Team GB can expect three women to reach singles second round

Team GB have four women taking part in the women’s singles at the Olympics and there are grounds to believe that three of them are capable of venturing beyond the opening round.

The one exception is likely to be Anne Keothavong as she has suffered an unkind draw against Caroline Wozniacki.

Elena Baltacha to beat Agnes Szavay @ 1/3

A back injury has meant that Szavay has not played since midway through the clay-court season and only a protected ranking has allowed her to participate in the Olympics.

Baltacha did lose her only previous meeting with the Hungarian, but her greater match sharpness can see her through to a probable second-round meeting with Ana Ivanovic.

Heather Watson to beat Silvia Soler Espinosa @ 1/3

Soler Espinosa is only ranked four places higher in the world than Watson and does not often deviate away from her favoured clay courts.

In fact, the only grass-court event that the Spaniard has played in the past two years is Wimbledon, where her best performance is reaching the second round.

If Watson can repeat the displays which saw her progress to the third round at SW19 this year, she should win comfortably, with the 10/11 on offer that she progresses 2-0 worthy of consideration.

Caroline Wozniacki to beat Anne Keothavong 2-0 @ 1/4

Wozniacki has not played since Wimbledon where she was surprisingly dumped out in the first round, but her power will be too much for Keothavong, who has lost her last three matches.

The number eight seed has also only dropped a combined three games in her two career meetings with Keothavong.

Laura Robson to beat Lucie Safarova @ SP

Robson has only been called up to the main draw as a late replacement for Petra Martic and prepares for a first meeting with fellow left-hander Safarova.

Safarova beat Robson’s doubles partner Watson on the grass of Eastbourne before Wimbledon, but was comprehensively beaten by improving Dutch youngster Keke Bertens in the opening round at SW19.

But Robson will see this as a big opportunity and is capable of springing a surprise.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.