20th Jun 2011 | Wimbledon
Wimbledon Tip: James Ward v Michael Llodra
The British number two caused a stir at Queen's and should fancy his chances in the first round here.
A patriotic punt may just be worthwhile on Tuesday, but we’re not looking towards Andy Murray for any value. Instead we turn our attention to British number two, and potential rising star, James Ward. The 24-year-old Londoner lit up the Queen’s Club recently where he defied the odds to make it all the way to the semi-finals. Seed Stanislas Wawrinka and defending champion Sam Querrey were among his victims as Ward soared up the rankings.
His first round opponent at Wimbledon could be ripe for the picking as well. Michael Llodra is a French doubles specialist who has never made any significant impact on the grass at SW19. In ten visits to the All-England club he has never progressed beyond the second round. Llodra is one of the few professionals to use all natural gut strings which gives him a better sense of feel but loses him power at the baseline.
All things considered, it seems quite surprising that the Frenchman is the strong favourite to win this match at just 4/9 with Coral. With a partisan crowd behind him, and great recent form on grass, James Ward is our pick for an upset at 15/8 with Betfred.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 16:07 20th Jun, 2011 but subject to change