MURRAY NEW $2.40 FAVOURITE TO LAND OPEN…WHILE PUNTERS SPLURGE ON SERENA!

27th January 2010, by Daniel Hillege

Closing in on a breakthrough Grand Slam title, Great British hope Andy Murray is the new favourite with bookmaker Centrebet to win the Australian Open after a crushing display in a quarter-final last night...

Closing in on a breakthrough Grand Slam title, Great British hope Andy Murray is the new favourite with bookmaker Centrebet to win the Australian Open after a crushing display in a quarter-final last night forcing defending champion Rafael Nadal to withdraw from injury in the third set!

Centrebet's Neil Evans said Murray - on his way to a straight sets win when Nadal caved in - had been well backed either side of the match and had now charged into $2.40 favourite (from $4.25) and edged ahead of three-time winner Roger Federer ($2.65)! "It would be an epic final – the Slam-collecting Swiss maestro against the rising Scot who has one of the most disciplined all-round games and who is very suited to the surface at Melbourne Park," Evans said.

"Punters are finding out just what a complete game Murray has, but of course the money has been strong for Federer right through the Open!"

Evans said this was the first time in history Federer had lost favouritism heading into the semi-finals! The number one seed is a $1.33 favourite today against in-form Russian Nickolay Davydenko ($3.30), and $2.90 to win in straight sets, while in a replay of the 2008 final, Serb Novak Djokovic is a $1.42 favourite to eliminate Frenchman Jo Wilfred Tsonga ($2.85).

Djokovic, who has had a dream run through to the last eight, is $7.50 on Centrebet to win the title again ahead of Davydenko ($9.00), while Croatian young gun Marin Cilic is in to $12.00 after knocking out Andy Roddick in five sets.

In the women's quarter-finals today China's Na Li has shortened from $2.65 into $2.55, but will still go in a clear outsider against Venus Williams ($1.45 out to $1.50), while Bellarussian Victoria Azarenka has drifted from $3.55 to enormous value at $4.25 against heavily-backed top seed Serena Williams ($1.28 into $1.22).

Evans said Serena had been “smashed by punters from everywhere” in the last 12 hours, including bets of $45,000.00 at $1.28, $40,000.00 at $1.24, $10,000.00 at $1.28 and $8,000.00 at $1.28! “She holds an astonishing 97 per cent of nearly $150,000.00 traded on the match so far,” he said.

Serena Williams has consequently firmed on Centrebet this morning from $2.20 into $2.10 to win the tournament ahead of Belgian Justine Henin ($2.55 out to $2.75) with a big gap to Venus Williams ($8.00).

Meanwhile, comeback queen Henin has opened a hot $1.20 favourite to win her semi-final against China’s Jie Zheng ($4.50).

FOR ALL THE OUTRIGHT, MATCH & EXOTIC MARKETS GO TO www.centrebet.com TENNIS

last update : 27th January 2010 15:36