Wimbledon Women's Tip: Petra Kvitova

The extraordinary early exits of Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka from SW19 have opened up a remarkable opportunity for somebody unexpected to have a run all the way to the final, at the very least.

Serena Williams is already nothing longer than 1/4 (Skybet) for the title with her perceived main rivals departed. Left in her half of the draw are the likes of Lisicki, Radwanska, Pironkova and Li Na. But who on earth is left in the bottom half?

Staggeringly, after only two rounds of action, only one player from the top 14 positions in the world rankings remains in the lower section - Petra Kvitova (14/1 Bet365). Quite simply, nobody else has any sort of Wimbledon pedigree at all.

I admit I had my doubts about the 2011 champion but things are suddenly falling very nicely for the 23-year-old. She received a bye in round two when Shvedova withdrew and I can’t see anybody left who should beat her till at least the semi-finals.

Not only did the Czech win the title in 2011, she also made the last four the year before that and in 2012 only lost to Serena in the quarter-finals. With her powerful serve and propensity for winners galore, it is no fluke that she thrives on grass.

With Bet365 paying 1/3rd odds on each-way bets if your player makes the final, the value is obvious.