Now that Sam Querrey did the unthinkable and eliminated former odds-on tennis betting favorite Novak Djokovic in the third round of the 2016 Wimbledon Championships, Scottish Andy Murray has become the new favorite of people who bet on tennis to win the tournament. One would think that this turn of events would make Querrey himself a favorite, but that is not quite how things work. “The bookies don’t always get it right,” Andy Murray said.
“They’ve made a few mistakes over the last few weeks across a number of different things.” Well, at least we don’t tell you how to play tennis, Andy. The World No. 2 has had eight wins and no losses since reconvening with Ivan Lendl and has yet to drop a set at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Church Road, Wimbledon, London, England.
Murray is the first player in the bottom half of the draw to make it to the last 16, and might encounter Nick Kyrgios or Feliciano Lopez in the 4th round, Richard Gasquet, John Isner and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinal, and Juan Martin del Potro – or as he would be known in English, John Martin of the Colt – in the semis. Del Potro eliminated another tennis betting favorite, Stan Wawrinka, in the second round. But Andy Murray remains confident. People who bet on tennis backed him to reach a third final, but now that the thorn in his side that has been Djokovic is out of the picture, it should be considered a given.
However, he might still have to face Roger Federer in the final. The Swiss looked into his crystal ball and said that Djokovic was “clearly beatable.” Cue Querrey, who proved Federer right by virtue of “clearly beating” the Serb. Federer has already defeated Murray in a Wimbledon final in 2012. The number 3 in the world enjoyed two days of rest before his next match. Federer, who called himself an “old guy” can use as much rest as he can get. He underwent knee surgery in March, and he had to skip Roland Garros because of a bad back, interrupting his record of 65 majors in a row.
Murray wants to win a third Wimbledon, while Federer is aiming to win a record eighth Wimbledon cup, something which Djokovic has prevented him from achieving over the past two summers. One thing is for certain and is the fact that without the Serb, a new champion will be crowned. Djokovic had already achieved quite a feat by scoring a non-calendar year Grand Slam by finally winning the French Open following repeated attempts. However, his dream a calendar year Grand slam will have to wait until the circumstances are more favorable.
And the good news keeps on piling for the likes of Andy Murray and Federer. A dejected Novak Djokovic announced in a press conference that he will not play in the Davis Cup, which will ensure that the Brit and the Swiss continue to hold their status as tennis betting favorites. In related news, the top half of the Wimbledon draw is open. Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori are looking good.