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Andy Murray will start his quest for Indian Wells glory on Sunday, but again, as in top tier tournaments like this, his path to the final is not going to be an easy one. Murray opens his account against Italy’s Andreas Seppi, which he will be expected to win of course, and then it is on to the third round where the road starts to get tougher. Murray is seeded 4th for the tournament, and ranked 4th in the world. Unlike the women’s Indian Tournament, where there are top seeds missing, all of the world’s best is in California for this one. Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Nikolai Davydenko and Novak Djokovic are all there. The first seeded player Murray is likely to run into is Igor Andreev, who Murray thrashed in the Hopman Cup earlier in the year, dropping only one game in a 6-1, 6-0 victory.

Murray (7/2 at Stan James to win outright) will face potential fourth round opponents at Indian Wells, this first ATP 1000 tournament of the season, in Ivo Karlovic (23) or David Ferrer (13). Murray has beaten Karlovic in all three encounters, including a 2008 win at Indian Wells over the Russian. Spain’s David Ferrer is tied a 1-1 with Murray in their head-to-head record, but the last time they played was back in 2006. Ferrer isn’t in too bad form for 2010, winning one title, and 14 of his 20 matches played, and 11 of the last 12. That is all the stands in the way of Murray in his quarter of the top half of the draw. Which means that in the fifth round, he will potentially come up against Sweden’s Robin Soderling. Soderling is the top seed (6th) in the fourth quarter of the top half of the draw has should have fairly easy passage through to meet Murray in the quarter finals. The only other name there is that of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who may pose a threat, but the world number 11 isn’t quite in the same class as Murray or Soderling on top of their games.

The Indian Wells semi final for the top half of the draw, could see Murray pitted against his conqueror in the final of the Australian Open Gran Slam, world number one Roger Federer (15/8 outright at Stan James). There seems little to trouble the great Swiss star in his half of the draw. He has Radek Stepanek in the first quarter with him, and potential quarter final opponent will be American Andy Roddick, seeded 7th for the tournament. Roddick has hardly stopped to catch his breath this year, and should be a safe bet to reach the fourth round, where he will probably run into Gael Monfils (or Moonfish as my spell-check comically corrects his name to). So, a Federer v Murray clash seems more than likely a the semi final stage, but of course there is a lot of work to be done between the second round and the semi. All of the betting previews can be followed here, and the live streaming action can be enjoyed with online bookmaker Bet365, who provide free live tennis for customers with positive funded accounts.

In all honesty, the bottom half of the draw looks to be the one which will be hotly contested through the round, with Nikolay Davydenko, Fernando Verdasco, Marin Cilic, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (5/1 outright at Extrabet) being the pick of the bunch down there. Nadal, seeded 3rd for the tournament (as he is number 3 in the world at the moment behind Federer and Djokovic) looks to have the easiest passage. The Spaniard is the defending champion at Indian Wells, and is looking to win the title for the third time. The potential is there for a mouth watering quarter final match against Nikolay Davydenko though.

Andy Murray to win: 1/12 at Coral
Andreas Seppi to win: 8/1 at Bet365

Britain’s Elena Baltacha pulled off probably the most impressive victory of her career at Indian Wells on Friday. She knocked seventh seed, and world number 10, Na Li out of the tournament in the second round 7-6, 2-6, 7-6. Baltacha looked down and out in the tie break in the final set, but fought back magnificently to beat her opponent, who had reached the semi finals of the Australian Open. She now moves on to play Australian Alicia Molik, ranked 138th in the world. Wild card entrant Molik beat 29th seed Anabel Medina Garrigues in three sets. Baltacha could run into either Jie Zheng (18th seed) or Maria Sharapova (10th seed) who go head to head in the third round.

Britain’s Anne Keothavong lost in the first round, while Andy Murray is awaiting to see who his opponent will be in the second round, after receiving a bye as a top seeded player in the first. Follow all of the action from Indian Wells, with Bet365. This excellent online bookmaker is once again providing full live streaming coverage from this premier tennis event.

Britain’s Premier Tennis player on the Women’s circuit, Elena Baltacha, who is enjoying a fine year so far, came through a tough first qualifying match for the BNP Paribas Open in California. The tournament at Indian Wells Tennis Gardens, which is in a stunning location in the Southern Californian desert, is one of the tournaments which the majoirty of the World Stars turn out for. This is WTA Tour Premier event, which the best in the world participate in, regarded in standing as just behind the prestige of a Grand Slam event. The main draw, for both the men and women’s competitions will consist of 64 players, after qualification matches has whittled the draws down from 96. Elena Baltacha has to qualify for the main draw, and after a successful year so far, will be hoping to build upon her form.

Elena Baltacha to win: 1/2 at SkyBet
Ekaterina Bychkova: 7/4 at Paddy Power

Other British interest comes from Anne Keothavong, who is already in First Round of the Main draw:
Anna Chakvetadze to win: 8/1 5 at ExtraBet
Anne Keothavong to win: 9/5 at Boylesports

It took Baltacha three sets to get past American wildcard Julia Boserup, but winning is all that matters, and now she faces a one match shoot off to earn her place in the main draw. Ranked 65th in the World, Baltacha, forever smiling and looking as if she is having fun, put in some impressive performances at the Australian Open, and queen of tennis Maria Sharapova denied her a genuine title shot in Memphis recently. She now has to square off against Ekaterina Bychkova to reach the main draw. With the main draw itself having already been made, there is one stand out portion of the draw, which is going to draw a lot of fans and betting interest. The Indian Wells tennis tournament, appears to be all about Vera Zvonareva and Ana Ivanovic.

Russian Zvonareva has picked up a tour title already this year, winning in Thailand. It was she who beat Ivanovic in the final at Indian Wells last year, taking the crown from the defending champion. Now Ivanovic, who’s best performance this season came in reaching the semi finals in Brisbane, has a lot of work to do, with Zvonareva probably being the better of the two at the moment. The young Serbian, who made headlines recently with her Swimsuit Illustrated shoot, has not done much since to suggest that she can make an impact at the event. Yes, you guessed it, these two are on a collision course again this year, but it won’t be in the final, it will be in the third round, if everything goes to plan.

In the same half of the draw, is the likes of feisty favourite Victoria Azarenka, Daniela Hantuchova (who has won at Indian Wells twice before, and just lost the final in Monterrey, so is in good form) and the always dangerous Yanina Wickmayer. The other half of the draw has Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin (who both continue their comebacks), Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova, along with a good outside bet in Serbian Jelena Jankovic. Top seed for the draw is Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, who has lost twice in the final at Indian Wells. It is difficult to see her, from a betting point of view, get back the wealth of talent in her half of the draw. For now, we shall see if Britain’s Elena Baltacha can make her way into the main draw, and over the next two weeks, there will be match previews and tennis betting opportunities to explore here.

WTA Indian Wells Outright
Justine Henin: 10/3 at ExtraBet
Kim Clijsters: 9/2 at ExtraBet
Elena Dementieva: 12/1 at Expekt
Maria Sharapova: 12/1 at Bet365
Victoria Azarenka: 14/1 at Expekt

The Men’s tournament at Indian Wells is also in the qualification stage, with the players hoping to join the world’s elite in the main draw. Yes, everyone is there. World Number one Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Britain’s Andy Murray. Spaniard Nadal beat Andy Murray in the final at Indian Wells Garden last year, and after reaching the final of the Australian Open, Murray will be hoping to go one better. There is still the matter of three times champions Roger Federer to deal with though. There is an awesome amount of Tennis to come over the next fortnight, and we will be brining you the highlights of the competition right here, along with betting advice and tips.

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Defeated Australian Open finalist Andy Murray is back in action for the first time since that Grand Slam defeat, and this time there is no Roger Federer to stop him. The Dubai Open is the next stop for the Scot, and he will be looking to bounce back from the disappointment of losing to Swiss star Federer in the Australian Open. Murray had planned a longer recovery time, to try and avoid some early season burn out, and made a strong start by beating Russian Igor Kunitsyn easily in the first round of the tournament. This is a hard surface tournament, which has prize money of $1,619,500, held in the United Arab Emirates. This is a big year for Murray, and now he needs to steel himself for a long season. He has recently climbed back up the rankings to World Number 4, but is looking to add a Grand Slam to elevate him to the next level.

World Number One Roger Federer was due to participate in this tournament as well, but he had to withdraw after being diagnosed with a lung infection. The Swiss national, who has won the Dubai Open four times, wasn’t about to take any chances on his health with a long season ahead, noting that he wasn’t breathing as well, nor feeling at his sharp best. That leaves Murray as the top ranked player in the top half of the tournament, in which his best finish was reaching the Quarter Finals both in 2008 and 2009. There is still the small matter of Marin Cilic and Mikhail Youzhny in Murray’s half, but having beaten the higher ranked Cilic comfortably at the Australian Open, Murray shouldn’t have too much trouble getting through to the semi finals in all honesty.

But five of the world’s top ten are in action in Dubai, so there is plenty of stiff competition. Defending Dubai champion Novak Djokovic will have most of the weight on his shoulders, as he looks to win back to back titles. The Serbian, who is ranked number two in the world, surprisingly fell in the Quarter Finals of the Grand Slam to Jo Wilfried Tsonga, and was suffering will poor health. He couldn’t get Mikhail Youzhny in his follow up tournament, losing in the semi finals at Rotterdam. He probably should be due a tournament win, and recently reached the lofty position of World Number Two, the highest ranking of his career. Nikolay Davydenko, who is always a threat in tournaments, is also in action, along with Tsonga. Andy Murray will play either Igor Kunitsyn or Andreas Seppi in the second round. The first seed he can meet is Youzhny, ranked 15th in the world in the Quarter Finals.

ATP Barclays Dubai Tennis Championship Outrights
Andy Murray – 6/4 at Bet365
Nikolay Davydenko – 7/2 at Boylesports
Novak Djokovic – 4/1 BetFred
Marin Cilic – 6/1 at Ladbrokes
Jo Wilfried Tsonga – 14/1 at SkyBet
Mikhail Youzhny – 33/1 at Paddy Power

Abierto Mexicano Telcel
This tennis tournament on the ATP tour, is the perfect opportunity to try the betting exchange, BetFair. This tournament has attracted players from outside of the top ten ranked players in the World, and was part of a four tournament swing of South America. World Number 11 Fernando Verdasco is the highest ranked player there, after accepting a late wild card entry into the tournament. He actually made the final in 2004, but lost. Still, he’s worth a good bet. One of two other notable names in the sports betting action on this tournament, will be Juan Carlos Ferrero, who is good on clay and in a sparkling bit of form. He’s on a streak of unbeaten matches at the moment after a slow start to the season, and is a former World Number One. Has won two of the three South American tournaments already on clay and makes a good bet. The second name to watch for is Nicolas Almagro, who is sixth seed for the tournament. Why would the World 26th make a good bet. Because he has won the tournament for the last two years, and this is the kind of thing that can influence betting strategies. Sometimes a player enjoys playing at a particular tournament more than others, and they will perform above an beyond. Any betting on the tournament, therefore should take him into consideration, even though there are better players than him in there.

Abierto Mexicano Telcel Outright: Hard to find outright prices on the smaller tournament of the week. Still, it’s a money earning, point getting tournament, and one with potential for online betting. By using a betting exchange, like BetFair, then you can probably pick up better prices than if they were listed on a regular online bookmaker. This is because the betting exchange pits punter against punter. The live betting exchange is all about matching bets. Prices will be listed on BetFair, and you can take a selection at whatever odds you fancy odds. You simply need someone to match that bet (with the amount of users on there, that’s a pretty sure bet in itself) at the price or odds you have selected. Basically, if someone is laying a bet (wagering that something is not going to happen) then you can decide to lay with it, or adversely, back the bet. That creates a matched bet, and away you go. The BetFair betting exchange is a great system to learn, as the live, changing odds can bring some great rewards. Plus you can earn a £25 no loss bet when opening a new account.

With Andy Murray’s heroics at the Australian Open, there is still much to be optimistic about, despite his loss in the final to World Number One Roger Federer. There probably wasn’t a player on the tour who could have lived with Federer the way he played in the latter stages of the first set, as his trusty forehand put him firmly in the driving seat. Britain can be proud of Murray for reaching his second final, but naturally the press will be putting extra pressures on him to win that First Grand. There is plenty of time, and he has looked like an improved player over the course of the Australian Open, adding some aggression to his game. He is naturally going to add more valuable experience to his game from his second loss to Federer in a Grand Slam final, but he should be given a great deal of credit for the fact that he got there, even if he couldn’t live with arguably the greatest ever tennis player on the big occasion.

So let’s look forward at the best prices the Bookmakers are offering on Andy Murray for the rest of the season:

Andy Murray to win a Grand Slam in 2010?
No – 1/2 at SkyBet
Yes – 7/4 at Totesport

2010 Grand Slam Wins:
None – 1/2 at Bet365
Exactly 1 – 7/4 at BetFred
Exactly 2 – 16/1 at BetFred
Exactly 3 – 200/1 at SkyBet

Andy Murray to win US Open 2010 – 3/1 at Coral
Andy Murray to win Wimbledon 2010 – 3/1 at Coral
Andy Murray to win an ATP Clay court event – 9/4 at SkyBet

Murray mania is gripping Britain, as Andy Murray heads into the Australian Open final against Roger Federer in a matter of hours. There is a gulf of experience between the two players, with Federer having 15 Grand Slam titles under his belt, and Murray seeking his first. A lot is being made of the mental battle which Murray has to deal with, and not beat himself up with the pressure of the big final, and all the expectations around him. He would become only the third player to beat Federer in a Grand Slam final. Murray needs to keep his cool head, if things do not go his way at the start, for if he doesn’t then that is the weakness which Federer could jump all over.

The Swiss World Number One will start as favourite, as he has proven time and time again that he has the big game mentally and skill to prevail. He is the champion of champions in tennis, and the one that everybody else is looking to take on and beat. But Murray is showing that he has the game to reach these big matches, the coveted finals of the Grand Slams, which are notoriously difficult. He has titles under his belt, just not one of the big ones. This is his best showing at the Australian Open, and he gets the chance to redress the balance against Federer, who beat Murray in the US Open final in 2008. That seems a long time ago now, when Murray was a much rawer talent than what he is now. He is commanding the court more, and showing those flashes of brilliance and creativity which can make good players, great.

He has time on his side, and a loss to Federer won’t be the end of the world for him. It won’t be the end of his season, as it should steel him ahead of the remaining three Grand Slams throughout the year. But let’s not talk of defeat. Murray is in the final because he deserves to be. Because he has the talent to be there. Britain awaits, and Britain expects. Yes he will need to be at his very best and take all the chances that come his way, and there is no reason to believe why he cannot do it. It may need the game of his life, as he puts it, but he has beaten Federer six times before, so therein lies the proof that he can achieve.

Australian Open Men’s Final
Roger Federer to win: 8/13 at BetFred
Andy Murray to win: 27/17 at Bwin

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Can Britain believe and dream that they will have a Grand Slam Tennis Champion on Sunday? Technically they could have two, because junior Laura Robson is in the final of her Australian Open draw. But the spotlight will be on Scot Andy Murray, who Britain can watch in the early hours of Sunday morning, as he goes in search of his first Grand Slam title. Murray is confident in his usual understated and quiet demeanour, whilst his opponent, World Number One Roger Federer has been putting the mental stress on Murray, but telling the press that all the pressure of the final will be on the Scot.

Federer is aware that his young opponent is seeking his first title, whereas the Swiss star has been everywhere and done it all. Federer has an incredible fifteen Grand Slam titles under his belt, having made 22 Grand Slam final appearances. For Murray, this is just his second appearance in a Grand Slam final, and who beat him in his first? Yes, Roger Federer at the US Open in 2008. But the immense difference in experience of title winning, should not overwhelm Murray, because Murray actually has the best of their Head to Head Record, having beaten Federer 6 times, and losing only 4.

Federer is brimming with confidence, which, could be misinterpreted quite easily as arrogance, putting the Head to Head record down to not being at his best in a few of their encounters. He has also been speaking of the wealth of experience he does have, and how that will give him an advantage over Murray in the final. Of course everything will come down to the match, the atmosphere and the players on the day. Both players are deservedly in the final, with both looking in majestic form. The only time Federer has looked really bothered, was in his Quarter Final match against Nikolay Davydenko, when he was crushed in the first set. His class won through though, finding new gears of skills that Davydenko couldn’t cope with.

For Murray, his biggest triumph came against World Number Two Rafael Nadal. Murray had the better of the Spaniard, being up two sets to nil, and then leading 3-0 in the third, at which point Nadal had to retire with an injury, which has been discovered should keep him out of action for a few weeks. It has been 74 years since Britain had a Grand Slam winner in the Men’s Tournament, which according to comedian Federer, was actually 150,000 years. Murray does have a lot of his young shoulders, but he is there to play in these types of matches. As said in an interview, he is on the Tour to play in the biggest matches against the best players, and to do all he can to win.

Murray is looking in great form, possibly the best of his career, and he has only dropped one set, which came in a slow start in his Semi Final match against Marin Cilic. Arguably Federer is the better player, he is World Number One for a reason, and that is because of his immense talent and proven track record. Watching him, he really is that good, and Murray will likely need to be at his best and beyond to take him down in the high pressure arena of the Australian Open Final. Only two other players, Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro have gotten the better of Federer in a Grand Slam final. Murray is the next man to get his chance at the big time.

The Men’s Final Starts at 8.30 am GMT Sunday

Bet365 will be streaming the Men’s Final live on their website. This will be provided  free to funded account holders, so there’s still time to sign up and make the most of this excellent bookmaker. Not only will you get up to £100 in matched deposit bonus, you can even employ it on some great Live In-Play betting while watching the final.

With Andy Murray beating Marin Cilic to reach the second Grand Slam final of his career, he can unwind today and study his potential opponents. The second semi final of the Men’s Australian Open takes place today, with world number one Roger Federer playing surprise semi finalist, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Frenchman Tsonga, the quiet man of tennis, overcame the World Number 3 Novak Djokovic in the Quarter Final, when many had expected easy passage for the higher seed. Djokovic had to leave the court at one point because he felt ill, and had been complaining of illness before, during and after the match. That’s not to take anything away from Tsonga, who battled back well to steal a victory.

It will now be time for the “Fed Express” to deliver again, with a place in the final at stake. The Swiss star had to overcome a blistering start by Nikolay Davydenko in their Quarter Final match, but turned on the style from being a set down to ease his way to a 3-1 win. This is Federer’s 23rh consecutive semi final appearance in Grand Slam competition. The early struggles in his Quarter Final match, where there was an inordinate amount of unforced errors from Federer, will have probably steeled the World Number One from any thoughts of cruising to the final. But with some fine basic groundwork, Federer slipped into gear, finding his rhythm and showing why is the World Number One. Being able to step it up when it matters most is the mark of a Champion. He goes into the semi final as strong favourite ahead of Tsonga, who is ranked 10th in the world.

Roger Federer to win: 1/5 at Blue Square
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win: 5/1 at Boylesports

Catch the semi final action on Bet365’s live streaming service. For funded account holders, all of the action from Melbourne has been free to watch on their excellent website.

It’s semi final day at the Australian Open, with Britain’s great hope Andy Murray in action against Croatian Marin Cilic. Murray won through after getting himself well ahead against World Number Two Rafael Nadal in the Quarter Finals, before the Spaniard had to retire through injury. He is now just one match away from the Grand Slam final, another step closer to his dream of winning the first Grand Slam of his career. The best performance that Cilic, ranked 14th, has put in at a Grand Slam, was his Quarter Final finish at the US Open late last year. He triumphed over American Andy Roddick in their Quarter Final match, looking quite sharp. He did take five sets though to get past Roddick, whereas Murray only played two and a half sets in his Quarter Final match. Incidentally, Nadal had nothing but praise for Murray, stating that he deserves to win the Australian Open. That’s probably out of wishful thinking, as it would meant that his rival Roger Federer doesn’t.

Andy Murray to win: 2/9 at BetFred
Marin Cilic to win: 4/1 at Bet365

Watch Andy Murray’s quest for glory with Bet365’s live streaming service. Just sign up, deposit some funds into your new Bet365 account, and you will have access to some excellent coverage from the Australian Open. The perfect way to watch and enjoy Live In-Play betting.

But World Number 5 Andy Murray will be starting as favourite anyway in his match against Cilic. He continued his great form against Nadal, looking composed and sticking to his tactics. All the focus on this semi is about revenge for Andy Murray, as it was Cilic who ended the Scot’s run in the US Open in the Grand Slam of 2009, winning straight sets. Cilic has already beaten one of the tournament favourites, the in form young Argentinean Juan Martin del Potro, and that should send large warning signals over the threat he can cause anyone. This is a great chance for Murray now though, as his performances and ranking will hopefully be enough to see him through. The winner of Murray v Cilic will await to see whether they play Roger Federer or surprise semi finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final of this year’s Australian Open Men’s Final. Federer looked down and out in the early stages of his match against in form Nikolay Davydenko. The big Russian looked to have Federer beaten hands down, but Federer’s success highlighted a day of comebacks.

Roger Federer to win: 1/5 at William Hill
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win: 9/2 at Bet365

Tsonga upset third seed Novak Djokovic on a day of surprises and comebacks at the Australian Open. On form and ranking, this should have resulted in an easy victory for World Number 3 Djokovic, but the Frenchman Tsonga had other ideas. In the women’s draw, Venus Williams crashed out to a stunning comeback from China’s Na Li, which means that two of the semi finalists are Chinese. Can there be an unprecedented all-China final? Jie Zheng (ranked 35th) completely breezed past Maria Kirilenko in their Quarter Final match, her diminutive figure a huge presence on the court. She now plays Belgian Justine Henin in the semi final, ensuring that at least one un-seeded player makes it to the final. Her best finish at a Grand Slam was a fourth round exit at Roland Garros in her first full season, several years ago. Henin, who has simply been the epitome of hunger, desire and skill, would be a popular winner, and as if expected, meets Serena Williams in the Final, then it would be a huge achievement for her in her first Grand Slam tournament back after retirement.

Serena Williams to win: 2/13 at Boylesports
Na Li to win: 21/4 at Boylesports

Serena Williams had a monumental task on her hands in her Quarter Final match, as she looked to be on the brink of elimination, but found a way to come initiate an incredible comeback against Victoria Azarenka. The Belarusian looked in complete control, one set up and cruising in the second. She looked sharper, more creative that Serena Williams, but then on the flick of a switch, Williams found a dozen more gears and in a whirlwind completely out powered and crushed Azarenka’s challenge. All looked a bit bewildering, and felt a bit sorry for Azaranka, who looked crest fallen. Just goes to prove what a champion Serena Williams is, as she goes in search of her first back to back Australian Open titles.

Justine Henin to win: 1/4 at SkyBet
Jie Zheng to win: 18/5 at Boylesports

Andy Murray did it. He is through to the Semi Finals of the Australian Open. Murray progressed when opponent and number two seed Rafael Nadal retired through injury, with Murray two sets up already and 3-0 ahead in the third. The Scot will now play Marin Cilic in the semi final, after the Croatian brushed past Andy Roddick. Now it is the turn of the other half of the draw, where World Number One Roger Federer is in action today. Catch all of the live action from Melbourne on Bet365’s live streaming service.

Federer plays one of the most in form players at the moment, Nikolay Davydenko. The Swiss superstar will naturally start as favourite, but the Russian has recently gotten the better of the meetings between them. Davydenko won the Qatar Open as a warm up to the Australian Open, beating Federer and Nadal along the way. That’s how good he is at the moment, and this could be a severe test for the World Number One. All the speculation about Federer ahead of the tournament, is whether or not becoming a new father would have affected him. Would that life style change have caused a distraction from his game? But there has been no signs of that as he has looked his majestic self at times during his progress. Don’t be so overwhelmed by the bookie prices on this one, Davydenko has every chance of pushing Federer to breaking point.

Roger Federer to win: 2/5 at Paddy Power
Nikolay Davydenko to win: 12/5 at Boylesports

The day’s other Quarter Final sees World Number 3, Novak Djokovic play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Djokovic has been on cruise control, whereas Tsonga has been making hard work of things. Granted the Frenchman has had a slightly tougher passage, but current standings and form should see Djokovic reach the semi final, as expected from the start, looking at his quarter of the Draw. The big question should simply be who he will meet in the Semi, Federer or Davydenko. That match will clearly the big highlight reel game of the day.

Novak Djokovic to win: 9/20 at Boylesports
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: 21/10 at SportingBet

In the Women’s Draw, World Number One Serena Williams plays 7th seed Victoria Azarenka, who has somewhat understated through the competition, not drawing much attention to herself. The Belarussian’s progress has been steady, with her toughest win coming over World Number 9 Vera Zvonareva in the Quarter Finals. That had all the promise of a thrilling, evenly matched game, and it was so after two sets. Azarenka stepped up her game in the deciding third set though, crushing her opponent six games to nil. How much of a challenge she will be able to put up against Serena Williams is a different matter entirely. The older Williams sister looks completely on top of her powerful game.

Serena Williams to win: 3/10 at Paddy Power
Victoria Azarenka to win: 17/5 at Bwin

It has been expected that the two Williams sisters will be in the semi finals, and that looks to completely be on the cards. Serena Williams plays China’s Na Li in their semi final encounter, after Li put in a surprisingly powerful two set victory over 4th seed Caroline Wozniacki. Not many people will have seen that result coming from the 16th seed, and if she could beat Williams, then she would join fellow countrywomen Jie Zheng in the semi finals, which would be a massive step forward for Chinese tennis. Jie Zheng plays resilient Justine Henin. The expected result though, as backed up by the bookies prices, is that come the end of the day, the Williams sisters will both be preparing for a semi final sibling shootout.

Venus Williams to win: 8/15 at Boylesports
Na Li to win: 7/4 at Bet365