Andy Murray will continue his quest for a first Grand Slam title on Friday when he takes on Rafael Nadal in the French Open semi-finals. It doesn't get much tougher than a clash against the defending champion and Nadal starts as a huge 1/7 odds on favourite for the match with Bet 365, while Murray can be backed at 9/2.
Nadal has won the French Open five times already and is bidding to match the six Roland Garros titles that Bjorn Borg won. He is 11/8 to take the title again, although Murray remains tempting at odds of 14/1 with B365.
It is an unenviable task for Murray in the last four but in many ways he has nothing to lose as all the pressure is on Nadal. Murray has already beaten his best ever performance at Roland Garros, a quarter-final appearance in 2009, and he has only lost two sets on his way to the last four this year.
He overcame Juan Ignacio Chela 7-6, 7-5, 6-2 in a testing last eight match, although worries continue to surround an ankle injury he picked up in the previous round against Viktor Troicki. Murray will draw comfort from his recent showings on clay against the very best in the sport - he lost out narrowly to Novak Djokovic in the Rome Masters semi-finals, where he was defeated 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 and came closer than anyone to beating the Serbian as he served for the match at one point.
Furthermore, he pushed Nadal all the way in the Monte Carlo Masters semi's, where he lost out 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. Bet365.com provide very tempting odds for Murray to push Nadal all the way again this week with the correct score of Nadal to win 3-2 available at 6/1, while the 3-1 scoreline can be backed at 5/2.
World number one Nadal has admitted he has not been playing like a potential French Open champion, although there were signs of improvement in his 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 quarter-final win over a poor Robin Soderling on Wednesday.
Soderling is the only player to have ever defeated Nadal in the Spaniards six appearances at Roland Garros, with Nadal having won a remarkable 43 matches. Nadal has only lost two sets so far this tournament, both in his opening match against John Isner, and he will be confident of overcoming Murray on Friday.
Nadal has won ten of fourteen meetings with Murray, including all three on clay courts, although Murray will take great heart from his recent performances on the red stuff and the Brit has won two of their five Grand Slam meetings.
Outright Tournament Winner Odds
Evens Novak Djokovic
11/8 Rafael Nadal
15/2 Roger Federer
14/1 Andy Murray
Rafael Nadal v Andy Murray Match Betting
1/7 Rafael Nadal
9/2 Andy Murray
Rafael Nadal v Andy Murray Set Betting
10/11 Rafael Nadal 3-0
5/2 Rafael Nadal 3-1
6/1 Rafael Nadal 3-2
11/1 Andy Murray 3-2
12/1 Andy Murray 3-1
14/1 Andy Murray 3-0
All odds are supplied courtesy of Bet365.com, who provide several other betting markets, including live betting in-running, for all French Open matches.
Posted: Thursday, 2nd June 2011
Author: Chris James
Tags: french open, andy murray, rafael nadal, novak djokovic, bet365,
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