Sportsbet updates tennis rules following Djoker’s French Open win

WORLD number one Novak Djokovic will go into the remaining two Grand Slam tournaments left as the $1.80 and the $1.83 favourite after winning his maiden French Open crown on Sunday night.

The Serbian finally tasted success at Roland Garros after three failed attempts, defeating world number two Andy Murray in four sets.

Djokovic lost the first set to Murray, but overpowered the Scot thereafter to register arguably his finest Grand Slam win.

The world number one said he ‘didn’t feel too pressure’ after he broke Murray’s serve twice in the fourth set.

“When I broke him the second time and I got to 5-2 in the fourth, I just started laughing. I don’t know. I had that kind of emotion. I didn’t feel too much pressure, honestly.” Djokovic said.

“We’re all humans, and arriving so close like never before in my life to this trophy and winning it, you know, I felt it. I felt the tension and excitement, all the emotions. You name it.

“In the last point I don’t even remember what happened. It was really one of those things – moments where you just try to be there.

“It’s like my spirit has left my body and I was just observing my body fight the last three, four exchanges going left to right and hoping that Andy will make a mistake, which happened.”

The 29-year-old became just the eighth man in tennis history to complete the Career Slam (winning all four majors across their career) and the just third man ever to hold all four Slams concurrently.

While he technically has completed the Grand Slam; winning all four majors in the calendar year is Djokovic’s next goal, and he believes he is well placed to finish the year off in style.

“Well, I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I really think everything is achievable in life,” he said.

“You know, winning this trophy today gave me so much happiness and fulfilment. I’m trying to grasp and I’m trying to cherish, obviously, these moments right now.

Whether or not I can reach a calendar slam, that’s still a possibility.”

Punters who believe that Djokovic can complete the Calendar Slam can get $3.29 at Sportsbet.com.au if they elect put a Djokovic win at Wimbledon and at US Open in a multi.

Wimbledon kicks off in three weeks, and only three men – Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Roger Federer – will start the tournament in single figures.

2016 Wimbeldon Odds

Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au

N Djokovic $1.80

A Murray $4.33

R Federer $9

M Raonic $19

S Wawrinka $21

N Kyrgios $22

R Nadal $26

K Nishikori $34

M Cilic $51

G Dimitrov $51

J-W Tsonga $51

T Berdych $67

R Gasquet $91

D Thiem $91

J Isner $101

G Monfils $126

A Zverev $126

B Tomic $126

Serena Williams again fails to fire in a Grand Slam final

SERENA Williams will will start as the $2.63 favourite at Wimbledon at Sportsbet.com.au despite losing a second consecutive Grand Slam final at the French Open on Saturday night.

The American was aiming to join tennis great Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam wins, but again crumbled under pressure, losing to Venezuelan Garbine Muguruza in straight sets.

For the first time in her career the world number one Williams is showing signs that the pressure is getting to her.

Last year Williams was odds on favourite to complete the Calendar Slam after claiming the Australian, French and Wimbledon crowns but she failed to even reach the final at an event she has previously won six times.

For the second time this year Serena Williams lost to a player who went on to secure their first ever Grand Slam title win.

The 34-year-old does not believe her recent Slam failures will stand in the way of achieving her dream.

“I obviously always want to do the best and I want to play the best, and I kind of gear up for that,” Williams said after her straight sets loss.

“In Australia, Ann Kerber made 16 errors in three sets, you know, so what do you do in that situation?

“Garbine played unbelievable. The only thing I can do is just keep trying.

“Obviously it’s (failure) not something I’m like ‘Oh, it’s over with.’

“It’s definitely something I want to dissect and see what I can learn from that and what can I do to get better from it.”

The world number one has three weeks to regroup for an assault on Wimbledon, but has the aura of invincibility that once went hand-in-hand with Williams now dissipated?

Women’s Wimbledon Odds

Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au

S Williams $2.63

G Muguruza $7

P Kvitova $8

V Azarenka $9

S Halep $21

M Keys $23

A Kerber $23

B Bencic $31

A Radwanska $34

Ka Pliskova $41

E Bouchard $41

L Safarova $51

A Ivanovic $51

S Stephens $51

Changes to tennis betting at Sportsbet.com.au

ONLINE bookmaker Sportsbet.com.au have made a key change in their tennis betting rules, specifically addressing the retirement issue that has plagued punters multis over the years.

Previously any player that retired from a match would automatically void a bet, irrespective of the scoreline; now the player or pairing (depending on whether it is a singles or doubles bet) that has progressed through to the next round at the tournament will be deemed a winner and paid out as such providing the first set of the match has been completed.

The change to retirements in tennis – which is in effect now – also counts for in play bets too.

There is also a change to matches that are forced to be relocated.

Any match that is changed from an outdoor to an indoor court will stand, but any change of surface, be it clay to grass or hardcourt to carpet, will void all bets.