WTA - S. Williams v Henin

30 January 2010

Preview By Tipster Jumbo (New Zealand)

I really should of written on the AD up to this date but I haven't and it's no good crying over spilt milk, so we'll have a crack at this one.....

I'm a tad bit confused here about the total games bet on this match and I am wondering exactly who the Bookies and the Public expect to win this match in straight sets because betting and dropping odds indicate that either player is favoured to win, but Totals on this match also indicate that everyone expects this match to go only 2 sets, but yet there is no real push for exactly who everyone is picking will win it in straight sets....

Serena has had some tough matches over the last few days and has performed like a real Champion to get to this point, I had her at 2-1 in Sets betting against Azarenka and over on the total and midway through that second set at 4-0 down I thought it was over, but that comeback was truly amazing and showed how deep she can dig to pull herself out of what seemed at the time an impossible to overcome hole and yet she did, again in her semi against Li I had her at 2-0 in Sets betting but had the over 21 games and that was achieved by Li Na's great come back in the first set, Serena has played 6 matches to get here dropping only 1 set, her game totals have been averaging 15 games in total over the first 4 rounds, However her last 2 matches have resulted in 31 games against Azarenka and 26 against Li, Williams has also been taken to 3 Tie Breaks in her last 5 sets of tennis and although looking great is still going through ups and downs in her matches, Injured or not her play is still great but she can slip and against Henin I expect that to come to the fore in today's match.

Henin has also come through this tournament with ups and downs, shes had 2 3 set matches in the 3rd and 4th rounds against Wickmayer who I really like and Kleybanova, her match totals have been dropping and her average through the frist two rounds was 20 games, the 3rd and 4th her average was 19 and she wiped the court with Zheng very well (Thanks LordBurt, Your still the Man Bro!!), Her game totals are dropping and I would say that alot of that has to do with confidence as she comes through the feild, Henin has been taken to Tie Breaks in 3 of her 14 Sets so far this tournament and I reckon she will again find herself in that position in this match today, It is great to see her back though and her play has been brilliant, not so much in the early rounds but in the later rounds for sure, They say that Champions stand up when they need to, well both these women are Champions and standing up is something that they have already shown they can do.

H2H and these two have played 5 times with Henin leading the Series 3-2, On Hardcourt Williams has the edge winning 2 of the 3 matches played on that surface, Sets wise on their matches even though past history now are in Sets only 2 have gone to 3 sets, Once at Wimbledon and Once at the US Open, Of the 11 sets they have faced each other in they have only had one Tiebreak which Henin won, Game totals and these are in order from last one played to first one played the Totals have been 14, 20, 28, 19, 27, so it would seem that unless this match go's to 3 sets that this total will be hard to get and that is likely true based on what either player is doing, but I still like it and here's my reasons why.

Firstly I want it to go 3 Sets for the spectacle of the Event, Secondly Serena has been taken to Tie Breaks in 3 of her last 5 sets and Thirdly Henin is getting better and more confident with each passing match.

I don't know If Serena is injured or not although the amount of strapping she has on you would think she must be in some way, unless she likes looking like an ad for Bandage salesman, but I do think that Justine is more than Capable of taking this match to a Tie Break if not to win the first set, we have already seen how well Williams can come back in her matches and we also know that Henin would love to win this and announce that she is not only back, but she is again the best in the World.

I like this match to go to 3 sets even though Williams has a great record of avoiding 3 set matches in Grand Slam Events and even if it doesn't I do think that at least one set will go to a tie break or be decided by a single break of service and if that's the case I really don't see either player losing their bundle and falling over in a second set, I really don't know who is going to win this and the match itself is really a good one to wait for and lets hope it go's a while, we can cash in and enjoy the end to the Women's side of the draw with a great match that go's the distance between two Fantastic Players....I'm going for 23 games or more in this match.....Good Luck.