Wimbledon odds, tips & multi selections for Saturday, July 8

THINGS are going to script for the big guns on the men’s side of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships.

Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal have all made it through to the third round without any dramas.

So too have potential challengers such as Milos Raonic, Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Federer remains the +225 favourite at Sportsbet.com.au to go all the way, even though he is on course for a tricky fourth-round clash with Dimitrov (+4000).

By contrast, the women’s draw is almost impossible to call.

Tournament favourites Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova are both out, with the latter succumbing to the unseeded Magdalena Rybarikova over three sets on Thursday.

Oh. My. Word. ??

Magdalena Rybarikova with the most stunning point of the tournament so far#NeverGiveUp #7tennis #wimbledon pic.twitter.com/eJ5dXYsnaY

— #7TENNIS ? (@7tennis) July 6, 2017

France’s Kristina Mladenovic also flopped in an opening week that has already claimed more than half of the top 32 players in the ladies’ tournament.

That leaves Johanna Konta, the local hope, as the +500 favourite ahead of top seeds Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep (both +800).

There could be even more carnage on the cards this weekend as the likes of Shelby Rogers, Anett Kontaveit and Polona Hercog look to dismantle the remaining contenders.

With no value to be found in the men’s draw – Gael Monfils is the loosest of the head-to-head favourites at -588.24 – we are bucking the usual code of conduct for this one and loading up on the dicey, dangerous world of women’s Grand Slam tennis.

G Muguruza to defeat S Cirstea – -384.62

C Vandeweghe to defeat A Riske – -222.22

A Kontaveit to defeat C Wozniacki – +114

A Radwanska to defeat T Bacsinszky – +129

Multi pays +795 at Sportsbet

Sorana Cirstea vs. Garbine Muguruza (14)

With two easy wins under the belt and her biggest rivals already out of the draw, Muguruza must be aiming for a repeat of her run to the final in 2015. Cirstea comes through to the third round at the expense of Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who was forced to retire hurt with a horrific knee injury. The Romanian was wiped off the court when these two met at the Australian Open this year, and a repeat would not surprise.

Alison Riske vs. Coco Vandeweghe (24)

The head-to-head numbers for this all-American pairing might surprise a few. While it stands at 4-4 overall, Riske has beaten her younger compatriot on each of their last three meetings. The most recent of those was a 6-4, 6-4 result in Dubai earlier this year. That said, Coco likes the grass and needs to be winning these match-ups if she wants to break into that next bracket of the women’s game.

Anett Kontaveit vs. Caroline Wozniacki (5)

This may be the riskiest of our multi picks, but it is not without reason. Despite being a former world number one, Wozniacki is yet to pass the fourth round at the All England Club. Furthermore, the Dane lost to her less-fancied rival on the turf at Nottingham last year in their only previous encounter. Coming in off a title win at Den Bosch, Kontaveit looks very decent value.

Timea Bacsinszky (19) vs. Agnieszka Radwanska (9)

Prior results are the only explanation for Bacsinszky’s -158.73 favouritism in this clash. The Swiss miss has faced Radwanska twice as an underdog and won on both occasions, most recently at the 2016 Miami Masters. But on the Wimbledon grass, where Radwanska has managed semis or better three times in five years, the higher-ranked Pole seems the obvious choice at those odds.