Wimbledon 2012: Keep an eye on some big price outsiders
"Melanie Oudin is hitting the ball as sweetly again now as when she first burst onto the scene in making quarter final at Flushing Meadow in 2009."
Gary Boswell doesn't believe that backing the favourites will yield much profit when the Women get underway at Wimbledon next week. Instead our man has picked some huge outsiders to trade throughout the event.
Forget betting the favourites for the women's Championship at Wimbledon which begins next Monday. You can make a case out for each of Serena Williams 4.3100/30, defending Champion Petra Kvitova 5.39/2 and last year's beaten finalist and recent Roland Garros conqueror Maria Sharapova 4.03/1 but choosing between the three is very tough and none of them will make you rich.
The Boz has instead been on the outsiders trail and there is plenty of value to be had in the Betfair market if you are au fait with the mechanics of back to lay and in particular the art of laying back whilst early rounds are in play and your rank outsider is a set up against a seed!
I have several in form fancies to keep an eye on at SW19 next week after an annual visit, with eldest lummox James, to the inaugural grass court tourney of the season at native Edgbaston.
The most interesting player espied is American Melanie Oudin who we watched beating Sorana Cirstea first round and who has gone on to make final. Not even in the Betfair betting yet as she will be a qualifier at Wimbledon but one to lump into your portfolio as soon as she appears as she is hitting the ball as sweetly again now as when she first burst onto the scene in making quarter final at Flushing Meadow in 2009.
The live visit shows up several clues as to the sudden return to form and gym beefed thighs will be part of the new ability to last three sets easily. The other notable factor was how when she lost the first three games of the first set against Cirstea, coach Brian de Villiers was called for and gave her a quick pep talk - reminding her of recurring error no doubt - after which she reeled off three straight win games and went on to blitz the tournament number ten seed. De Villiers has history with talented youngsters and there's another one here - now that her post appearance dip seems to be ending.
The other longshot I'm particular keen on is 29 year old Chinese number two Zheng Jie who can be backed at 330.0329/1 in the Betfair outrights as I write. We watched her play an extended first round game against Alla Kudryatseva (who shocked Sharapova out of WImbledon in the past you'll remember) and she looked to be coming back to the feisty form that saw her make the semi final in Melbourne in 2010 and at Wimbledon in 2008.
Zheng is a peculiar grass courter who doesn't have the biggest serve but her timing is such that the extra speed she can generate greatly benefits her game and she is hitting the lines at the moment with stunning consistency. In the groove as they say and it saw her make SF in Birmingham. She had a true grass court workout that primes her for an extended run at Wimbledon.
Plenty of other grass court possibles to back at big prices with even Kim Clijsters in double figures at 26.025/1. Bit of an ask for her after her lay off but she's back playing well and at that price is worth a back to lay punt given her class.
I'm also on other Birmingham finalist Jelena Jankovic at 150.0149/1 as that is far too long a price for the former world number one who is not my favourite player except when she is hitting the ball with confidence as seems to be the case at this moment! Tsvetana Pironkova is long at 220.0219/1 as is Belgian Yanina Wickmayer who made final at Bad Gastein last week and is huge at 580.0579/1.
A mention also for our own Heather Watson who is in the portfolio at 1000.0999/1. All the British girls played well first round in Birmingham and there was a sense that in two years time we may well actually be justified in getting excited about British women's tennis again.
I was particularly impressed with Tara Moore's 6-1 6-2 win over Iveta Benesova and Samantha Murray also gave Ursula Radwanska a tough workout. It is Watson though who is most advanced of the talented young British team and if the draw falls kindly for her, she could well give the tabloids something to screech about for a fortnight!
THE BOZ's WOMEN's SW19 Back to lay portfolio recommendations:
GET £50 IN FREE BETS MULTIPLES WHEN YOU SPEND £10 ON THE BETFAIR SPORTSBOOK
New customers only. Bet £10 on the Betfair Sportsbook at odds of min EVS (2.0) and receive £50 in FREE Bet Builders, Accumulators or Multiples to use on any sport. T&Cs apply.
Prices quoted in copy are correct at time of publication but liable to change.
