French Open Womens Semi Finals Shockers
6th June 2013
Unless a shock victory from one of the other semi finalists upsets things, Serena Williams the bookies favourite looks set for another French Open title.
With her current form and well established pedigree firmly on her side, Serena Williams looks almost unstoppable as she goes into today's semi finals against Sara Errani. Last year's runner-up in the tournament and least favoured player by the bookies, Errani is facing a mountain to scale as she squares up to the formidable Ms Williams today.
What the Bookies Say
Betfred has Serena Williams at 4/11 on to take the title, with her closest rival, Maria Sharapova at 5/1 playing in the other semi final against 11/2 Victoria Azarenka, while Sara Errani trails at 25/1. If you want an in-play bet on one or both of today's semi finals, you can get 4/5 on Sharapova and evens on Azarenka to win their semi, while at 1/20 on Williams, a bet on 8/1 Errani might make a good outsider.
Of course upsets do happen and even with the most compelling statistics on paper, there is always the chance that a player will find a reserve of incredible form to create one. For those who fancy a bet on this one, with odds so tight on the top players, it can be very tempting to risk an outside bet on the long odds given to Errani.
Online Betting
These days there are plenty of choices for how you can place your bets on any sporting event and the French Open is no different. For UK punters, it really is so easy and accessible, with the options of paying a visit to your local high street bookmaker, staying at home and doing it the old fashioned way over the phone, or going high tech and doing it online.
There are plenty of top name bookmakers and sportsbook websites to choose from, but I'd advise choosing a well known brand like William Hill or Betfred. This is mainly because these are big companies with good reputations to uphold, so you're not likely to be ripped off.
How Do I Place a Bet Online?
If you've never placed a bet online before, don't worry because it's as simple as anything as long as you have a credit or debit card. You should visit a reputable bookmaker website, say for example: Betfred.com and create an account.
This means filling in a simple form with your name and the usual details - address, phone, email etc as well as a credit/debit card number that you'll be using for placing your bets. Once you have confirmed your email, you can log in and start betting.
Follow the in-site directions which are easy to understand - they don't want you getting lost in there, naturally! You don't need to leave home because your winnings can be paid online to a payment processor like Neteller or Skrill (Moneybookers), or you can elect to have the money deposited directly into your bank account as you choose.
So what are you waiting for? Click the link to our Betfred review above to learn more and get started!
Further reading: Straight Sets (NY Times)
