Federer must be backed in light of Money Back US Open offer
Published:Ladbrokes are offering money back as a free bet up to £25 if your pick to win the US Open ends up a beaten finalist in New York.
On both sides of the draw we’ve narrowed down a prime candidate who could be potential champions, or unlucky runners-up:
The fact that Federer has been installed as the number two seed at a Grandslam he hasn’t even made the final of since his shock loss to Martin Del Porto back in 2009, speaks volumes about his incredible 2014 resurgence.
There’s also the small detail that defending champion Rafael Nadal has been forced to withdraw through injury, which has not only promoted Fed in the seeding, but cleared a virtually bump-free route to the final.
In the bottom-half of the draw the freshly-crowned Cincinnati Masters champion avoids number one seed Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Australian Open champion, Stanislas Wawrinka.
A date with Djokovic in the showpiece is very much in the offing on current form, especially as the Swiss maestro has even dodged the last two players to defeat him on hard courts – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Kei Nishikori.
If Wimbledon champion Djokovic is the big favourite to claim a second US crown on the men’s side, then Serena Williams is once again the lady to beat.
Although Serena has shown flaky form at the previous three majors this year, ominously the American just claimed her first Cincinnati Masters title since her last triumph back in 2006.
Chasing a record-equalling sixth US Open crown, some massive names are on a potential collision course against her in the top-half of the draw.
Most notably Victoria Azarenka, who she has bettered in the last two Flushing Meadows finals, 2011 winner Samantha Stosur, Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova, SW19 finalist Eugenie Bouchard and eighth seed Ana Ivanovic.
Great news indeed for another resurgent former world number one, Wozniacki, in the other half of the draw, who has been in tremendous hard-court form leading into the final Slam of 2014.
The Dane has won 13 of 16 matches, losing only to Serena twice, before an unexpected second-round loss in Connecticut to Camila Giorgi.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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