Murray to lead the way in straight sets on Manic Monday

The action at SW19 steps up a notch in the second week, and with all round of 16 ties to be played in a single day, it’s no wonder it has been nicknamed Manic Monday.

For the first time in 15 years, Britain still has a player in both the men’s and women’s draw at this stage, with Laura Robson showing the sort of steel that we’ve become so accustomed to seeing from Andy Murray.

Robson’s achievements have been a welcome surprise for the watching crowds, but unfortunately for Murray this has done anything but dampen the expectation on the British number one.

In fact, the unpredictable nature of the tournament so far – with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal crashing out early on and potential tricky opponents Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Marin Cilic being forced out with injury – has seen even more pressure heaped on Murray.

Now, the majority of the watching public have their Sunday afternoon already set aside for Djokovic vs Murray. Anything other than that simply won’t do.

In fairness, while Murray will say the right things in public, he too will be majorly disappointed should he not still be in action on Sunday.

The highest remaining seeded player on his side of the draw is his opponent on Monday, Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny. Youzhny will provide stern opposition, having seen off Viktor Troicki in straight sets in the last round, but has been experiencing trouble with a back injury.

Given the peculiar number of injuries already witnessed this year, this fact can not be discounted. Add to that Murray’s consistency in the Grand Slams since appointing coach Ivan Lendl (he’s made the semis in all but last year’s French Open, when he lost in the quarters), a Murray straight sets victory at 4/11 provides a solid opener in a Manic Monday fourfold.

His likely opposition should he reach the final, Novak Djokovic, might find things a bit harder against a rejuvenated Tommy Haas. The 35-year-old German is finding some formidable form on grass in the twilight of his career and has beaten Djokovic at Wimbledon before in 2009.

It certainly won’t be a surprise to see him trouble the Serb to the sound of at least one set, making the 11/4 on the world number one to prevail 3-1 very tempting.

World number four and French Open finalist David Ferrer was made to work in the last round, going five sets with Alexandr Dolgopolov, but one of the fittest players on the circuit is unlikely to let that hinder him as he faces up to Croatian Ivan Dodig, particularly as the Spaniard outlasted Dodig 6-4 6-7 6-1 on their only other meeting in Valencia last year. Ferrer is 4/11 to win.

Completing the fourfold is something of a left-field pick, with rising Aussie star Bernard Tomic a real pick at 2/1 to beat seventh seed Tomas Berdych. The Czech is known to be struggling with a back injury, and with Tomic in fine form so far, no doubt using his anger at his coach father’s banning from courtside to inspire him. He also has recent history on his side, having defeated Berdych in Australia in 2012.

Men’s Wimbledon Manic Monday selections
Andy Murray to beat Mikhail Youzhny 3-0 @ 4/11

Novak Djokovic to beat Tommy Haas 3-1 @ 11/4

David Ferrer to beat Ivan Dodig @ 4/11

Bernard Tomic to beat Tomas Berdych @ 2/1

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