Underdogs targeting major upsets in Wimbledon second round
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus is in action at Wimbledon on Wednesday. Picture:Some unfancied players will be aiming to cause second-round upsets at the Wimbledon Championships in London on Wednesday.
And for those who are willing to take a risk with their Betway cash, there could be some lucrative payouts if title contenders fall in the early stages of the tournament.
First up on centre court on Wednesday, at 2.30pm (SA time), women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka of Russia will be favoured to beat Czech opponent Marie Bouzkova in their second-round clash.
Ranked first in the world, Sabalenka is a three-time Grand Slam winner who has twice reached the Wimbledon semifinals.
Bouzkova is ranked 48th in the world, but she will fancy her chances of causing an upset, having reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2022.
As risky as it might be, Betway is offering 8.00 for Sabalenka to be knocked out ahead of the third round, and the returns might be worth the chance.
Can Tarvet cause an upset?
And there is even more reward on offer for those who bet against men's defending champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain.
Alcaraz is up against British debutant Oliver Tarvet in a second-round match, which will be the second fixture on centre court on Wednesday.
The No 2 seed is already a five-time Grand Slam winner, at the age of 22, and he is targeting his third successive Wimbledon title.
Tarvet, 21, progressed to the main draw after receiving a wildcard entry for the qualifying round, and he went on to beat Leandro Riedi of Switzerland in straight sets in the first round.
Though he is the clear favourite, Betway is offering 17.00 for Alcaraz to be eliminated, and though it is unlikely, Tarvet will be buoyed by the home crowd and will be desperate to make a statement by causing a major upset.
Carlos Alcaraz reaches for the ball during his first-round match at Wimbledon earlier this week. Picture: Visionhaus/Getty Images
Odds on Wimbledon champions
If those bets seem too risky, there are safer options looking ahead to the end of the tournament next week.
For overall victory among the men, the current odds are 2.10 for Alcaraz, 2.50 for world No 1 Jannik Sinner, and 6.00 for veteran Novak Djokovic.
Among the women, Sabalenka is at 3.25 to go all the way and lift the trophy, while Elena Rybakina is at 4.75 and Iga Swiatek at 6.10.
Please note these Betway odds are correct at the time of publishing.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
3 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Norris says missing F1 world championship wouldn't be a failure
Lando Norris said he would not consider his 2025 season a failure if he fell short in his quest to win a maiden Formula One world title. Norris cut the deficit to McLaren teammate and drivers' championship leader Oscar Piastri to 15 points in winning last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix and goes into his home British race at Silverstone saying he is a better driver than a year ago despite some error-strewn moments. The 25-year-old started the season as championship favourite but has been eclipsed by his younger teammate, who has won five grands prix to Norris's three. It now looks increasingly like a two-horse race with Max Verstappen 46 points behind Norris. Should he fail to win the drivers' crown, Norris said on Wednesday: 'I'd have to say I didn't succeed in what my goal was but I don't think you can ever call it a failure because I don't believe like I've failed anything. 'I feel like maybe I just didn't live up to what I believed I could have done or the level I should have done at certain times. 'I think if things were much easier and you don't achieve your goal maybe you can call it a failure but when it's 24 races it's such a long season against the best in the world I don't think you can ever call it a failure. Maybe you didn't succeed.' Norris has been undone by errors in both qualifying and races but dominated the weekend in Spielberg to hold off a race-long challenge from his teammate. 'I certainly think I've improved,' he said. 'It may be very easy to say the opposite from the outside because I've just made some more mistakes. But I certainly feel like I'm a more complete driver.' He said self-inflicted pressure was stronger than anything external. 'It's more the desire, almost too much desire inside to want to do such a good job every weekend, to deliver for the team,' he said. 'I want to deliver for the team and I want to win. I kind of put myself under the pressure too much but I understand that.' While Silverstone might be seen as the ultimate pressure, a home race he has yet to win, he saw it otherwise. 'It almost distracts you more in a good way, distracts you more by having your fans and your supporters there,' he said. 'You're almost more there enjoying the moment rather than, 'I've got to do this for them', as much as that is probably a thought before the weekend.'
The South African
3 hours ago
- The South African
George Russell heads to British GP haunted by Max Verstappen rumours
George Russell heads into his home British Grand Prix this weekend haunted by rumours, and unconfirmed reports, that fierce rival and four-time world champion Max Verstappen has accepted an offer to replace him next year. As Formula One returns to the circuit that hosted its first world championship race 75 years ago, the 27-year-old Briton may be caught on the horns of an extraordinary dilemma as he seeks a fifth career victory to secure his seat, and his future, with Mercedes. If he wins, and overhauls Verstappen in the drivers' title race, he may in so doing allow the Dutchman, also 27, to trigger an exit clause in his Red Bull contract, which is due to run to 2028. It is widely believed that if Verstappen is not in the top three in the championship at the end of July – with a realistic chance of claiming a fifth crown – he can seal a move elsewhere, a prospect given impetus on Wednesday by reports claiming he has already said yes to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. Ahead of Sunday's race, Max Verstappen is third on 155 points and Russell fourth on 146. According to Sky Sport Italia, Verstappen and Wolff have held 'concrete negotiations' which resulted in the Dutchman giving his consent. No details were given and the story was not confirmed. However, as veteran British commentator and former F1 driver Martin Brundle, a close confidante of Russell, suggested: 'There's no smoke without fire.' He added Russell was 'nervous and ringing around a little bit'. 'Something is up,' Brundle told Sky Sports F1. Russell is sure to gain widespread sympathy and support from a big Silverstone crowd – 500 000 are expected over the four days – who will back fellow-Britons Lando Norris of McLaren and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari, hoping one of them triumphs to ignite celebrations. The end of a fierce heatwave may assist Mercedes and Russell, who struggle in high temperatures, to find the form that carried him to victory in Canada, but he knows even that may not be enough to persuade Wolff if Verstappen finds an exit from his contract. Wolff was coy in Austria last weekend. 'You need to be respectful towards the stakeholders in that process – the organisation, the drivers… everybody. You need to understand the way forward,' he said. 'I don't want to be sadistic in letting a driver wait or not taking any decisions when it should be taken.' For Russell, should he not be offered a new contract after three years with the Silver Arrows, there are few openings and the only top-level vacancy may be as Max Verstappen's successor at Red Bull. All this will only add spice to a weekend that may be dominated by the McLaren duo of championship leader Oscar Piastri and Norris, who will have the backing of 10 000 fans in a grandstand named after him as he seeks to overhaul a 15-point deficit at the top of the standings. The pair dominated last Sunday's Austrian race to record their fourth 1-2 of the year, and will be chasing a first Silverstone win for McLaren since Hamilton in 2008. Norris claimed victory last Sunday, but Piastri led him home for the other three 1-2s and has won five races this year. 'It's my favourite weekend of the year,' said Norris. 'To have my family, friends, home fans and so many of the team there supporting us takes it to another level.' Hamilton, driving a Ferrari on home asphalt for the first time, will also hope to rouse emotions as the Italian team seek to build on an improved finish last weekend thanks to an upgraded floor. After claiming a stunning record ninth home win last year, he will hope for at least his first podium of the season having finished fourth behind team-mate Charles Leclerc and the two McLarens in Austria. Last year, his win broke a run of 52 races without a victory and was one of the most famous of his record total of 105. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
TimesLIVE
4 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Osaka ready to spread her grass court wings after being paralysed by fear
After years of having a rather a strained relationship with Wimbledon thanks to being 'paralysed by fear' at the thought of playing on tennis's fastest surface, Naomi Osaka feels she has finally found her grass court wings. The Japanese player, who has won all four of her Grand Slam titles on the hard courts of Melbourne Park and Flushing Meadows, has never found her comfort zone on the green, green grass of Wimbledon, making only four previous appearances during her 10-year professional career. During those four visits to the All England Club, she won a total of just five matches, with third-round showings in 2017 and 2018 her standout performances — hardly anything to shout about for a woman who has been ranked on top of the world. But after matching her best ever Wimbledon showing on Wednesday with an impressive 6-3 6-2 win over Czech Katerina Siniakova, who has won the Wimbledon women's doubles title three times, Osaka feels she has finally overcome the fear factor on grass. 'When I was younger, I had no fear. I think when you are young, you fear nothing, and that's one of the really cool things about it,' explained Osaka, now ranked 53 as she continues to try to recapture her best form after taking a maternity break in 2023.
