POWER PLAY: Reigning champion Novak Djokovic faces Rogere Federer in the first Men’s semi final
By Sean Goff | Sports reporter
Andy Murray is all the rage for the men’s semi-final with Paddy Power’s online betting this afternoon but he faces a formidable obstacle in Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
The Frenchman is 15/8 in the straight-match betting and 11/10 to get off to a flyer and win the first set.
Murray has beaten Tsonga in five of their last six meetings. Jo-Wilfried last came out on top at the Australian Open in 2008.
He also went down narrowly to Murray last year ( 3-6, 7-6, 6-4) at the Queen’s Club grass tournament despite having match point.
Tsonga will not want to repeat the pain of losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic at this stage last year and will be fired up to go one better against Murray.
It should be close but a little insurance on Tsonga in the Game Handicap (+3.5) may be the difference at 4/5 and won’t compromise your patriotism or commitment to Murray’s cause.
Whether the Wimbledon crowd would appreciate Tsonga’s usual post-match victory dance though is less certain.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic faces Roger Federer at 1.05pm in the other semi-final and despite the pair having faced each other 26 times this is their first meeting on grass.
Djokovic is 2/5 with Federer at 2/1 in a straight shoot-out. The Serb has won six of the last seven encounters but Federer is a specialist on grass and has six Wimbledon titles to his name.
However, a niggling back injury will be put under huge pressure by the Serb. He’s gotten away with it so far but this is Federer’s toughest test to date if he is to claim a seventh tile to equal Pete Sampras’ record.
