Best value outsiders in the women's draw

Wimbledon
Tennis
24.06.2013 10:30
Posted by: csabax
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wimbledon

With Wimbledon fast approaching, Gary and James Boswell braved the tropical Edgbaston downpours in pursuit of some big priced outsiders to back in the women's draw in SW19

The Aegon Classic - the women's version of the grass court curtain raiser at Queen's Club - can provide some good clues on who is going to impress at Wimbledon.

Magdalena Rybarikova caught the eye in knocking out top seed for the tournament, Belgian Kirsten Flipkens. Rybarikova demonstrated undeniable class, playing a good old fashioned variety of lobs, drop shots and slices to keep her highly rated opponent off balance. She does have pedigree on the grass, winning this tournament in 2009, convincingly beating the excellent fourth seed Li Na that day.

Here, she also showed a great mental toughness against Flipkens when coming back from a seemingly desperate position 4-0 down in the first set tie-break, winning six points on the bounce and taking the first set. And the rain delays didn't seem to phase her - always a good sign for Wimbers!

Maturing and in form and a joy to watch, Rybarikova is a good back-to-lay shout at 200.0.

Somebody who knows a little something about mental toughness is Francesca Schiavone. A woman who never knows when she is beaten and battles for every single point.

The Italian was in fine form dispatching Marina Erakovic. The New Zealander put up a fight, but Schiavone was clinical and ruthless, and, after winning a scrappy first set on a tie break, really turned it on in the second to accelerate to the finish line. A grand slam winner in the past, Schiavone can never be counted out, and her combination of fine tennis and a diamond-hard mind will always leave her right in the mix.

If you're quick you can snap up the small amount available on Schiavone at 650.0 but anything over 200.0 is decent value as she is in the kind of form to be followed.

Of course the trouble with backing in the outright market is the semi-invincible Serena factor. Only when 0-2 down to Kuznetsova in the quarter-final third set did the market at Roland Garros become fluid and getting your back to lays means being constantly on the button. That's what keeps it fascinating though and the challenge to get Serena to wobble - if not actually beat - always makes it worthwhile.

Our one for that challenge this time is Sabine Lisicki. Recorder of the fifth fastest woman's serve of all time, she came back to a bit of form at the Aegon. One of the five or six women on the circuit to hit the ball as hard as Serena, she has a realistic chance of staying with her and, when a player can do that, it always gives us in-play traders a chance.

The drilled back hand was keeping low in the dispatch of Majana Lucic and, while the German still has a lot to learn in the agility stakes and could do with improvement in her forehand groundstrokes, she does have that power that is such a weapon on grass. At 80.0 on the exchange and with a Wimbledon semi-final already to her name, Lisicki is our SW19 favourite to follow.

(Source: Betfair)