Women's Draw / Tony Calvin / 25 June 2008 / Leave a comment

Lucky net-cord spares the blushes, and saves the millions, of her backers...

Ana Ivanovic was involved in one of the all-time, see-sawing classics at Wimbledon today - well, certainly from a Betfair in-running betting perspective.

When the number one seed was a break up in the first set, she was amazingly backed at the minimum odds of [1.01] on Betfair, with £22,000 matched at that price and over £203,000 at odds of [1.02].

And her opponent Nathalie Dechy had drifted to [85.0] on the betting exchange.

But just an hour later it was her opponent who was holding two match points, and the Frenchwoman was being backed at odds of [1.01] on Betfair to secure the biggest shock of the tournament to date.

The one-time [1.01] favourite was now available at [11.0] on Betfair!

But, after saving one match point, it was heartbreak for Dechy, as Ivanovic only stayed in the match courtesy of a net-cord that fell her way. Cruel for Dechy, but blessed relief for punters for whom millions were riding on an Ivanovic win.

That paved the way for an amazing rollercoaster match, as the prices rose and plummeted on each player as the match ebbed and flowed, as the prices below illustrate.

And it was Dechy who finally got off the rollercoaster feeling sick at the end of a thrilling, 3 hours 24 minutes ride, as Ivanovic won 10-8.

Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin observed: "That was one of the all-time great in-running betting events on Betfair.

"Ivanovic kissed the net at the end of the match, and bizarrely many Betfair punters would rather have done the same, rather than the stunning Serb.

"That net-cord was a seven-figure swing for our customers."

HOW THE ODDS CHANGED ON BETFAIR IN AN IN-RUNNING CLASSIC

•Ivanovic is backed at [1.01] on Betfair when a break up in the first set (over £200k is matched at odds of [1.02]), with Dechy available at [85.0]

•Dechy wins the first set, and is backed at [1.01] on Betfair when holding two match points at [2.2] in the second set

•Ivanovic escapes when a net cord at 30-40 topples over to the right side of the net - for her, at least.

•Ivanovic is backed at [1.04] on Betfair when a break up in the deciding set, with Dechy drifting to [22.0]

•Dechy breaks back

•Ivanovic is backed at [1.04] when breaking her opponent again and is serving for the match at 5-3

•Dechy breaks back and, at [2.2], the betting is now [1.25] Ivanovic and [5.0] Dechy

•Ivanovic is backed at [1.09] on Betfair when leading 6-5 and 30-0, and again when holding match points at 40-30 and advantage

•Dechy holds her nerve

•Ivanovic is [1.03] when holding three match points at 40-0 and 9-8 up

•The number one seed wins 10-8

Tags: Ana Ivanovic Wimbledon, Dechy, Wimbledon odds