Los Angeles Tennis Betting Open-Mardy Fish vs Chris Guccione

No.2 seed Mardy Fish at -400 (1/4) is a good play but not a sure play. Fish is inconsistent and unpredictable. At any given moment, he can play scintillating tennis Betting or he can be abysmal and implode on court. Therefore, the outcome of this match is going to be determined by which Fish makes his appearance tonight. That said, Fish owns a 2-0 edge over Guccion and he has home edge in this match.

Also, Fish has a 20-15 mark on the season and one title which, on paper, makes Fish the value play.

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Tennis Betting-Top seed Haas breezes into LA tennis quarters

Top seeded German Tommy Haas and eighth seed Russian Marat Safin cruised into the quarter-finals at the 700,000 dollar LA Tennis Betting Open.

Haas beat American wild card Jesse Levine 6-1, 6-3. Haas has 17 wins and four losses since April. This is Haas first tournament since losing to Roger Federer in the semis at Wimbledon.



Safin rallied to topple Latvian Ernests Gulbis, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on the hardcourts at Los Angeles Tennis Center at UCLA. It's Safin's first quarter-final berth this year. He'll meet Haas next.

In other second-round play, Aussie qualifier Carsten Ball was leading third- seeded Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 0-1 when the Russian retired with a left ankle injury.

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Tennis Betting-Somdev loses In LA Open First Round

India's Somdev Devvarman failed to make headway after reaching the main draw of the LA Tennis Betting Open and lost to fifth-seeded Russian Igor Kunitsyn 5-7, 2-6 in the first round.

Devvarman, who turned pro a year ago, should have won the first set, having broken the Russian's service twice, but could not press home the advantage on Tuesday.

Kunitsyn, who has not won consecutive matches since reaching the Memphis quarter-finals in February, took the second set comfortably and with it the match, though tennis bookies had favoured the Indian to win it over three sets.

For the 24-year-old Indian, twice NCAA singles champion, this was the second successive defeat against the Russian, having lost to the world number 37 in his first pro tournament, Legg Mason Tennis Betting Classic, 4-6, 1-6, after winning his first career ATP match defeating Taylor Dent.

Devvarman, a graduate of the University of Virginia, slumped 25 ranks to 152 on ATP charts released Monday from a career-best 125 last week.

Kunitsyn next plays Argentinean Leonardo Mayer who beat French qualifier Josselin Ouanna 6-2, 6-3.

American John Isner fired 15 aces and dropped only four points on his first serve in clinching two tough tie-breakers to surprise seventh-seeded German Benjamin Becker 7-6(8), 7-6 (3) as he carried his form that took him into last week's Indianapolis semi-finals.

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Sania Mirza wins ITF Lexington Challenger Tennis Tournament

Indian's No. 1 Tennis player Sania Mirza, continued with her good form and won the ITF Lexington Challenger title. Sania beat top seeded Julie Coin of France 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to win the title along with a prize money of $50,000. The 22-year-old Sania, who recently got engaged to her childhood friend Sohrab Mirza, moved to 80th place in the latest WTA singles rankings with this win.

Although Sania Mirza improved her singles rankings, she dropped 10 placed to 49th in the WTA Doubles list. It is believed that she would again repeat the magic she showed earlier and break into the top 25 in the WTA singles rankings sooner or later.

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And then there were two - All American Final at Wimbledon

London, Great Britain –We each have expectations (we form them in our day-to-day lives all the time even if we don’t want to admit it). Past experience teaches us to assume them. And if for example, we were to turn the tube on Saturday and find that the two women contesting the women’s final were other than Venus and Serena, we would be surprised –not because watching any other players contesting a final is shocking but because Wimbledon would be an unexpected tournament to see it happen in. The expectation across the board was that the luscious lawns of the All England Club would serve up a Venus, Serena sequel to their 2008 Wimbledon Final Tennis Betting. And did they ever.

Serena Williams was first up against Elena Dementieva today; and believe it or not, she had her hands full with Dementieva. At times, I would go so far as to say Dementieva looked better. Heck, she even reached match point at 5-4 in the third set; but Serena is Serena and true to form, she battled to erase that audacious match point to level at 5-5 in the third and deciding set, before capping the victory 6-7(4), 7-5, 8-6.

In the second semi-final, two-time defending champion Venus Williams steamrolled Dinara Safina in a 6-1, 6-0 Centre Court demolition. Enough said.

Prior to the start of Wimbledon a fortnight ago, London bookies as well as worldwide tennis betting markets (just like last year, come to that) tipped a sister act at the Wimbledon Championship final. Now that the women’s singles semis are done and dusted, the prophetic prediction has come to pass: we are in for another Venus versus Serena symphony at the All England Club.

So unexpected, you say? Not. It was almost as certain as the sun rising in the morning and setting at night. Admittedly –and I say this with great respect for the Williams sisters and their achievements – I was hoping for a different makeup for Saturday’s finale. There I said it. Even one that was minus a sister (any sister, I am not fussy really). Just for variety because the women’s game needs it. Like it or not, high profile losses –like Rafa falling at Roland Garros – inject a sense of drama into proceedings. Drama that acts as a stimulus. Drama that creates more drama to stir the soul. Drama that makes great things happen.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no woman right now who can foot the bill. Dinara Safina did well enough (one can be generous) to reach the semis at Wimbledon – a surface she has battled against her entire life and never quite liked. By her own admission, she is not a grassie. Yet she remained competitive; that is, until her path came across Venus and the wheels came undone. I am not sure if there is anything one can say against Dementieva. Her performance left no questioned unanswered. She gave Serena everything she had with interest. It was simply not good enough to beat Serena. Period.

So what we are left with is a landscape that is woefully inadequate. And, no player that can step up to the plate. Women’s tennis is not in a happy place (Venus and Serena excluded, of course). Hasn’t been for some time now. It is in complete disarray – or as tennis experts like to spin it: in transition. If the women’s game is in transition, Venus and Serena are its – in mathematical parlance: constants.

As much as I might have to say about the complete disarray in the women’s game, disarray that predates this tournament anyway, we have to be thankful for the Williams’ sisters. If it were not for their constant presence, we would be left with nothing but questionable variables.

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US Open Tennis Betting

Federer still the favorite.

It is very difficult to predict the 2009 US Open because there are four players that all look like they are championship calibre: Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Roddick. Throw some very tough outs like Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro into the mix and the final Grand Slam event of the season looks like it will be very entertaining. In making the smartest pick the odds must be considered and they have changed since the conclusion of Wimbledon 2009.

Here are all the players with odds of +5000 (50/1) or better to win the 2009 US Open Tennis Betting.

1. Roger Federer, +150 (3/2)
2. Andy Murray, +250 (5/2)
3. Rafael Nadal, +350 (7/2)
4. Novak Djokovic, +750 (15/2)
5. Andy Roddick, +900 (9/1)
6. Juan Martin Del Potro, +1000 (10/1)
7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, +1800 (18/1)
8. Fernando Verdasco, +3300 (33/1)
9. Nikolay Davydenko, David Nalbandian, and Fernando Gonzalez +5000 (50/1)

If you throw out Roger Federer and Andy Murray as picks not worth making because of their prices (not because of their ability) then where is the value?

Notably Roddick has shortened since the end of Wimbledon as he was a +1200 (12/1) underdog immediately following The Championships but there is still value in picking him at this point. He has the determination to win, more so than in recent years, and he proved in the Wimbledon final that he is better than his ranking of 6th in the world. At this point, Roddick must be considered a heavier favorite than Djokovic and any price on Roddick of +600 (6/1) or better should be taken.

What to expect from Nadal in the 2009 US Open is not totally clear. When he pulled out of Wimbledon, after losing the French, it was tough to know what to make of the situation. Genuinely injured? Off of his game and not wanting to take a bad loss?

Nadal is listed as a entry into the Rogers Cup in Montreal, Canada in a few weeks time, a tournament that he currently holds the single's title in. The field in that tournament is Grand Slam-like with all the top players on the tour expected to be there. Nadal's game will have to be scrutinized closely in that tournament to figure out if +350 (7/2) odds have any value but our inclination is that they do not at this point.

Historically, the US Open is Nadal's worst slam and since he has been such a question mark of late, how could picking him to win a tournament he's never won before be recommended? Especially at just +350 (7/2)?

Down the list there is value in Del Potro and possibly even Fernando Gonzalez. Del Potro is a player that many analysts think is going to take down a Grand Slam soon. He's on top of his game and he's been deep in so many Slams lately, Wimbledon aside, that at +1000 (10/1) there has to be some value in picking him.

With Gonzalez, his hard hitting style of play should theoretically suit the hard courts of Flushing Meadows although he's only ever made the quarters there. The value in Gonzalez is that he is set at +5000 (50/1) which is a little bit disrespectful of the French Open semifinalist who can stay in a match against anyone. His true odds might be more like +2500 (25/1) and so picking him provides some value.

Our recommendation at this point is to pick Roddick and Del Potro to win the 2009 US Open. With the odds they provide, only one winning bet is necessary to turn a good profit and backing those two players should keep your bets in play deep into the tournament.

If you are not looking to bet on this point then you would be smart to keep an eye on the early rounds of the Canadian Open, the Rogers Cup. Look at Nadal in his early matches and try to find reasons to be confident in his game. Convincing victories in the early rounds (like 6-3, 6-2) should signify that he is in fact a contender at this year's final Grand Slam event.

Check out the Latest Tennis Odds in Online Sportsbook section at SPORTSBETTING.COM.

Women’s Singles US Open Futures

With another Williams Wimbledon Final (seriously they should just call it the Williams Slam) done and dusted tennis betting fans should start looking ahead to the 2009 US Open futures market. Wimbledon confirmed many things we already suspected; namely, that the women’s game is in complete disarray save for Serena and Venus Williams who continue to dominate events they chose to participate in (chose being the operative word). This valuable insight from Wimbledon— the mixed performance of so many at the All England Club, and during the course of the first half of the season come to that, should definitely be used as a measuring stick for the US Open

Here are SPORTSBETTING.com US Open futures on some of the favourites in the women’s game:

Serena Williams +150

Maria Sharapova +450

Venus Williams +500

Victoria Azarenka +750

Dinara Safina +800

Ana Ivanovic +800

Elena Dementieva +1000

Jelena Jankovic +1000

Vera Zvonareva +1200

Svetlana Kuznetsova +1600

Caroline Wozniacki +2000

Grab Serena (+150) now before her odds shorten. That should be obvious I would think. The 11-time Grand Slam champion, and two-time Grand Slam champion in 2009, Serena is enjoying a remarkable season and in winning the Aussie Open and Wimbledon titles this year she proves she is still a force to be reckoned with and the player to beat at Flushing Meadows. She is the defending champion and at +150 odds, she screams value.

Maria Sharapova is generously tipped at +450 in the market; why she is the second favourite is a tad perplexing. She returned from a shoulder operation a few months ago, and save for a quarterfinal appearance at the French Open (surprising result considering she dislikes clay), she has done little to suggest she would challenge for a Grand Slam title this year. Next year is more realistic. The hope she will get match fit by the time the US Open rolls in and give the event a plotline that includes a protagonist other than a Williams sister (here is hoping) is unrealistic. Though Sharapova won the US Open in 2006 and where intangibles are concerned – heart and desire – she is a factor, she has no value right now.

Dinara Safina (+450) the world No.1 player was demolished once again at a Grand Slam but this time in the semis; she is fast gaining a reputation of being the most outclassed No.1 player ever. Yet, there is value in her – hallucinatory, as it may seem right about now. She is fit, she works hard and she is competitive over the course of a tournament if only up to the final moments. Twice she was a finalist at a major this year – Aussie Open and French Open. Most recently, she reached the Wimbledon semis. At all three majors this year she went deep so one has to believe she is a contender. She is not the best player because she hasn’t won a major (the rankings say she is) but taking all into consideration, like it or not, she is the second best at the moment.

Safina was a semi-finalist at the 2008 US Open and the winner of the US open series. She has to break duck at some point. What better stage than the very same stage that saw her older brother Marat Safin shock Pete Sampras in 2000 to win his first major title.

The retail value on venus williams (+500) is adequate. However, save for dominating Wimbledon, she has not won any other Grand Slam title in years. The last US Open title she won was in 2002. Keep in mind she is also 29-years-old. Though, still a force and not to be taken lightly, she is not fantastic value at +500 for tennis bettors.

Perhaps the best value aside from Serena Williams comes in Elena Dementieva (+1000). She is quite a long shot bet the way the market has cast her but after her Wimbledon run methinks her odds might be shortening soon. They certainly did over this last fortnight at Wimbledon as she showed her abilities and had she converted on her match point against Serena in the semis, one has to think she would have handled Venus in the final. Nevertheless, dwelling on that potential sequence of events is pointless and misses the point. Wimbledon is behind us.Serena williams triumphed. It is all about the US Open.

Dementieva has been to the US Open semis four times in her career and was a runner-up once. At +1000 odds, she offers great value, as she might genuinely be the third best player (or second depending on perspective) on the tour right now.

Svetlana Kuznetsova (+1600) won the French Open title but her meek showing at Wimbledon takes away from any value she might have had a month ago. Skip Kuznetsova despite her runner-up finish at the US Open last year. I don’t think she will reach as far this time around.

Viktoria Azarenka (+750) and Caroline Wozniacki (+2000) are simply not ready yet for Grand Slam glory, Dinara Safina (+800) though knocking on Grand Slam doors is confounding, Ana Ivanovic (+800) is floundering and Jelena Jankovic (+1000), watch this space.....

Tennis Betting-Nadal Makes Cautious Return To Tennis Training After Tendinitis

Rafael Nadal practiced for the first time in more than a month after the six-time Grand Slam tennis champion was sidelined by tendinitis in both knees.

Nadal, whose injuries prevented him from defending his Wimbledon title last month, had a one hour, 15-minute hitting session yesterday with his uncle and coach Toni Nadal.

"I'm very Happy to be back training,get to touch a racket again and do what ia love doing the most,".

“At the same time, it was just a very light hitting session, without putting too much pressure; just enough to see how I am.”

Nadal said last week he plans to return to the ATP World Tour in next month’s Rogers Cup in Montreal, which starts Aug. 10. The tournament, which Nadal won in Toronto last year, is part of the ATP’s Masters series and a warm-up for the U.S. Open, the only Grand Slam event Nadal is yet to win.

Nadal plans to return to practice Monday and return to the ATP Tour next month, according to his publicist. Nadal, who had tests on his sore knees Tuesday in Barcelona, Spain, plans to play in the hardcourt tournament that begins Aug. 10 in Montreal. He has not played a match since being upset in the fourth round at the French Open in May.

The Spaniard hasn’t played since losing to Robin Soderling in the fourth round of the French Open in May. It was his first defeat on the clay courts of Roland Garros in Paris, where he was the four-time defending champion.

Roger Federer won his first French Open championship after Nadal’s exit to complete the career Grand Slam and claimed his sixth Wimbledon title four weeks later for his record 15th major.

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Tennis Betting-MercedesCup Sunday Tennis Results

Jeremy Chardy captured his first ATP World Tour title and became the first Frenchman to win the MercedesCup in Stuttgart since Henri Leconte in 1984, after defeating fourth seed Victor Hanescu of Romania 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in Sunday’s final. It was the pair’s third meeting (Chardy 2-1).

Chardy, who won two matches on Saturday to reach his second ATP World Tour final, collected €71,700 and 250 South African Airways 2009 ATP Ranking points while Hanescu picked up €37,700 and 150 points. Chardy was also presented with a Mercedes E350 car by the title sponsors.

The 22 year old, runner-up to compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg in February, is the fourth first-time winner on the ATP World Tour circuit this year (also Guillermo Garcia-Lopez-Kitzbuhel, Benjamin Becker-‘s-Hertogenbosch and Rajeev Ram-Newport).

Chardy will move to around No. 35 in the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings. He is one of eight Frenchmen in the Top 50.

Hanescu, appearing in his third ATP World Tour final, clinched the first set in 31 minutes – courtesy of service breaks in the second and sixth games. The ATP World Tour No. 33 hit two aces and won 19 of 29 service points.

The second set went with serve until the sixth game, when Chardy sealed a service break. The Frenchman ran through the 31-minute set, winning 20 of 26 service points including four aces.

Chardy maintained his stranglehold on the match by jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the third set, but Hanescu regained his composure and began to fight back. The soon-to-be 28 year old broke serve in a seven-minute sixth game, and saved two break points in the next game to trail 3-4.

Hanescu was unable to convert two break point opportunities in the eighth game. Chardy sprang into life to clinch a fourth service break for victory in one hour and 49 minutes. The Frenchman hit 10 aces, five double faults and saved five of eight break points in total.

Chardy lost two sets (10-2) at the ATP World Tour 250 clay-court tennis betting tournament and improved to 26-17 (12-6 on clay) on the 2009 ATP World Tour season.

For more check out Tennis Betting.

Tennis Betting-2009 West Virginia Open Tennis Tounrament Ready To Hit The Courts At Oglebay

The 48th West Virginia Open tennis tournament will hit the courts at Oglebay starting , Wednesday July 22nd.

More than 100 players from 12 different states will participate in the five day event.

For the third straight year the tournament is serving as the Middle States Sectional Championship.

There will be championships battled for in 23 different divisions on both the men's and women's sides.

Registrations for singles players will be accepted until midnight , Saturday July 18th . While registrations for doubles teams are being accepted until 2:00pm , Wednesday July 22nd.

For more check out Tennis Betting.

Tennis Betting-Youngest Player In WTT history Tops Serena Williams

With her powerful groundstrokes and rocket serves, Madison Keys looks like a seasoned veteran when she's on the tennis court. It's when she stops playing and you can get a look at her face that you realize she's the youngest woman out there.


The nearly-invisible braces, the remaining hint of a baby face; I guessed she was about to become a freshman when I saw her at the Washington Kastles-Philadelphia Freedoms World TeamTennis match last week.

She's 14-years old and playing in a professional tennis league. Fourteen! The t-shirt I'm wearing right now is older than Madison Keys. The Simpsons had peaked by the time she was born. Yet, on Monday night, Keys bested Wimbledon champion Serena Williams in the singles event at their World TeamTennis match.

For more check out Tennis Betting.

Nadal Set To Return Tennis Betting Action In Montreal Next Month

Rafael Nadal is scheduled to return to tennis competition in Montreal in August, two months after tendinitis in both knees forced the six-time Grand Slam champion to the sidelines.

Nadal had medical tests today in Barcelona and is slowly recovering from his injuries, according to a statement on his Web site. The knee problems prevented him from defending his championship at Wimbledon.


The 23-year-old Spaniard will resume practice on July 20 and return to action on the ATP Tour on Aug. 10 in the Rogers Cup, where he won the title last year, the statement said.

“I am happy with the way the tests went and of the positive evolution of the injury as the doctors are saying,” Nadal said on his Web site. “I am really looking forward to practice again and to do again what I most like: to play tennis.”

Nadal was eliminated in the fourth round of the French Open in June, ending his run for a fifth consecutive championship at the clay court Grand Slam event in Paris. He played an exhibition match on grass courts to test his knees and was seeded No. 1 at Wimbledon before withdrawing three days before the tournament started on June 22.

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Women’s Tennis Organization Names Stacey Allaster Chairman

Stacey Allaster is the new chairman and chief executive officer of the Sony Ericsson Women’s Tennis Association Tour. She succeeds Larry Scott, who left the organization to become commissioner of the NCAA PAC-10 Conference.

Allaster previously was WTAT president. She will be based at the tour’s U.S. headquarters in St. Petersburg.

Her appointment is the result of an international search led by executive recruitment firm Korn/Ferry International and the tour’s board of directors, a release said.

Her previous experience also includes serving as vice president and tournament director at Tennis Canada, generating revenue and attendance for the Canadian Open, now the Rogers Cup, and helping to foster tournaments in Montreal and Toronto.

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Spain reaches semifinals of tennis' Davis Cup

Spain's Davis Cup tennis team qualified for the Septembers' semifinals on Sunday thanks to Juan Carlos Ferrero's win over German rival Andreas Beck in straight sets of 6-4, 6-4 and 6-4, which gave Spain a 3-2 win in the series.

Earlier on Sunday, Germany's Philipp Koholschreiber had equalized the series after a fraught battle with Spain's Fernando Verdasco, in sets of 6-4, 6-2, 1-6, 2-6 and 8-6.

Ferrero, the world's number 37 and a member of Davis Cup winning teams in 2000 and 2004, was absent during the last three editions of the Tennis Betting tournament.

However, a good performance at Wimbledon Open, where he was a special guest, help him raise morale and his game. Under pressure with the series equalized, Ferrero played at the top of his game.

On the first day, Andrea Beck defeated Spain's Tommy Robledo and Spain's doubles team defeated their German rivals.

Spain's next competitive game is against Israel, which eliminated Russia on Sunday, in a shock upset.

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Davis Cup tennis playoff draw set

Canada will look to hold on to its place in the Davis Cup when it faces Peru in a five-match first-round playoff starting Friday.

Peter Polansky of Thornhill, Ont., faces Ivan Miranda in the early singles match on Friday, before Bruno Agostinelli of Niagara Falls, Ont., meets Luis Horna.

In Saturday's doubles action, Toronto's Daniel Nestor, fresh of a doubles win at Wimbledon, and Frederic Niemeyer of Sherbrooke, Que., take on Horna and Miranda.

A win against Peru this weekend would allow Canada to keep its spot in the Davis Cup's Americas Zone Group 1 for 2010.

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Roddick Misses Davis Cup

After losing to Roger Federer in the men’s final at Wimbledon, Andy Roddick will miss the Davis Cup quarterfinals due to a hip flexor.


Roddick sustained the injury against Sunday’s classic match against Federer and the United States is listed at +700 to win this year’s Davis Cup.

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Tennis journal: Rain washes out the day's matches

Getting the second round of the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Betting Championships underway proved to be an exercise in futility. Mother Nature just did not want to cooperate on Tuesday, ultimately forcing the cancellation of play.

The problems began when a dense fog hanging over the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the morning left a heavy coat of dew on the grass courts.

A brief rain shower then passed through, forcing the matches to be postponed for 2 1/2 hours.

Play got underway at 1:30 p.m., only to be suspended again by another rain delay 32 minutes later.

The shower again lasted only briefly, and head groundskeeper Dan Robillard’s crew was back on the courts with walk-behind blowers attempting to dry out the grass.

Play resumed an hour and 20 minutes later, but the rain soon returned – much heavier this time and accompanied by thunder and lightning. At that point, the decision was made to suspend the matches until Wednesday.

Needless to say, no matches were completed Tuesday. Sebastien Grosjean had taken the lead in his match against American Kevin Kim, winning the first set, 6-4.

On Court 1, Philipp Petzschner of Germany won his first set, 6-4, against Horacio Zeballas of Argentina, but was trailing Zeballas, 4-3, in the second set.

On Court 2, Samuel Groth of Australia won his first set, 7-5, against Ricardo Mello of Brazil, but was behind, 3-0, in the second set.

Tennis-Federer Sets Record

Like a heavyweight boxing match–or a welterweight match these days–Roger Federer and Andy Roddick duked it out for the men’s title at Wimbledon.

Federer won, covering as a prohibitive -700 favorite, and in the process took his 15th grand slam event, breaking Pete Sampras’ previous record of 14.

Federer defeated Roddick 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14.

Ted Green:Roger Federer is a Great--And Humble--Tennis Icon

Like Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, carved into the granite of a symbolic national structure, there were Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer, the Mt. Rushmore of men's tennis.


And now Federer, that impeccably elegant, perfect Swiss timepiece, is the grandest champion of all, better than everybody else, the first face on the tennis mountain that all eyes will be drawn to.

For those of us raised on the thrilling and also childishly embarrassing but distinctly American court antics of Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, Federer is an acquired taste. But well worth the time it may have taken to acquire it.

Imagine a champion who doesn't pound his chest or beat an opponent, then verbally humiliate him. What a pleasure to see such a throwback. Federer is like Joe DiMaggio, all style and substance, grace and humility. And no small postscript, his talent is totally off the charts too.

After four-plus hours and a will-this-ever-end?16-14 fifth set, in a display of power tennis that was awesome to behold, you were reminded of the "Thrilla in Manila": two great heavyweights landing haymakers until only one, the great Muhammad Ali, could be left standing.

It being staid and proper Wimbledon, in that most conservative of sports cathedrals, it seemed fair to call it a "Thrilla in Vanilla." Except there was nothing routine or ordinary about Federer's win over a palpably exhausted, emotionally stricken but awfully game Andy Roddick.

Federer's sixth Wimbledon title is his 15th in a slam, counting five U.S. Opens, three Australians and one just last month, his first one, on the torturous red clay at the French.

No slouch at gracefulness himself, Sampras flew into England at the eleventh hour to witness it. And it made the moment at the All-England Club all the more special and complete and right that Sampras was there to personally pass the torch.

Having traveled to London to cover five Wimbledons during the era of Borg, McEnroe and Connors, it's interesting to note that Federer's evenness, his calm, reserved Scandinavian temperament, is the same quality that makes him somehow boring for those fans who prefer their sports heroes wear their hearts on their sleeves.

But it is that same quality that will allow Federer, a month from his 28th birthday, which is certainly old in tennis, to continue competing at a high level for several more years. By contrast, Borg burned out from the pressure to win majors at just 26 and McEnroe, far too intense, was effectively spent around the same age.

And one final reference to Manila versus Vanilla: Like Ali, Federer is now The Greatest of All Time. Only unlike Ali in the fight game, in Fed's game, there is no one else left in the discussion.

Wimbledon Men’s Semfinal Betting

Wimbledon 2009 is slowly coming to a close with the men’s semifinal matchups set.

Tommy Haas has his work cut out for him as he faces Roger Federer–Haas is listed at +650 while Federer is favored at -1000.

In the other match, underdog Andy Roddick (+235) will take on hometown hero and betting fave Andy Murray (-330).

Venus, Serena On A Crash Course?

Will it be the Venus and Serena Williams in the Wimbledon women’s final this year?

It is a distinct possibility.

Serena plays Elena Dementieva in semifinal action and is listed at -500 while Venus plays Dinara Safina listed at -400.

For more Check out Wimbledon Tennis Betting .

Wimbledon Men’s Matchups: July 1

Amongst the matchups on today’s Wimbledon sked, a number of interesting men’s tennis matchups.

Lleyton Hewitt will take on Andy Roddick with Hewitt at +200 and Roddick at -245.

Roger Federer will battle Ivo Karlovic–Federer is a prohibitive -1000 fave while Karlovic is a +650 underdog.

Tommy Haas and Novak Djokovic will meet with Haas listed as a +205 underdog and Djokovic favored at -250.

For more check out Wimbledon Men's Matchups.