Wimbledon Begins, With Gambling Odds Safe From Fixes
Wimbledon is underway, and the odds of winning the tournament and individual matches are under scrutiny as never before. Scandals involving top players and rumors of rampant match fixing have led to a microscope being placed upon each result, with betting patterns closely observed by both tennis officials and online casinos.
The result should be the most transparent and least suspicious Wimbledon Championship in years, and play involving several ongoing stories should spark fans to gamble freely on the potentially wide-open fields, free of concern of funny business.
Roger Federer returns as the favorite, a given considering his five straight titles on the grass of the storied stadium. The Palms Casino, possibly the premium sportsbook in Las Vegas since the passing of the Sands, lists Federer at slightly worse than even money, a 10-11 pick.
Rafael Nadal, who once again denied Federer the missing major of his reign at the top by defeating him for the third straight year in the French Open Final, is the second choice at 7-2.
Andy Roddick, despite uneven performances in big tournaments in recent years, is the highest listed American, the fourth pick at 15-1.
Interestingly, Nikolay Davydenko is also a 15-1 play; Davydenko was involved in the most publicly recognized suspicious match, one which saw heavy gambling on his lightly-regarded opponent only to have Davydenko forfeit due to an injury, which some felt may not have been genuine.
The Palms did not carry odds on the women's field, but money lines were available at online casinos. Maria Sharapova was the favorite, at +240; she was followed by Serena Williams, +400; French Open winner Ana Ivanovic, +450; and Venus Williams, +475.
The numbers look to reflect public expectancy of big names to dominate, and do not necessarily indicate which players are in ascendancy as the tournament starts. Anyone who watched last year has to know the gap between Nadal and Federer on non-clay surfaces has closed considerably, and Federer has not played consistently over the last several months. The choice here is Nadal.
While Sharapova has as good a chance as anyone, a couple of value picks present opportunity. Lindsay Davenport, +2000, has great grass talents if her return from injuries is complete; and Amalie Mauresmo, +2500, could run through the tournament if she can control her emotions and let her physical style dominate with smart play.
