Laura Robson

Laura Robson v Maria Sharapova Wimbledon 2011 tennis betting is the exciting second round prospect at the All England Club. At the third time of asking, Britain’s young star Laura Robson has won her first Wimbledon match. Robson pulled out a fantastic win in the first round of this year’s event after beating Angelique Kerber. Kerber is ranked 177 places above the 17 year old Robson in the world rankings, and it was Kerber who took the first set. But Robson showed great grit, determination and ability when she fought back to take the second set in a tie break. She then accelerated in the third set with the momentum behind her, taking the final set 6-3. That great success for young Robson has set up her up with a date against tournament favourite Maria Sharapova. The Russian, who is definitely looking back to her best after her 2009 shoulder injury is in great form this year. She was primed to reach the final of the French Open, but she collapsed in the semi final, missing out on a big opportunity to win the only Grand Slam title missing from her trophy cabinet. Sharapova is the only other player in the women’s draw who has won the Wimbledon title, other than Venus and Serena Williams. For Laura Robson, this is a great opportunity to pit herself against one of the best in the world at the moment. The showcase match for the Brit will take place on Court One, so Robson will get a lot of attention. Following her success in the first round, Robson is resting and planning on how to take on the Russian. Robson will be the underdog and will probably bow out of the tournament here, but she should be able to play well. Robson joins Britain’s number one woman Elena Baltacha in the second round, after Heather Watson and Anne Keothavong feel from the competition, leaving just the two Brits standing.

Laura Robson v Maria Sharapova Wimbledon 2011 Tennis Betting Odds

Laura Robson to win: 10/1 at Totesport
Maria Sharapova to win: 1/25 at SkyBet

Britain’s top tennis player Elena Baltacha has won her way impressively through to thee second round. Ranked at 68th in the world, she had little trouble in handling her German opponent Mona Barthel. The British number one simply set a very classy example for the rest of the British women following her and she moves on to play Shaui Peng or Kirsten Flipkens in the second round. China’s Shuai Peng (20th seed) will be the likely second round opponent for her as she the higher ranked player and in good form, but Scot Baltacha has only ever been in the third round of Wimbledon once, so will be looking forward . With 10th seed Sam Stosur falling in the first round, there’s actually a good opportunity here for Baltacha to show up at Wimbledon. Anne Keothavong has also won through to the second round of the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, after betting fellow Brit Naomi Broady. That sets up Keothavong with a top match against eighth seed Petra Kvitova in the second round. It is unlikely that an upset will be on the cards there from Keothavong, if it does, it will be the biggest win of her career. Britain’s Laura Robson will play her first round match against Angelique Kerber on Wednesday for the right to play tournament favourite Maria Sharapova in the second round. Heather Watson will play Mathilde Johansson from France in the first round, with likely second round opponent Julia Goerges (16th seed) in the second round. So there are very exciting opportunities ahead for the British women at Wimbledon 2011. Baltacha in particular is there to inspire.

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Women’s Wimbledon Draw First Round

Angelique Kerber to win: 8/15 at SkyBet
Laura Robson to win: 13/8 at BetFred

Mathilde Johansson: 9/5 at Boylesports
Heather Watson to win: 8/15 at Stan James

Women’s Wimbledon Draw Second Round

Petra Kvitova to win: 1/14 at Stan James
Anne Keothavong to win: 9/1 at Boylesports

Well, now all the disappointment has had time to dissipate after Andy Murray had an epic fail in the final of the Australian Open against Novak Djokovic, tennis betting on the British Number One needs to be looked at. Murray, just like the 2010 final at Melbourne, lost in straight sets to the higher ranked man. Then it was Roger Federer, but with both Federer and Nadal out of the picture, Murray hand landed himself in the final, and this looked to be his moment. He just never really got going from the start, having to work incredibly hard just to hold on to his first service game. He has spoken positively since, stating that he knows he needs to work even harder to win that elusive Grand Slam title, and that is an area in which we should take a look at tennis betting. Murray, hands down, is still one of the best players in the ATP, but that pressure to win one of the Majors is still a big monkey on his back. When will he be able to shake it off? There is still Paris, Wimbledon and the US Open to come again this year, so time is on his side. Will he be able to pick up one of the titles in 2011 though? Well, A pessimistic view is coming from the online bookmakers, with Paddy Power saying No for 1/3 as the favourite option in the market, while a Yes will fetch you 2/1. You can picked up 1/2 at William Hill for Murray to Win None of the Grand Slams in 2011, but if you think he will win one, then you can take 2/1 at Bet365 on him doing so. There is still a major challenge ahead for him to do so, and he really will have to work for his chances. That is three career Grand Slam finals now which have slipped away from him. If you want to concentrate on seeing Murray keep getting to these finals, regardless of him winning it or not, then you can concentrate on the 2011 Finals for your betting. Exactly two Grand Slam finals this year for Murray will fetch 11/10 at SkyBet, while seeing him remain on just one will bring in 15/8 for the season.

Perhaps a better market to look in, is the number of Masters ATP titles that Murray will win. These are the highest ranking event behind the Grand Slams (which means that all the big stars attend), and Murray picked up two of them last year (one in Shanghai and one in Canada) beating Nadal and Federer to the post, so he clearly can do it. He also won two of these titles in 2009, and backing him to win two again this year will fetch a nice round 16/1 at Stan James for your tennis betting. Maybe worth a look at, this market, as one Masters title fetches 2/1 at Bet365 too. So there are still plenty of betting options open for the season ahead, for the world number five. There is plenty of time to get himself into the winning frame of mind again, before the next Slam comes along. There is plenty of time for him to keep improving and at times in the Australian Open this year, he did look an improved player. The big questions will be over his mentality, and whether or not he has the big match mentality to win a slam, after reaching three finals and not winning a single set in any of them. However, there is still bags of potential there, and if you think that Murray could get up to world number two at any point during the season, then you can that bet for around Evens at BetFair at the moment.

While we are on the subject of British tennis, we have to mention starlet Laura Robson here. The youngster is one of the biggest futures of British tennis (along with Heather Watson, it has to be said), but the Aussie born Brit is making such big strides, and this should be a massive year for the teenager. So, with all that in mind, Stan James has gone with a very patriotic bet on her future, marking her down as 25/1 to Win Gold at the 2012 Olympics in London. Worth a punt maybe? A definite future star in the making.

Great news for tennis fans for 2011, is that things are underway again, in the build up to the Australian Open which will be on our doorstep before we know it. Britain’s Andy Murray and Laura Robson are contesting the Hopman Cup, a tournament which they reached the final of last season. However, they really didn’t get things underway too well, as they lost their opening match against fourth seed Italy. The tournament, which is being held in Perth, Australia, and is for acclimatisation for the players, is contested between eight teams split into two groups of four. The British duo have Italy, France and the USA to contend with in Group B, but Murray and Robson are the number two seeds behind Serbia. Jet lag was clearly a problem for Murray in particular, who looked tired when it came to the doubles match. Laura Robson was up first against last year’s French Open winner Francesca Schiavone and the youngster pushed the Italian all the way, losing out 7-5, 6-3 in the end. This could be a massive year in the progress of Laura Robson, who is regarded as one of the most talented young tennis stars in the world. The Australian born player, then saw her team mate Andy Murray pull the fixture back level, as he beat Potito Starace. The British duo couldn’t pull things out when it came to the deciding doubles match though, and after taking the first set, lost the final two on tie breaks. After taking a bit of a break at the end of last year, this tournament is just used for a bit of conditioning, and with the hot, humid conditions in Perth, Murray was struggling with his breathing. His fitness will improve though, and that’s why he is there, ahead of the first Grand Slam of the Season.

This doesn’t mean that the tournament is over for Murray and Robson yet, they just have to win their final two matches and hope other results go their way. Realistically, there is potential there, as Britain should beat the French duo, but may find the Americans of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and John Isner a tougher nut to crack. The USA beat France in their opening group match. Looking at the outright winner for the Hopman Cup, you really have to look at Serbia, as they have sent out the big guns. Serbia are represented by Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic, and that is a little bit formidable. Djokovic is the highest ranked singles player in the competition, ranked third in the world. Ana Ivanovic herself is a former world number one, and someone who used last season very well as a comeback to rediscovering that form. There doesn’t appear to be much to stand in their way in the group. They are the top seeds, and they will face third seed Belgium, a team of Justine Henin and Ruben Bemelmans, plus an Australia side and one from Kazakhstan. Australia beat Belgium in their opening group match, while, as expected Serbia crushed Kazakhstan 3-0 in their match. Again, it looks like the players out there are still finding their feet in the new season, but it is an exciting tournament, played over a great format. The top team from each group will contest the final. Laura Robson and Andy Murray get back into action on the 5th, when they take on France.

Hit Betfair for your Hopman cup betting, as there are some good prices floating around there at the moment. Serbia are simply the strongest team in the tournament and will take some stopping, so they will be worth a punt at around 1/2. Do Great Britain have a good chance? It is going to be tough for them, but the group is still open, and they are out at around 4/1 to win the Hopman Cup this year. The conditioning of the two Brits just doesn’t look right yet, so it could be a bit of a stretch asking them to win there. The USA are worth a look really, especially being out at around 6/1, as they have good battling qualities in the side. The Betting Exchange Betfair really is a good option for your early 2011 tennis betting, as you will find good coverage there. You can also get yourself a free £25 No Risk first bet when you open an account with the betting exchange. This means that if your first bet loses, then Betfair will coverage your loss with a free bet, up to the value of £25

Youngsters Robson and Watson look to impress

There is plenty of British interest at Wimbledon Tennis Championships this year. Andy Murray will get a lot of home support naturally, as he goes in search of his first ever Grand Slam. He has been going through tough times this season after reaching the final of the Australian Grand Slam and losing there to Roger Federer. He looks to be lacking a bit of confidence in himself, and needs to channel his aggression and little bit better. He is the only Brit in the top 100 of the ATP rankings, and naturally there will be a lot of pressure on his shoulders. Likewise with the only British women in the top 100 of the WTA rankings, Elena Baltacha, who has been enjoying a wonderful season. Baltacha has picked up some notable wins this year, beating Jie Zheng, along with Na Li, and battled well in her first set against Sam Stosur in the quarter finals at Eastbourne. Baltacha is currently sitting at her highest ranking ever of 52, and she looks to be getting better and stronger all the time. There will be a lot of cheers for her at Wimbledon, as she takes on world #77 Petra Martic of Croatia in the first round. A win there would earn her a great tie against World Number 11 Marion Bartoli in the second round.

Two notable Brits have been handed wildcard entries into Wimbledon, and will be worth keeping an eye on, as they are the future of British tennis. Heather Watson, who seems to have a permanent smile on her face, is good future talent, having won the US Open junior title, and crushed Aleksandra Wozniak last year (who is ranked 296 places higher than her in the world standings). 18 year old Watson goes up against qualifier Romina Sarina Oprandi from Italy in the first round, who stands at 140th in the world rankings, and stands a good chance of progressing. But perhaps more eyes will be on sixteen year old Laura Robson, who will be taking centre stage on Monday. The powerful, talented youngster really has the tennis world at her feet. Robson is a former junior Wimbledon champion, and she steps out onto Centre Court for the first time ever as she faces number four seed Jelena Jankovic in the first round. That will be a huge moment for her, as she continues to grow and develop into such a promising player. The Aussie born Brit put on a great show last year when she took Daniela Hantuchova to three sets in the first round. Britain also have Anne Keothavong, Katie 0’Brien and Melanie South in first round action on the first two days.

Elena Baltacha to win: 7/19 at Bwin
Petra Martic to win: 5/2 at SkyBet

Jelena Jankovic to win: 1/8 at Boylesports
Laura Robson to win: 13/2 at 888Sport

Heather Watson to win: 9/10 at Victor Chandler
Romina Oprandi to win: Evens at Bet365

While Britain awaits to see if Andy Murray can bring the ultimate pride into British tennis by winning his first Grand Slam, there is a chance to support another Brit. Junior Laura Robson has reached the final of the Girl’s tournament, after simply cruising her way through her Quarter Final and Semi Final matches. The rising young British star has been showing a lot of potential, and is overwhelmingly the next great British hope for the tennis. The sixteen year old already has one Grand Slam title under her belt, that accolade being won at Wimbledon in 2008.

Robson put in some great performances with team mate Andy Murray at the Hopman Cup, in preparation for this event. She also had an unexpectedly good run in the doubles with partner Sally Peers, which ended in the Quarter Finals, which meant that her Australian Open schedule has been jam packed. That hasn’t seemed to slow her down however, and perhaps it has given her the extra momentum and desire needed to claim her second Junior Grand Slam title.

Laura Robson to win: 4/11 at Labdrokes
Karolina Pliskova to win: 15/8 at Stan James

In the final, she meets Russia’s Karolina Pliskova, after beating her opponents twin sister Kristyna 6-3, 6-1 in the semi final. The Girl’s final follows the Boy’s final, which means that Robson should be on court during the very early hours of Saturday morning, a precursor the Women’s Final between Serena William and Justine Henin.

Dare Britain believe that they will have two Grand Slam winners at the Australian Open? Sixteen year old Laura Robson has played her way into the semi finals of the Girl’s Tournament, as she goes in search of her second Grand Slam title. The performances of Robson have been commendable, as she is a genuine rising talent of British sport. She took under three quarters of an hour to beat her quarter final opponent, and now plays Kristyna Pliskova in the semi. Pliskova beat top seed Timea Babos in the Quarter Final, which should mean that the seventeen year old is not going to be a pushover. Still, Robson seems to be growing in stature, confidence and ability all the time. Her Quarter Final victory came literally hours after a defeat in the Doubles competition. A busy schedule for young Robson, but hopefully all of the hard work will pay off.

Laura Robson to win: 2/9 at Stan James
Kristyna Pliskova to win: 10/3 at Bet365

With all of the Murray Mania going on in support of Britain’s Andy Murray who is seeking his first Tennis Grand Slam title in Melbourne, there is another Brit on the radar of making it to a final. In last year’s tournament, Laura Robson, age 16, was the losing finalist in the Girls Australian Open. Now she gets to square off against the USA’s Ester Goldfield in her Quarter Final match. Robson is a former Junior World Number One and will be looking to go one better this year, and push her very promising career forward.

She has had a busy time of things at the Australian Open, partaking in the Girls Doubles tournament as well. She and partner Sally Peers lost in the Quarter Finals though to Maria Kirilenko and Agniezska Radwanska. Robson had a great warm up for the tournament, partnering Andy Murray in the Hopman Cup event, in which they reached the final together. That was a great experience for her, playing against higher level opposition, and she performed wonderfully in beating World 26th seed Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in her singles match in the final.

Laura Robson to win: 1/5 at Bet365
Ester Goldfield to win: 10/3 at SkyBet

I can’t recall there ever being the slightest interest among layers previously in pricing up the Hopman Cup. The traditional curtain-raiser to the tennis year, staged at the Burswood Centre in Perth, Western Australia for the past 21 years, has always passed relatively unnoticed by bookmakers and punters alike. 2010, however, is different. Andy Murray‘s decison to take in the singles/mixed doubles round-robin tournament  instead of his usual route via the Qatar Open in Doha as part of his preparation for the Australian Open has attracted a lot of media interest, enhanced by the fact that the Scot is being partnered by former Wimbledon junior champion Laura Robson, whom many believe is that most rare of creatures, a British girl with the potential to make it to the upper echelons of the women’s game. Ranked three in the world, Murray is by far and away the highest rated player in the event and would be expected to win all three of his group singles matches. But he’s never excelled at the doubles game, while Robson may struggle to compete, at this stage of her career, with the likes of Elena Dementieva and Sabine Lisicki in her singles matches. Taking into account both will have bigger fish to fry in the months ahead not even Skybet‘s 11-2 makes much appeal for Great Britain to win the event. That honour could go to Russia, who team Dementieva with Igor Andreev. The latter has been ranked in the world’s top 40 for the past three years and won more matches than he’s lost on the ATP Tour while his partner is currently ranked fifth in the world and, just as importantly, has bags of experience on the doubles circuit. Russia  7-2 with Ladbrokes to win the tournament and 6-4 with Betfred and Ladbrokes to win Group B, should have the measure of Germany (a general 6-1 for overall success) and Great Britain in their section and are fancied to see off Group A fancies Spain (7-1 with Betfred to win outright) in the final.