With just a week to go until Wimbledon kicks off again, where Andy Murray will be hoping to defend his title from twelve months ago, many of the world’s leading players will head to the South-Coast of England to battle it out for the ATP Eastbourne title. The tournament has received an even greater demand for places this year, due to many of the top seeds departing early from the AEGON Championships at Queens last week. The likes of Novak Djokovic, Richard Gasquet and Sam Querrey are currently among the favourites to lift the trophy come the end of the week, with many bookmakers offering odds on matches, as well as the outright competition winner.
Main Contenders
Former world number one, and twelve-time grand slam winner, Djokovic, is certain to gain much of the attention in Eastbourne this week, with the Serbian playing in a competitive tournament the week before Wimbledon for the first time in seven years. Having won at the All England Club on three separate occasions, last back in 2015, Djokovic is looking to quickly make the transition from clay to grass, as well as answering questions that have surfaced regarding his motivation over recent months.
Elsewhere, French duo Gasquet and Gael Monfils are expected to make it into the latter stages of the tournament, with the pair having met at the Halle Open just last week, where Gasquet overcame his compatriot over three tight sets. Despite grass not being Monfils’ favoured surface, the showman will still be looking to put in a good showing.
Big serving is one of the biggest assets on grass, meaning that American’s Querrey and John Isner cannot be ruled out when looking to back a winner this week. Should the tournament go the same way as events at Queens last week, where 35-year-old Feliciano Lopez overcame the odds to win the title, backing an outsider could well prove lucrative. Home favourite Kyle Edmund and Andy Murray’s Australian Open nemesis, Mischa Zverev, are just two of the players who could potentially cause an upset.
Top Betting Tips
Bookmakers Betway offer some of the most appealing odds for the competition in Eastbourne, with Novak Djokovic the current favourite at odds of just 4/5. The rest of the field are seen as outsiders as a result, with Monfils, Isner and Gasquet all offered odds of between 12/1 and 14/1. Punters can also bet on first round matches, where Mischa Zverev’s clash with Ryan Harrison looks like one of the standout’s. Betway offer the German as the 30/100 favourite to progress to the next round.