Williams final proves a turn-off for punters
Laura MacInnis
Gamblers in Britain are wary of betting on the women's Wimbledon final because of rumours that sisters Venus and Serena Williams will pre-determine the result before Saturday's match, a British bookmaker said on Friday.
Because of the disappointing quality of the two earlier grand slam finals between the American siblings, there has been speculation that their father and coach, Richard, decides which of his daughters will win.
The Williams family has always denied fixing matches but the rumours seem to have put off some punters.
"It's pretty quiet for a final of this magnitude," said David Stevens, a spokesman for British bookmakers Coral.
"People aren't quite sure if the sisters are going to sort it out between them, or if that's just talk. It's put off some people from betting on the match."
Another bookmakers, William Hill, said they gave no credence to talk that the sisters will decide in advance who will win.
"Of course we have heard all the stories. And if you believe the games are fixed, you are betting on what plan is being crafted behind closed doors," said spokesman Graham Sharpe.
"Only Venus and Serena know what is going on in their own minds. We are going to assume the girls will play a competitive game of tennis."
Venus said on Friday that the two sisters were too competitive just to concede any match to the other, let alone a grand slam final.
"We both love to win," she said after defeating Justine Henin in the semi-final. "I'm not used to losing. It doesn't happen that often. It's quite the same with her."
At the French Open earlier this year, Serena bettered her sister in a lacklustre final peppered with 114 unforced errors.
Serena lost last year's U.S. Open to her older sister in another disappointing match but said she always plays to win.
"I go out there wanting every point," she said. "It doesn't matter who I'm playing. A win's a win. You have to go out there and fight."
Even if punters do decide to bet on the women's final, the odds are not particularly attractive. Coral and William Hill both have Venus at 4-7 to achieve a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles and Serena at 5-4 to win her third grand slam triumph.
