Wimbledon fashionistas - Rafael Nadal, the cool white dude

Wimbledon. Gone is the Incredible Hulk look of Roland Garros and that matador style green T shirt. Caught for a reflective moment before practice a contemplative Rafeal Nadal shows off the classic cool white dude look for Wimbledon, the hair loose and matching bandages under the knees.

Wimbledon fashionistas - Serena Williams and the housecoat

Wimbledon Centre Court - Serena Williams shows off her new all weather tennis protection in the shape of a slip on slip off raincoat. But when it comes down to the real business on court off it comes to reveal a tight little mini dress and an awesome forehand drive.

Wimbledon fashionista - Roger Federer cardigan chic

Wimbledon Centre Court - the new look Roger Federer, no blazer instead the perfect cardigan in case of a chill, ideal for the yacht and Great Gatsby parties. He almost looks ready for a pipe and slippers, although perhaps only Rafael Nadal can send him on his way to retirement unless Novak Djokovic's conqueror 28 year old Marat Safin has more than one big game in his tank

Wimbledon fashionistas - Maria Sharapova

Wimbledon Centre Court: Maria Sharapova unveils her new look for Wimbledon - men's loose boxer shorts, belt, see through net curtain top, ponytail...and her first match tennis was pretty hot too. Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic reacts after winning a point during her nervy match against Samantha Stosur of Australia in more old style garb

Wimbledon Men's Odds

With former champion in 2002 Leyton Hewitt and explosive hitter Marcos Baghdatis at 100/1 realistically the field is wide open for a big surprise winner and big oddds - certainly better odds than say the Grand National. Andy Murray is 35/1 although doubts about the pressure, his temperament and his thumb could mean that Murray Mountain will avalanche to oblivion for the second week.
The form book says it is a three way slug fest between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal fresh from his double victories at Queens and Roland Garros and Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic. Nadal is beatable on grass and there was hardly the space to post an envelope between him and Djokovic at Queens which was only two sets. Over five it may be a different story. Of course, Federer has to be beaten aswell but he has shown signs of fallibility, although not at Halle where he did not drop a service game. Andy Roddick as fourth favourite is an astonishing 25/1 and other big hitters come in at fancy odds like David Nalbandian at 50/1, who was a finalist in 2002, Ivo Karlovic at 60/1 and Mario Ancic at 80/1. It would certainly take a big hitter to break the trio at the top of the draw’s powerplay in the same way that Goran ivanisevic did in 2001 beating poor old Pat Rafter in four epic sest running into the Monday 6-7(10-12), 7-6(7-5), 6-4, 6-2. Sadly oneperson who won’t be there who might just have fit that bill is the Australian losing finalist Frenchman Jo-Wilfried whoi has a knee injury.

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Wimbledon odds

The young aspirant Nicole Vaidisova, pictured here and that old war horse Amelie Mauresmo are both 40/1 which shows the accordion style open nature of tennis betting these days. Either or both could be a surprise package and could certainly cause an upset. Martina Hingis is 100/1.
There are however probably only six or maybe seven players capable. Sharapova’s conqueror in Paris the gritty Dinara Safina is 25/1 as is the impressive Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova. But on grass neiother of the Williams sisters can be discoutned and Serena despatached Sharapova earlier in the season. She is second favourite at 4/1 and Venus fourth favourite at 6/1. Between them in the betting comes the new star of women’s tennis Ana Ivanovic, winner in Paris, semi finalist here last year and with the only real question against here being whether the faster courts will level the playing field against her. She says not.
And then there is Maria, piqued for sure by her defeat in Paris, back on the surface on which she feels most comfortabkle. For her and for Ivanovic Wimbledon will be the main ambition of the summer along with the Olympic games. How far the stardom has eroded her edge to win or how far she feels that the need to prove her credibility at the game that has brought her supermodel riches is really important anymore may be at the heart of what unfurls.
One thing is for sure. It will be the most glamorous Wimbledon for years.
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New dawn in men's tennis

The history books will dryly record that Rafael Nadal won the Stella Artois Queens final against Novak Djojkovic 7-6 (8/6), 7-5. but no one who saw it was in any doubt that a new chapter in men’s tennis is unfolding. A repeat at Wimbledon would be a treat and Nadal knows that if either of them can beat The Federation who did not drop a service game in Halle, Germany that beating the Australian Open champion again will call for all his resources. And Wimbledon would be over five sets. Given the tempo and fire these two engendered on Sunday afternoon who kbnows how many more twists there could be in such molten pot.
Nadal is the first Spaniard to win on this surface since Andreas Gimeno in 1972. He is also the first player to win Queen’s after just winning Roland Garros, since the start of this tournament 30 years ago.

Anna Keothanavong, British number one, 499/1 to win Wimbledon

Sadly the English number one Anne Keothavong is bottom of the Wimbledon betting at an astonishing 490/1 against her winning the title this year. She was originally from Laos but raised and still lives in Hackney and has career winnings to date of £350,00 which is not bad. She is in fact the first British girl to earn her place automatically in the Wimbledon draw since Sam Smith in 1999 and thanks to some wins and finals in smaller tournaments has broken into the top 100. The bad news is…she does not like playing on grass.
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Wimbledon odds

Straight sets. Against Federer. Fourth time in a row. Never lost. Next time on grass. The early Wimbeldon betting has him only as third favourite behind Novak Djokovic at 4.00, Nadal at 6.00, Roddick at 16.00 and a bad tempered Andy Murray at 18.00 who needs to make some more friends. If there is room for a surprise outside the Frenchman J0-Wilfred Tsonga is 25.00. Old Wimbeldon watchers though could be interested in the long odds being offered on the likes of Lleyton Hewitt at 60.00 and also Marcos Baghdatis

Dinara shines like a saphire

Dinara Safina strikes a pose of ultimate concentration in her quarter final against Elena Dementieva 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-0 to set up an all Russian semi final with 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. "She has many lives, so I have to be careful with her," said Svetlana. Dinara has already accounted for Maria Sharapova and whoever wins the semi finals there will be a Serb v Russia summit for woman's clay court tennis underlining the increasing power of the former eastern bloc countries. Strange that the same does not seem to be happening to the same extent in the men's game.

Jelena's well heeled

The interesting thing about this gratuitous photo call for Serbia's Jelena Jankovic

is the shoes. Why you may wonder does a 5.10 tennis diva wear heels that from the look of them would not be out of place in a sado masochism movie. The answer of course might be that her semi final opponent at Roland Garros is fellow Serb Ana Ivanovich who has a good three inches on her. Maybe they could settle it playing in heels for a change?

How's that for biceps

Rafael Nadal slams a fore hand winner loping and curling down the line at the French Open. The sheer force of his play is obvious from his physique. He may have the grace and balance of a great sportsman but his sheer muscle strength sets him out. Beyond timing and speed there is the anvil might of his body that he throws into his baseline game. The long curved back lift and sweeping follow through drive the ball not just at speed but also with spin so it fizzes through the air in a deceptive curve and spits off the slow red lay of Roland Garros. Like Maria Sharapova, he is a sportsman that the camera loves, each game leaving not just memorable shots in the midn of the people lucky enough to see him live, but also memorably caught on digital imagery. On his website www.rafaelnadal.com it says that every shot has a bit of him in it and it is easy enough to believe that such psychology has an element of truth to it. Although, like gthe web site, it is still a bit work in progress. Check the latest odds on him here. He looks a good bet for Wimbledon.

Mwa Mwa

Thanks guys...

Or these?

Faithless fans as we are, this shapely ankle belongs to...interestingly we cut this one down from a whole high quality photo, where Maria's was very poor quality, Ana Ivanovic looks virgin white and just ready for some sponsor to write a slogan across it

Kiss my shoes

Just to illustrate that this site's obsession with Maria Sharapova is an Internet phenomenon, this piocture was circulating on the wire yesterday following her exit from the French Open...

Ana's a new favourite

Last year's finalist who lost to Justine Henin Ana Ivanovic is 6.1 Serbian born in Belgrade and stands against the Russian tide.
The essential things you need to know about her are...

Favourite food - sushi

Favourite drink - water
No, she is not a babe at all and in 2007 started studying finance online which she may well need pretty soon. She is superstitious and refuses to walk on the lines of the court and tends to always eat in the same restaurants each night which will be good news for the Feng Shui branch at Wimbledon. Before a match she plays sudoko or backgammon.

She says she is "strong-willed, sensitive, determined and extremely competitive". Already she is 8/1 to pick up the Wimbledon title. You can bet on her here

A champion in defeat

So Roland Garros eludes her again. Her determination and steely will drip from her brow in the moment of defeat. The queen is deposed, at least for a few weeks. The virtual icon is undone by the wet thick clay of the real world and an opponent with nothing to lose. The sealed lips could tell a story...perhaps best say nothing as in truth she has struggled on the surface, although as ever the camera adores her.

Gael blows a storm

Gael Monfils's victory over Austria's Juergen Melzer meant five Frenchmen had reached the last 16 for the first time since 1971, but he is the only still standing at close of play and is obviously delighted.
Montfils is i nthe same side of the draw as Roger Federer so a high noon awaits the young Frenchman there.
Ranked 69 in ther world he has amassed 639 points this year compared to Federer's 6675

Maria tumbles out of Paris

Top seed, top babe, top blonde...exit stage right.

Dinara Safina proved her title credentials with a 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 win over Maria Sharapova in the fourth round of the French Open.
Sharapova had struggled for form in her opening three matches and many tipped her fellow Russian to cause an upset.
And after letting two set points slip by in the opener, Safina saved a match point in the second set before battling through in a tense decider.
She will play fellow Russian Elena Dementieva in the quarter-finals. The wet red clay of Roland Garros was always going to test the mettle of the supernova that is Sharapova these days. Wait for the revenge on grass at Wimbeldon and DecoTurf’s multi-layer cushion tennis at Beijing which is also used for the US Open and Davis Cup.

Bet on Sharapova

Maria Sharapova is an amazing 1/10 to win the first set against Mattek tonight. And 1/10 to win the second set. To get more interesting odds you have to try Live Betting set by set and work up an accumulator.

There is a free prize draw all next week for any £5 sports bet on the French tennis plus a £10 free bet for new members here.

No odds as yet on what dress she wears tonight...