Wimbledon Betting / Editor / 28 June 2007 /

Tim Henman takes centre stage again on Thursday as he resumes his second-round match with Feliciano Lopez of Spain, after rain once again stopped the British number two in his tracks. Britain's lone hope in the women's singles, Katie O'Brien, didn't even get on court against Michaella Krajicek yesterday while Richard Gasquet emerged as the only winner from Betfair's 'Four to Follow' on Day Three.

Day four's Four to Follow:

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) v Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador)
The interest in this match on Court 5 is generated by the fact that the winner will go through to face Henman or Lopez in the third round.

For Lapentti this is his eighth Wimbledon with 2002 his best year, when he reached the quarter-finals. But this week marks the clay-court specialist's first appearance since 2003.

The 30-year-old, in his 12th year on the pro circuit, is down to 63 in the rankings and is up against one of France's rising stars in the 22-year-old Tsonga, who is already up to 110 in the world. It is his first time at Wimbledon and is it the first time he has made a Grand Slam second round, after falling at the first hurdle at the French two years ago and the Australian this year.

Lapentti's experience could prove crucial, although betfair punters don't fancy the man from Ecuador to progress, he is trading at 7.2 to reach the third round. Meanwhile, the man from Le Mans - who won at Surbiton on the Challenger circuit and reached the last 16 at Queen's, is 1.15 to win this first meeting between the pair.

Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic, 7) v Michael Llodra (France)
There's a battle of the big boys on Court 5 with seventh seed Tomas Berdych, standing 6ft 5in, taking on 6ft 3in left-hander Michael Llodra.

They have met just once - at the World Team Championships two years ago in Dusseldorf when Berdych won in two sets.
Llodra, 27, is bidding for a place in the third round for the first time in seven attempts. Berdych, 21, is in his fourth Wimbledon and reached the third round two years ago and the fourth round last year.

Berdych is trading at 1.21 with Betfair to go through, while Llodra is on offer at 5.5.
Robin Soderling (Sweden, 28) v Sebastien Grosjean (France)
Court Five is the place to be for another intriguing contest on Thursday.

Sweden's 28th seed Robin Soderling goes in against France's Sebastien Grosjean, having won their only meeting - that was in Cincinnati back in 2004 in a three-setter.

The 29-year-old Grosjean, a Marseille-born Florida resident, is giving away six inches and six years to the younger man but he has experience on his side having been a semi-finalist in 2003 and 2004 and a quarter-finalist in 2005.

Soderling went out in the first round in the last three years, but reached the third round on his Wimbledon debut in 2003. The Swede is trading at 1.53 to reach the third round this time - but Grosjean has the grass court know-how and can be backed at 2.82 to go through.

Dinara Safina (Russia, 13) v Akiko Morigami (Japan)
Marat Safin's sister Dinara Safina is bidding to reach the third round of the women's singles for the third year running. The 21-year-old 13th seed is up against world number 71, Akiko Morigami, on Court 4.

If punters are looking for an upset then this might be it. The Japanese player is trading at 7 to go through and match her Wimbledon debut of 2003, where she won two matches before losing to American Jennifer Capriati.
Safina is favoured at 1.16 but her SW19 record is not great, having never been further than the third round.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>