Rafael Nadal is an overwhelming choice to win a fifth consecutive men's singles title but on the women's side, au contraire, where as many as four ladies can claim to be the tennis betting favorite to capture individual glory on the red clay courts at the French Open in Paris, beginning May 24.
Nadal was an odds on favorite in futures at all 18 books surveyed, from a low of 1/5 to a high of 3/10. The world's top ranked player is close to unbeatable on clay, a surface that maximizes stamina, shot making and athleticism, all Nadal trademarks. In fact, Nadal never has lost at the French Open, winning 28 straight matches at Roland Garros while accumulating singles championships the last four years. And he's in good form, too, winning clay court titles in Monaco, Spain and Italy this year.
Novak Djokovic, the 2008 Australian Open champion and world's fourth ranked player, is the second choice in most (but not all) books at odds ranging from 6/1 to 11/1).
Roger Federer has won 13 Grand Slam titles but none of them on clay. The five-time Wimbledon and five-time US Open champion, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, is offered at odds ranging from 8/1 to 12/1. Federer has been the French Open runner-up to Nadal the last three years.
Andy Murray, who has climbed to No. 3 in the world rankings, is listed at odds ranging from 8/1 to 20/1.
It's strictly double or triple digits on every other player, including Andy Roddick, who may be ranked sixth in the world but whose serve-and-volley game never has worked on clay. Roddick is held at odds ranging from 100/1 to 450/1.
If Nadal seems as close to a sure thing as there is on the men's side (some books even have odds on whether he loses a set), then the women's half of the draw appears anything but predictable.
Dinara Safina, Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Serena Williams all can claim a piece of the favorite's pie. Safina, who quietly has ascended to the world's No. 1 ranking among women, is favored or co-favored at 11 of 18 books surveyed. Safina, who won earlier this month on clay in Rome and was the runner-up at the French and US Opens last year and the Australian Open this year, can be found in the 5/1 to 7/1 range.
Jankovic, a former No. 1 currently ranked fourth, is the favorite or co-favorite at seven outlets. Jankovic, who won on clay in Spain last month but like Safina still is looking for her first Major win, is about 6/1 at most tennis betting outlets.
Currently ranked seventh, Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open champion, is a co-favorite at two wagering watering holes. Her odds on a French Open tennis championship range from 5/1 to 10/1.
A winner of 11 Major tennis titles, including a French Open crown back in 2002, No. 2 ranked Serena Williams has the most experience among the favored quartet. Williams is the favorite or co-favorite at eight betting locations with prices varying from a low of 5/1 to a high of 15/2.
As usually is the case, the cast of realistic winners is longer on the women's side than it is on the men's side of the net. To that end, Venus Williams, Elena Dementieva, Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova are among those who could spring a mild upset.
The elder Williams never has won at Roland Garros but has seven other Major singles titles. Williams, who is ranked right behind her sister at No. 3 in the world, can be played at odds ranging from 8/1 to 12/1.
Dementieva, who is ranked fifth, was a finalist at Roland Garros in 2004 and won an Olympic Gold Medal in singles play last year. Look for her in the 10/1 to 14/1 range.
Ivanovic, who like Sharapova is a former No. 1, is the defending French Open champion. Currently ranked eighth in the world, Ivanovic's odds range from 8/1 to 18/1.
Coming off a shoulder injury, Sharapova's odds range from 14/1 to 33/1. Sharapova was a semi-finalist at the 2007 French Open and has captured singles titles at the US Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open.
A contrast in future book odds between a heavy favorite on the men's side and a wide-open contest on the women's side should serve every tennis betting fan's taste at the French Open this year.
