Garbine Muguruza, Roger Federer claim Wimbledon Championships

Muguruza looks stunning in an elegant white dress as she attended the Wimbledon Champions' Dinner
Source: Press Association

After claiming the titles on grass during the weekend, Wimbledon champions Garbine Muguruza and Roger Federer swapped their tennis whites for glamorous evening wear as they arrived at the Champions' Dinner. The event, which marks the end of the tournament, took place at the Guildhall, London.

Muguruza, 23, who lost at the Wimbledon final to Serena Williams two years ago, came back to beat Venus Williams to win her second Grand Slam title.

Meanwhile, Federer beat Croatian Maran Cilic in straight sets in a emotional final due to the latter's blister that caused him a meltdown. To find out Muguruza and Federer's chance of winning in the upcoming tournaments, check out CrownBet tennis odds.

Federer and Mirka at the Champion' Dinner in London
Source: Press Association

It is Federer's eighth Wimbledon title and the win makes him the oldest men’s champion in the Open era and the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1976 to sweep through the draw without dropping a set. Federer won another Grand Slam title earlier this year at the Australian Open.

As for Muguruza, she's the only second Spanish woman to win the Wimbledon singles title and the first since her coach Conchita Martinez triumphed back in 1994. Muguruza's mother is from Venezuela and her father is from Spain. She was born in Venezuela but moved to Spain when she was six and retains dual nationality but her current residency is listed by the women's tour as Geneva, Switzerland. In 2014, she decided to play for Spain. Muguruza joins Victoria Azarenka, Angelique Kerber, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Petra Kvitova among the active female players on two Grand Slam singles titles. Only Serena Williams and Venus Williams, with 23 and seven respectively, and Maria Sharapova on five, have more.

In the latest ranking updates, Muguruza is currently world's no. 5 while Federer is at no.3.

Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza In Wimbledon Final

Source: Pool/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com

Even with the absence of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, Wimbledon women's singles spotlight still shine with Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza in the final.

Williams, 37, who is a winner of seven major tennis tournaments managed to beat Britain's top female player Johanna Konta to guarantee a place for her ninth Wimbledon final. The American will be seeking a whooping sixth Wimbledon singles title and her first since 2008, when she defeated her younger sister, Serena. A year later, she lost the final to Serena.

It has been a tough two weeks for Williams who came into the tournament after involving in a fatal car crash incident, which eventually saw new evidences that pointed out she had drove lawfully.

Williams who is currently world's no. 11 will play no. 15 Garbine Muguruza of Spain, who cruised into her second Wimbledon final by ousting Magdalena Rybarikova, 6-1, 6-1, in slightly more than an hour.

Source: Pool/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com

Muguruza, the French Open champion last year, reached the final at Wimbledon in 2015, when she lost to Serena Williams in straight sets. At this point of time, Muguruza could be playing her best tennis and on top of her game. She has lost only one set in the tournament, and that was during her upset match of the world's no. 1, Angelique Kerber, in the fourth round. She was back in the game after that and dismissed Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets in the quarterfinals.

Both Williams and Muguruza will go into the final with a 3-1 head-to-head with them. In their last encounter, Muguruza defeated Williams in three sets in their quarterfinal match in Rome, Italy. The rest of the previous matches were on hardcourts with the last one in Wuhan final back in 2015. Williams certainly comes in with an advantage playing at Wimbledon final but Muguruza has already sent out an early warning saying that she has learned from her Wimbledon heartache two years' ago to beat Williams in Saturday's final.

Who will win Wimbledon?

With cloudy skies and a lack of football, British summer time is here which means just one thing for tennis fans: Wimbledon. It’s just a few weeks until the world’s best ball-hitters descend on SW19 but who will triumph on Centre Court? For the men, Andy Murray is the big favourite. The Scot is looking to win his third Wimbledon title but the world number one will face tough competition from, as always, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and the French Open champion, Rafael Nadal. The women’s category is far more open following the news that defending champion Serena Williams is expecting her first child and will miss the championship. Karolina Pliskova is the favourite in a very open field which also includes as many as ten potential winners. Following Williams’ withdrawal, it promises to be one of the most open contests in some time in the women’s category.

The men’s category is a little more closed. Andy Murray is world number one and the slight favourite to triumph at the All England Club. You’ll get odds as short as 11/4 for Murray to triumph in what would be perhaps the best twelve months of the Scot’s career. Success at Wimbledon last year was followed up by a gold medal at Rio 2016 and his first ATP World Tour title in London. A semi-final appearance at the French Open will give Murray hope but he’ll face a tough test from Roger Federer.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion has taken an extended break in recent weeks but was in excellent form before that. The Swiss has missed three of the last six Grand Slam tournaments but reached the semis in the others. Federer would love to win just one more title at the All England club to overtake Pete Sampras and make him the most successful player in the men’s singles category.

The pair is way ahead of the chasing pack. Novak Djokovic has so often been the thorn in both Murray’s and Federer’s sides but is currently in his longest run without a Grand Slam title since 2010. Djokovic is looking like a player lacking enthusiasm which is hardly ideal with Wimbledon just around the corner. Rival Federer said in a recent interview that the Serbian is too good to remain in this rut forever but perhaps it’s too big of an ask for that comeback to arrive at SW19.

After Rafael Nadal’s success in France, people are asking if the big three can become the big four again. The Spaniard has won the French-Wimbledon double twice in his career but his performance at the All England club has been pretty woeful in recent years. Nadal has got past the fourth round just once since 2011 and it would be a big ask for the Spaniard to achieve any success this year.
“Since I have had problems with my knee, since 2012, playing on grass has been very complicated for me,” the Spaniard said in a recent interview. “If I have pain in the knees then I know from experience that it’s almost impossible. If I am healthy and I am able to have the right preparation I’ll have my chances.”

It remains to be seen whether Nadal can get through two arduous weeks in good shape. Outside of the top three and a half, Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic will test any opponent unfortunate enough to be drawn against them. We can only guess how the likes of Nick Kyrgios and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will perform.

The women’s category is even more open. The tournament’s coverage will perhaps be defined by its absences. Maria Sharapova will not make her Wimbledon return this year and her supposed rival, Serena Williams will also miss out. The woman who has won seven singles titles at the All England Club will miss the rest of the season following her pregnancy. Her sister, Venus will be flying the Williams flag but she is far from the favourite.

Karolina Pliskova gets the backing of most of the bookies but in what other tennis Grand Slam has the favourite been as high as the 6/1 odds with Betway as of 14th June? However, this would not be a good punt. The world number three has never got past the second round at SW19 and it seems that her game isn’t suited to grass.

The chasing pack includes Victoria Azarenka, Madison Keys and Garbine Muguruza but one woman who could well triumph is Simona Halep. She may have lost the French Open final but the 25-year-old is on excellent form, triumphing at the Madrid Open and reaching the final in Italy as well. Halep must be considered one of the favourites in a hugely competitive field which also features 20-year-old Jelena Ostapenko. The Latvian hasn’t got past the second round at Wimbledon before but after her incredible victory at the French Open, she will have tremendous confidence.

It promises to be a hugely exciting championship at Wimbledon this year. The women’s field is as open as it has been in recent years while the men’s is more of a two-horse race. The home crowd will be hoping for a Murray/Federer title clash on the final Sunday with both players on the cusp of something special. Andy Murray should prove to be too much for his Swiss rival thanks in part to the home crowd but the women’s singles title is anyone’s guess. Simona Halep and Madison Keys would be good bets but wouldn’t it be the nice if 20-year-old Jelena Ostapenko followed up her French Open title with success at SW19?

Andy Murray and the quest for Wimbledon glory

This summer, Andy Murray will once again be Great Britain’s main hope for a success at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Since bursting onto the scene in 2005, Murray has matured into a fan favourite and the British number one is particularly well supported at his home event... but is he good enough to win this year’s competition?

On current form, yes. Murray has been phenomenal throughout the last eighteen months and the Scot is surely on the verge of a third Grand Slam title if he continues to play at his very best. At the time of writing, punters who want to bet on Andy Murray to win this year’s tournament can get 4/1 on the British number one to do just that.

But it will NOT be easy. Novak Djokovic is at the top of his game and the Serbian is on target to surpass Roger Federer’s all-time record of 17 Grand Slam titles. The world number one will be hoping to end his French Open drought next month before Wimbledon and Djokovic may benefit from the added confidence boost if he wins a maiden title at Roland Garros.

If Murray faces Djokovic in the final of the competition, it will be a titanic clash between two of tennis’ top heavyweights. Both players are capable of beating each other on their day and it would take a brave man to back against either player – especially considering Djokovic’s record over Murray but Murray’s support at the Wimbledon event.

One player who could once again throw a spanner in the works is Roger Federer. Last year, the Swiss superstar produced a world class performance to knock Murray out in the semi-final stage and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the 34-year-old go all the way this summer. After all, it might be his last realistic opportunity to win the Wimbledon crown...

And while Federer is decent value at 6/1 in Betway’s betting markets, all eyes will be on Murray as he attempts to get the better of Djokovic in what is widely regarded as the most prestigious event on the tennis calendar. Wimbledon is, without a doubt, the one that everyone wants to win and with a bit of luck, Murray can continue his assault on the tennis world.

Djokovic will be Murray’s main threat this summer and the British number one will have to be at his best to cope with the resilient Serbian. However, Murray could take advantage of Djokovic’s busier schedule – especially after he had a break following the Australian Open in January.

Wimbledon 2015 Men's Singles Favourite

With the Wimbledon Championship going to kick start on Monday, it will be exciting to see who is the favourite men tennis players to win on the prestigious lawn surface. You'll find many predictions on the Internet including on Betfair Wimbeldon odds but I'm going to share with you my take on who will be the potential champion in London in two weeks time.
      
The recent French Open was a pleasant (or shocking to some) surprise for many. We almost did not see it coming when Stanislas Wawrinka overpowered world no. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic to walk away with a second Grand Slam title. Many tennis fans around the world will be excited to find out if Novak Djokovic is able to walk away with a Grand Slam trophy this time around.

Meanwhile, eighth seed David Ferrer just announced that he has to pull out from the tournament due to an elbow injury. Although grass is not his strongest surface, he managed to get into the quarterfinal in 2013 and has always been a threat to the men's tennis players in the ATP.

Based on Djokovic's consistency and coming into the tournament as a defending champion, it is only wise to believe that the Serbian is the favourite player to win at SW19. Meanwhile, Wawrinka might not be able to repeat the same success he had in Paris. In the past, his inconsistency usually crept up after a big win.

Rafael Nadal's success on grass in Stuttgart recently cannot be underestimated although he failed to make it through the first round at the Queen's Club the following week. Without the pressure and high expectation like he had at the French Open, there could be a possibility for Nadal to make a shocking success on this surface, where he once had the most epic win against Roger Federer. As for Federer, he is still a strong contender especially on this surface where he holds a record of 7 championship wins.

Lastly, the crowd favourite Andy Murray might be the closest bet we have to win the Wimbledon title after Djokovic. Murray has over the years built his confidence and games under the guidance of coaches like Ivan Lendl and Amelie Mauresmo. Mauresmo is just days from giving birth and may not be around to give the moral support that Murray needs. However, it will be the most beautiful gift Murray can give to his coach if he wins on his homeground surface.

Image via telegraph.uk

Andy Murray Passes a Tough Test

Reigning Wimbledon champion Andy Murray came through an epic match with Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber on Sunday to make it through to the fourth round of the 2014 French Open. The two players began their match the previous day but play was suspended at 7-7 in the fifth and final set due to bad light. Murray had to save a break point at a crucial stage before coming through 3-6 6-3 6-3 4-6 12-10. The Scot had been suffering with a leg injury during the first session of play and Kohlschreiber was able to take the first set with relative ease before Murray came fighting back, taking the next two sets by the same scoreline of 6-3. Having led by a break in both the fourth and fifth set, this should really have been a straightforward victory for the former world number two but Philipp Kohlschreiber dug in and although he was ultimately defeated, he should take a lot of confidence from this impressive performance.

This epic battle is almost as huge as football teams fighting to be the leading world cup bet. Just like an epic match between two dominant teams in the World Cup, the match between Phillip Kohlschreiber and Andy Murray is by far the most exciting game in the 2014 French Open.

While Andy Murray is currently not working with a coach, the rumour mill has been in overdrive throughout this tournament with speculation rife regarding who will take up the position following the departure of Ivan Lendl. When questioned on the matter, Murray would not dismiss the option of a female coach, with former Wimbledon and Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo being strongly linked with the vacant position. Andy Murray has already achieved a huge amount of success with two Grand Slam tournaments to his credit already, but he has the potential to be challenging Nadal and Djokovic for the number one spot and a new coach might give him that extra edge required. Having been coached by his mother Judy for the early part of his career, Murray should have no problems working with a female coach such as Mauresmo.

Following his third round victory, Betfair have cut the Scot to odds of 14/1 to win his first clay court Grand Slam by capturing the French Open title. He is now the joint third favourite alongside Spaniard David Ferrer. Betfair are struggling to split the front two in the market, with Novak Djokovic just edging things slightly at Even money, while Rafael Nadal can be backed at 5/4. I’d fully expect these two to flip flop in the market over the coming days and they look likely to meet in Sunday’s final. Nadal has an incredible record where the French Open is concerned and is the only male player to win a single Grand Slam tournament on eight separate occasions. Nadal’s only defeat at Roland Garros came in 2009 when he was beaten in the fourth round by Sweden’s Robin Soderling. I’m slightly surprised that Betfair make Djokovic favourite to take the 2014 French Open on that basis but the Serb has showed incredible form since losing to Andy Murray at Wimbledon last year. It will be extremely interesting to see if Andy Murray can make it to the semi final stage an upset either of the aforementioned tennis gods on this surface.

In the latest development, Andy Murray defeated Fernando Verdasco to move into the last eight at the French Open.

Image by Dominique Faget/AFP/Getty Images

Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli announces retirement from tennis

Marion ‪‎Bartoli‬ shocked the tennis world by announcing her retirement from the sport at the age of 28. She just won a Wimbledon title weeks ago and has tweeted her anticipation for the US Open 15 hours before she made that tearful announcement!

After a second round loss to Romanian Simona Halep at the Western and Southern Open, Bartoli walked into the media room and said she just can't do it anymore.

"My body was really starting to fall apart and I was able to keep it together, go through the pain - with a lot of pain - throughout this Wimbledon and make it happen. That was probably the last little bit of something that was left inside me."

"I've been playing for a long, long, long time, and it's time for me now. It is."

The French player has won eight WTA titles in her career.

"Everyone will remember my Wimbledon title. No one will remember the last match I played here."

We wish her all the best. She'll be missed!

(Image via Quqster)

Can Murray Handle the Pressure of Wimbledon?

A British man has not won Wimbledon since tennis icon, Fred Perry, in 1936.

While this statistic is bandied about rather a lot, and has been since the British public’s hopes were heartlessly raised and then dashed each time Tim Henman exited the tournament in spectacular semi-final style, take a moment if you will, to imagine the magnitude of this sentence for Andy Murray.

He is the UK’s only hope, everything rests on him, and the time has come to prove himself. That’s a lot of pressure for the world No. 2 to handle, especially as last year, everything ended in disaster!

So will Murray be able to handle the pressure this year? He has made a winning start to his latest Wimbledon campaign, beating his opponents without too much trouble, bar dropping serve  in a fairly inconsistent performance against Mikhail Youzhny, who put Murrray under some real pressure in the fourth round of the tournament. Check out the BBC report on that match here.

Perhaps the pressure is getting to him; his performance in the coming match will surely tell all. To help Murray out, as well as all those who’ve been inspired by the summer’s tennis tournaments to play a few sets of their own, I’ve put together some tips on keeping a clear head when it comes to tennis.

Releasing the tennis-ion 

Keep Comfortable: Maybe Andy Murray’s sweatbands are a bit tight, or he forgot to cut the label out of his shirt when he was playing 20th seed Youzhny... In all seriousness, being uncomfortable can seriously affect your game. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned professional, it’s important to wear the right clothing, especially a great pair of shoes or trainers.

Don’t just buy the first pair you see, shop around a little bit for the perfect pair – there’s a large selection of tennis equipment including tennis shoes, and equally important, an extensive range of racquets available at UK based Millet Sports, so you can have a good browse before you buy.

Think Positive: It’s important to stay positive, even in a tennis game you  seem to be losing. Lose your temper or despair, and there’s no way you’ll come back from it. Think of previous triumphs and how you achieved them; last summer Murray beat tennis legend Roger Federer to win the gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics and would do well to cast his mind back to his past achievement before and during his next Wimbledon match!

Murray insists he can indeed handle the pressure, commenting in an interview with the Radio Times:

"There's a lot riding on Wimbledon, but I'm better equipped to deal with the pressures and understand how I need to play matches when I get to the latter stages of the big events."

But only time will tell if this is finally Murray’s year.

(Image via Yahoo! Sports)

Rafael Nadal does not need to prove himself by winning Wimbledon

Sports betting has been around for thousands of years. Some claimed that the credit should go to Greece, home of the Olympic Games, for popularizing the social activity. Now, thanks to the advent of the Internet and online sportsbooks, the legacy of Greece has come full circle.

In recent years (or better known as the 'golden years'), we have seen the rise of tennis betting thanks to amazing players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray who have produced some of the most epic matches and notable rivalries in history. Tennis fans have frequently used betting sites , not only to bet on their favourite players but also a source for them to get information such as scores, head to head and other resources.

With the upcoming Wimbledon Championships drawing near, fans will be asking: Will Rafael Nadal continue his winning form on grass after a successful season on clay this year? Is he back at his best? These questions are often posted by the media lately.

Nadal with his second Wimbledon trophy in 2010

Many tennis fans may have forgotten that Nadal has also won on hard court in Indian Wells after his first title on clay at Acapulco despite a seven-month break from tennis since Wimbledon.

Not only that. Nadal made a historic victory at Roland Garros recently making him the first man to win a Grand Slam singles tournament for a record of eight times. That win completes his first half of the year with a total of 6 titles - 2 Masters 1000 titles and 1 Grand Slam.

According to Nadal's uncle and coach, Toni, he is very confident that his fifth-ranked nephew is sitting in a good position to make a run at the no. 1 ranking. Nadal only trails world no. 1 Novak Djokovic by about 5,000 points, with only 90 points to defend the rest of the year. Remember last year when Nadal lost to Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon? With an impressive run so far, I can only forsee that Nadal will do better at Wimbledon this year. He doesn't need to win at Wimbledon and yet has a good opportunity to rake up more points and climb a few ranks up to be among the 'Big Four' again.

Rafael Nadal, Juan Monaco: Winners for best bromance and in doubles match

Rafael Nadal and Juan Monaco are best friends. Last night, they were not only the winners for best bromance on the ATP but also on clay court.

Their mutual understanding for each other gave them the first doubles match win at the VTR Open. They won easily in just over an hour defeating the Czech pair of Frantisek Cermak and Lukas Dlouhy 6-3 6-2.

This is Nadal's first win and appearance in a tournament since June 28 when he was upset in the second round of Wimbledon by qualifier Lukas Rosol.

Nadal will kick off his singles campaign on Thursday against Argentine Federico Delbonis.

(Images via Juan Monaco's Facebook page, Sina Sports)

Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf and family on vacation

After attended the Wimbledon on the Fourth of July, the First Couple of Tennis Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf were spotted having a vacation with their family in Italy.

(Images via Sina Sports)

Roger Federer and Serena Williams attend Wimbledon Championships 2012 Winners Ball

Roger Federer Serena Williams attend the Wimbledon Championships 2012 Winners Ball at the InterContinental Park Lane Hotel last night.

It is Federer's seventh Wimbledon title and Williams' fifth. Both of them are 30-year-old.

Federer with wife Mirka

(Images via zimbio.com)

Roger Federer waves to crowds after Wimbledon win

Just like a king, Roger Federer met the fans, waving at them after winning his 7th Wimbledon final today.

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)

Roger Federer wins record-tying 7th Wimbledon

Roger Federer ended Britain's hopes of a first Wimbledon men's singles' title in 76 years after defeating Andy Murray in today's final.

The 30-year-old Federer equalled Pete Sampras's seven SW19 titles after after winning 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 in the final.

(Images via dailymail.co.uk, Yahoo! Sports)

Kate & Pippa Middleton, PM David Cameron, David Beckham and wife Victoria at Wimbledon final

With Andy Murray playing at the Wimbledon final tonight, many VIPs arrived at the event to watch the first Briton to win the men's singles title in 76 years.

Duchess of Cambridge, her sister Pippa Middleton, Prime Minister David Cameron and David and Victoria Beckham are among the celebrities at the match.

British PM David Cameron

David and Victoria Beckham

(Via dailymail.co.uk, Yahoo! Tennis)

Serena wins 5th Wimbledon title, 14 Grand Slams in total

After losing her first round match at the French Open, no one would guess that Serena Williams could come this far to win the Wimbledon. 

Williams wins the championship for the fifth time after defeating Polish Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 today in a dramatic match.

Serena with father Richard and sister Venus

This is her 14th Grand Slam titles and becoming the first woman over 30 to win Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova in 1990.

(Images via zimbio.com)

Kylie Minogue in Wimbledon Royal Box

Kylie Minogue were in the Wimbledon Royal Box earlier today to watch the epic semifinal between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Minogue was accompanied by Spanish model boyfriend Andres Velencoso.

Federer advanced to his record 8th Wimbledon final after beating defending champion Djokovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

(Images via zimbio.com; dailymail.co.uk)

Rendy Lu Yen-hsun attends oral defense for Master Degree at National Taiwan Normal University

Rendy Lu Yen-hsun's Wimbledon campaign was cut short recently but the Taiwanese player has a better long term plan.

Rendy recently attended an oral defense for his Master degree at the National Taiwan Normal University. It won't be long till we see him graduate.

(Images via Rendy Lu's Facebook fan page)