Underdogs targeting major upsets in Wimbledon second round
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus is in action at Wimbledon on Wednesday. Picture:Some unfancied players will be aiming to cause second-round upsets at the Wimbledon Championships in London on Wednesday.
And for those who are willing to take a risk with their Betway cash, there could be some lucrative payouts if title contenders fall in the early stages of the tournament.
First up on centre court on Wednesday, at 2.30pm (SA time), women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka of Russia will be favoured to beat Czech opponent Marie Bouzkova in their second-round clash.
Ranked first in the world, Sabalenka is a three-time Grand Slam winner who has twice reached the Wimbledon semifinals.
Bouzkova is ranked 48th in the world, but she will fancy her chances of causing an upset, having reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2022.
As risky as it might be, Betway is offering 8.00 for Sabalenka to be knocked out ahead of the third round, and the returns might be worth the chance.
Can Tarvet cause an upset?
And there is even more reward on offer for those who bet against men's defending champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain.
Alcaraz is up against British debutant Oliver Tarvet in a second-round match, which will be the second fixture on centre court on Wednesday.
The No 2 seed is already a five-time Grand Slam winner, at the age of 22, and he is targeting his third successive Wimbledon title.
Tarvet, 21, progressed to the main draw after receiving a wildcard entry for the qualifying round, and he went on to beat Leandro Riedi of Switzerland in straight sets in the first round.
Though he is the clear favourite, Betway is offering 17.00 for Alcaraz to be eliminated, and though it is unlikely, Tarvet will be buoyed by the home crowd and will be desperate to make a statement by causing a major upset.
Carlos Alcaraz reaches for the ball during his first-round match at Wimbledon earlier this week. Picture: Visionhaus/Getty Images
Odds on Wimbledon champions
If those bets seem too risky, there are safer options looking ahead to the end of the tournament next week.
For overall victory among the men, the current odds are 2.10 for Alcaraz, 2.50 for world No 1 Jannik Sinner, and 6.00 for veteran Novak Djokovic.
Among the women, Sabalenka is at 3.25 to go all the way and lift the trophy, while Elena Rybakina is at 4.75 and Iga Swiatek at 6.10.
Please note these Betway odds are correct at the time of publishing.
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