Defending champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams opened as future book favorites to successfully defend their respective men's and women's singles titles at the final Major of the year, the US Open Tennis Championship in Flushing Meadows, New York, Aug. 31-Sept. 13.
Federer, who regained the world's No. 1 ranking earlier in the year and has captured a record 15 Grand Slam events, opened as a surprisingly generous 3/2 favorite to win a sixth consecutive US Open men's singles championship. Federer is coming off victories in the year's most recent two Major events, the French Open and Wimbledon, and has competed in 20 of the last 21 semi-finals and 20 final pairings, overall.
Given Federer's sizeable accomplishments--many consider him the greatest tennis player of all time--some gamblers will jump all over his 3/2 odds. Others, however, loathe to take the favorite no matter how handsome the price, will look elsewhere.
Their gaze might fall on Andy Murray, the second choice in future book betting at a somewhat more robust price of 7/2. Murray has climbed up to third in the world rankings and has shown a fondness for the US Open surface, losing to Federer in last year's championship final. Murray still is without a Major win on his resume but some feel he is primed for this occasion.
At odds of 5/1, No. 2 ranked Rafael Nadal is a more traditional wagering alternative to Federer. Nadal, at least, has won six Grand Slam titles and is the only man to simultaneously hold Major titles on clay, grass and hardcourt surfaces. However, not only has Nadal never won the US Open, but he's also attempting a bit of a comeback following injuries that slowed him at the French Open and forced him to withdraw from this year's Wimbledon.
Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro and Andy Roddick also may attract the attention of some future book tennis betting enthusiasts. No. 4 Djokovic, 8/1, won the 2008 Australian Open and was the runner-up to Federer at the 2007 US Open while No. 6 Del Potro, 12/1, and No. 5 Roddick, 14/1, engaged in a spirited final at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington D.C., won by del Potro, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), earlier this month. Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, lost an epic battle to Federer at this year's Wimbledon final and is the shortest priced American in the field.
At odds of 7/4, Serena Williams, the world's No. 2 ranked woman, is the clear choice to win her fourth US Open singles title, third Major of the year, and 12th Major, overall. The reigning US, Australian and Wimbledon champion might again have to tangle with her older sister, Venus, who she defeated in the finals at Wimbledon. No. 3 Venus has seven Major singles titles to her credit and is the 4/1 second choice in future book wagering. She's won the US Open twice, but not since 2001.
Ranked just 49th in the world but on the comeback trail following shoulder surgery, camera-friendly Maria Sharapova is the 6/1 third choice in futures. Sharapova won the US Open in 2006 and also has snared Wimbledon and the Australian Open singles titles.
World No. 1 Dinara Safina and No. 9 Victoria Azarenka each are offered at odds of 8/1 in futures. Neither has yet to win a Major but Safina has played in three of the last six Major finals.
No. 4 Elena Dementieva, No. 11 Ana Ivanovic, No. 5 Jelena Jankovic, Kim Clijsters and No. 6 Svetlana Kuznetsova also are in the wagering mix. Dementieva, the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner in women's singles, is held at odds of 10/1 while Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion, is listed at odds of 12/1. Jankovic, 14/1, was the runner-up at last year's US Open while Clijsters, 14/1, won the US Open in 2005 and recently returned from a two-year retirement to beat No. 12 Marion Bartoli in a match in Cincinnati. Kuznetsova, 16/1, has won two Major titles, including the 2004 US Open.
With well-matched quality fields, US Open tennis betting fans should have plenty of wagering options at this year's final Major.
