to maintain his Challenger tour superiority over Unger
Selection: Lacko

Lukas Rosol v Ivan Dodig 16:00 Court 7
H-to-H 1-1
Similar rankings should ensure a close game with Dodig winning through an extra round at Queen's. A close call with Dodig the marginal selection to go through to a probable meeting with Nadal in round two
Selection: Dodig

Wayne Odesnik v Bjorn Phau 16:00 Court 9
H-to-H 1-1
Close game between two lesser players - hard to call - Odesnik get the vote - just
Selection: Odesnik

Tatsuma Ito v Lukasz Kubot 16:00 Court 10
H-to-H 0-0
Ito has had the slightly better grass preparation, but Kubot reached the 4th round of Wimbledon last year an will certainly get to the second in 2012
Selection: Kubot

Jurgen Melzer v Stanislas Wawrinka (25) 16:00 Court 12
H-to-H 1-2
Melzer not the force he once was and Wawrinka has had a steady season so go for the seed
Selection: Wawrinka

Marin Cilic (16) v Cedrik-Marcel Stebe 16:30 Court 4
H-to-H 0-0
Cilic won Queen's when Nalbandian was disqualified and should easily justify this seeding here
Selection: Cilic

David Ferrer (7) v Dustin Brown 17:00 Court 3
H-to-H 0-0
Ferrer having won the Hertogenbosch tournament last week for the second time is well attuned to grass and qualifier Brown won't prove a problem
Selection: Ferrer

Ivo Karlovic v Dudi Sela 17:00 Court 19
H-to-H 2-0
Karlovic is not the force he once was, a threat to anyone on grass. However he is still too powerful for Sela
Selection: Karlovic

Nikolay Davydenko v Andy Murray (4) 17:30 Centre Court
H-to-H 4-5
Tough first match for Murray though Davydenko is on the wane - sure Murray will give his supporters a scare, but to win in four sets.
Selection: Murray

Santiago Giraldo v Milos Raonic (21) 18:00 Court 18
H-to-H 1-0
Raonic has the game to win Wimbledon one day, probably when the current triumvirate have retired. Today he can go some way to prove his credentials by beating Giraldo
Selection: Raonic

Jamie Baker v Andy Roddick (30) 18:30 Court 1
H-to-H 0-0
Andy Roddick won at Eastbourne last week, loves Wimbledon and can prove he's ranked too low for this tournament. British wild card Baker should make the most of his moment on a show court
Selection: Roddick

Kenny De Schepper v Matthias Bachinger 18:30 Court 5
H-to-H 0-0
Tall left-hander and qualifier De Schepper has a chance on grass whereas Bachinger prefers clay when he had one semi-final appearance earlier this year
Selection: De Schepper

Vasek Pospisil v Sam Querrey 18:30 Court 17
H-to-H 0-0
After dropping down the rankings through injury Querrey is slowly clawing his way back. He got to semi-final of Queen's and his serving should guarantee him a win against Pospisil
Selection: Querrey

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Oliver Golding 4.0 v Igor Andreev 1.33

A bit of a leap of faith this one, but there's a more than decent chance that young Brit Golding can do some damage to Andreev in this encounter. The Russian has been struggling with a shoulder injury in recent weeks whereas Golding comes into this match with nothing to lose and having just beaten Juan Monaco on grass, admittedly in an exhibition match at The Boodles. Andreev has never been much of a grass court specialist with first or second round losses in four of his last five visits to Wimbledon. He hasn't played a match since retiring at Roland Garros and he comes here with no grass court practice and a dodgy shoulder. Good luck if you're on the short price about Andreev in this one.

Vasek Pospisil 4.0 v Sam Querrey 1.3

Whenever Big Sam is priced up at these sort of odds in the first round of a Slam it always pays to take a serious look at his opponent and Pospisil is a player who could have a very decent future in the game. I was on the Canadian when he lost from match point up against Ryan Harrison at Eastbourne last week, but he showed in that match that he has what it takes to play against the higher ranked players. We know that Querrey can play on grass, but he's never done well at Wimbledon, where he has a 4-4 record. Pospisil enjoys playing on the grass and this match-up of big hitting should suit the 22-year-old, who takes on an opponent that retired through injury in his last match in Eastbourne versus Andy Roddick.

David Goffin 3.8 v Bernard Tomic 1.33

Tomic is favourite for this one largely due to his run to the quarter finals here last year, but the equally talented Goffin is surely overpriced to take advantage of the Aussie, who is on a poor run of form. Tomic was beaten by Fabio Fognini in an awful match at Eastbourne last week after retiring through illness in Halle the week before, so he may be coming into this a little undercooked. We saw at the French Open how classy an operator Goffin can be and the wild card will be looking to back that up in his first main draw match at Wimbledon. He is very inexperienced on grass compared to Tomic, but he has a good temperament and all the pressure will be on his opponent. Goffin's worth a bet at generous-looking odds.

David Nalbandian 2.3 v Janko Tipsarevic 1.74

Assuming that the police, the ATP and the All England Club allow the tennis fugitive through the gates this year following his indiscretion at Queen's, Nalbandian is worth a bet to cause a minor upset over the number eight seed. This should be a pretty close affair, as the odds suggest, but I would give the slight edge to the Argentine on grass. Tipsarevic has been beaten in the first round here for the last two years consecutively by Ivo Karlovic and Arnaud Clement. And his warm-up didn't go too well either, with a loss to practice partner Yen Hsun Lu at Queen's. They have met on three occasions in the past with Nalbandian leading 2-1, but they've all been on hard courts and I would expect this grass court meeting to favour Nalbandian.

Fabio Fognini 3.0 v Michael Llodra 1.5

Llodra would appear to hold all the aces on a grass court against clay court specialist Fognini, but these Wimbledon courts are usually lacking in pace and the Frenchman has a poor record here in any case. Llodra reached the last 16 here 12 months ago against some pretty average opposition, but other than that he's never bettered the last 64 and he's suffered defeat in the opening round five times here. Fognini upset another fancied lefty in the first round here on his previous appearance at Wimbledon when he defeated Fernando Verdasco in four sets and I think he'll fancy upsetting the odds again after a decent warm-up at Eastbourne, where he beat Tomic and almost defeated Andy Roddick. Llodra has been in poor form of late, with eight losses from his previous 10 matches on all surfaces and Fognini dealt with him comfortably in their Monte-Carlo meeting recently. The current price of 3.0 on Fognini seems like a good investment to me.

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There's not been a 0-0 at the tournament yet but Dave Farrar fancies France to make life very difficult for Spain on Saturday evening...


Having struggled a little in their 1-1 draw with Italy in their opening game of Euro 2012, the World and European champions Spain face their second supposedly top-class test of the tournament, and there's a question about the state of mind of the French players going into the match. There are stories of a huge row in the squad after that insipid performance against Sweden, and if France are anything but fully tuned up for this game then they could be in for a beating. Laurent Blanc's right hand man Alain Boghossian has said that the row was the kind of thing that happens "between a couple" and that we shouldn't read anything into it. You can see Les Bleus' "Mr Charisma" explaining what he means here.

Even if you believe that France haven't "done a Holland", remember that Spain may have been a little off key in the tournament so far, but they're still a high-class side, and could be just a step or two away from producing the kind of special performances that won them both Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010. It's worth recalling that, since they lost 1-0 against Switzerland in their first match in South Africa, Spain have won 16 of 17 competitive matches. You write them off at your peril, and the 1.85n/a available on Betfair for them to win in 90 minutes looks enticing.

A lot of people, though, have made much of the fact that there hasn't yet been a 0-0 draw at this tournament, and that England against Italy has that result written all over it. I don't agree.

I don't think that match will be high scoring, but THIS is the game that has a huge chance of finishing 0-0. It reminds me a lot of the Spain v Italy quarter-final at Euro 2008, when the Italians were able to frustrate Spain for large periods, and keep them down to minimal chances. Spain managed to win on penalties that day, and we could face something similar here.

Blanc will be wary of Spain's ability to pass their way through his team, and in the absence of Phillippe Mexes, may even decide to start with two holding midfielders in the shape of Alou Diarra and Yann M'Vila. France do possess quality in forward areas, but I think that it will be safety first for them here, and that they'll set out to stifle.

Spain have won just one of their last nine previous European Championship or World Cup quarter finals outright, with four of those ending in penalty shootouts, and the Qualifying Method market is interesting in that regard. Both teams are available at 13.0 to win on penalties, and that's a good bet to have on your side whether you decide to trade or not.

The oft quoted statistic that 21 of the last 29 knockout matches at the Euros have gone under 2.5 goals comes into play here, and I think that's the likeliest outcome, but am not interested in a price as short as 1.61, nor indeed in under 1.5 goals at 2.86. I want the 0-0 draw in my portfolio at 8.6, with a saver on 1-1 at 7.6.


Best Bet

Back 0-0 Correct Score @ 8.6

Recommended Bet

Back Both Teams to win on penalties in the "Qualifying Method" Market @ 13.0


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