The Wimbledon tennis championships will have a first-time Major champion on the women’s side, while Andy Murray is still in the running to become the first Brit to win England’s big men’s tournament since before World War II.
Wimbledon betting update: Odds favor Lisicki vs Radwanska in womens final
The womens final is set and the Wimbledon odds favor Sabine Lisicki. On the mens side, Novak Djokovic awaits either Andy Murray or Jerzy Janowicz.
Clive Brunskill
Thursday Germany’s Sabine Lisicki , who upset top-seeded Serena Williams earlier this week, outlasted last year’s runner-up, Agnieszka Radwanska, in three sets 6-4, 2-6, 9-7 to advance to her first Wimbledon final.
Lisicki is ranked No. 24 in the world, but has knocked off No. 1 and No. 4 on her way to Saturday’s final.
Marion Bartoli, who lost to Venus Williams in the Wimbledon finals as a 22-year-old back in 2007, needed just over an hour Thursday to defeat Kirsten Flipkens 6-1, 6-2. So Bartoli will enter her second Wimbledon final Saturday having not yet lost a set in this tournament.
As of Friday afternoon, oddsmaker Bodog had the tennis betting odds for Wimbledon’s women’s final favoring Lisicki at -225 to win Saturday’s championship match over Bartoli, who as the underdog was getting +185.
A Lisicki victory in straight sets was priced at +110, while a 2-1 Lisicki win was getting +250. Meanwhile, a Bartoli straight-set win could be bet at +350, and a 2-1 Bartoli victory was priced at +500.
Lisicki has defeated Bartoli three of the four times they’ve met, including in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon two summers ago.
On the men’s side Novak Djokovic, who also hadn’t dropped a set in this tournament, reached the Wimbledon finals for the second time in his career with a long and thrilling five-set victory Friday over former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro.
Djokovic, the 2011 Wimbledon champ, has now beaten del Potro nine of the 12 times they’ve met. He also avenged a loss to del Potro in last year’s summer Olympics in London.
Sentimental British favorite Andy Murray and Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz were deciding the other men’s final berth Friday afternoon.
Murray’s dream was almost de-railed in the quarterfinals, but he fought back from down two sets to none to take the final three sets and the match against Fernando Verdasco.
Murray and Janowicz have split their two career meetings; Murray won the first match back in 2009, but Janowicz beat Murray in the Paris Masters last year.
Murray, the Scot from Glasgow, lost in four sets in the Wimbledon finals last year to Roger Federer.
The last British male to win a singles title at Wimbledon was Fred Perry, who won three straight back in the mid-1930s.
Watch for Wimbledon odds later Friday at OddsShark.com for the mens final update.
