Rafael Nadal, who has just replaced Roger Federer as world No. 1, has been cut to 14/10 for the US Open by BetUK after receiving a favourable draw.
Second seed Roger Federer, who has won only two ATP titles this season, is at 5/2 and third seed Novak Djokovic has also been eased to 3/1. Federer and Djokovic are due to meet in the semi-finals. Andy Murray is 12/1, with punters believing the Scot will be beaten in the semis by Nadal.
Marseille have thrown down the challenge to French champions Lyon after a mightily impressive 4-0 thrashing of Auxerre on Sunday evening.
New recruits Bakari Kone and Hatem Ben Arfa have been inspirational in the opening two matches and with eight goals scored in two matches, Marseille are not going to lack offensive power this season.
Lyon were held to a 0-0 draw away to Lorient and coach Claud Puel expressed his frustration as the odds-on title favourites failed to find a winner.
If you want to bet on Marseille to take the Ligue 1 title this year you can do so here at BetUK.
Aston Villa’s Gabriel Agbonlahor extinguished Manchester City’s hopes on Sunday with three goals in seven second-half minutes and his heroics will have gone down extremely well with in-running punters who had backed any player to score a hat-trick at around the 33/1 mark.
Agbonlahor is the early leader in the race for the EPL’s Golden Boot and BetUK make him 16/1 (from 66-1) to top the Premier League scoring charts at the end of the season.
John Terry believes Manchester United have reached their peak and Chelsea can regain the Premier League trophy. United were European and domestic champions last term, with Chelsea runners-up, but the Blues’ captain believes his side can raise their game.
“I don’t think United have another level to go to,” said Terry, whose side have a new manager this season in Brazil’s Luiz Felipe Scolari. They had a lot of players at the peak of their form for the last two years.”
Terry’s comments come after United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said that the majority of Chelsea’s squad had reached an age where they were unlikely to improve any further.
As a player, Nick Faldo had about as much personality as a lettuce. However, now the sticks have been put out to pasture and he’s ripped through several marriages the six-times Major champion seems to have found some charisma and, of course, the Ryder Cup captaincy. I have been lucky enough to speak to a few people who know him in the last few weeks and by all accounts Faldo is as focused on winning the Ryder Cup as he was in his playing days.
What I do know is that barring some amazing turnaround in form he will not pick Monty as a wildcard and that he has intimated he could pick Darren Clarke if he builds on last week’s good performance at Firestone. However if Garcia can qualify automatically then Faldo is apparently aiming to have Paul Casey and/or Ian Poulter as his Captain’s picks. This, of course, is only insider hearsay but what is more intriguing is that the experienced players are saying that Faldo is already as good a European captain as they’ve had.
Fast bowlers Steve Harmison and Stuart Broad have been recalled to the England side for the final Test against South Africa at The Oval, starting on Thursday.
Ryan Sidebottom and Ravi Bopara have been left out as England seek to restore pride in Kevin Pietersen’s first match as Test captain.
England will bank on five batsmen with Ian Bell replacing former skipper Michael Vaughan at number three while Andrew Flintoff will bat at six and wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose at seven.
Pietersen, named captain on Monday following Vaughan’s resignation after the series was lost on Saturday, is confident his side can bounce back from the disappointment of their five-wicket defeat at Edgbaston.
Come on KP - start as you mean to carry on. Let’s show the South Africans what we’re made of!
British sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe told the BBC today that “it is vital” that Team GB reaches the target of 41 medals from the Beijing Olympics.
“That is a serious target,” said Sutcliffe. “We want it to be achieved.”
Whatever this lardy-arsed poltico has to say about the Olympics one thing is for sure: the experts suggest the GB team should exceed that goal.
According to one Team GB could get up to 48 medals with 18 golds, putting them into roughly 4th place overall.
You can see all BetUK’s Olympic markets here.
Kevin Pietersen has succeeded Michael Vaughan as England cricket captain today. Following Vaughan’s shock resignation on Sunday, the 28-year-old’s appointment was confirmed by national selector Geoff Miller at Lord’s.
Pietersen will captain both the Test and one-day sides and will lead England in the final Test against South Africa at The Oval on Thursday.
The South Africa-born batsman becomes England’s 74th Test captain and had been widely tipped to take over from Vaughan and one-day captain Paul Collingwood, who also stood down on Sunday following England’s Test series defeat to South Africa.
Remember you can bet on Thursday’s Test match here at BetUK.
Paul Collingwood said his courageous century for England on day three of the third Test left him feeling the “happiest I’ve felt in some time”. Colly has endured a miserable summer with the bat, but he showed great fighting spirit as his 101 not out hauled England back into the match.
“I’ve felt like I’ve not been contributing and letting the team down so today was very special,” he said.
It might just save his position in the Test side too.
Remember you can bet on the England/South Africa match in-running at BetUK.
It’s been a really boring football transfer season so far but it could be about to be spiced up. We’ve heard one rumour from a man very close to the Man United set-up that Sir Alex Ferguson is trying to prize Michael Owen away from Newcastle and play him up front with England team-mate Rooney.
Elsewhere the Lampard, Drogba and Adebayor stories seem to have fizzled out, whilst Russian star Andrei Arshavin appears to have forgotten about his ‘l don’t want to play in the Premiership’ stance and is pretty close to joining Spurs.
