Jul 4, 2008, 9:54 GMT
London - Patriotic punters rose to the occasion at Wimbledon as Andy Murray's losing quarter-final Wimbledon effort against Rafael Nadal set new records for betting.
But a William Hill agency spokesman cautioned that the hot money went to Nadal, who has lost the last two finals to Roger Federer but whose star is rising fast on grass.
'The biggest bet for Nadal as 64,000 dollars while the most for Murray as 2,000,' he said. 'The match beat all records.'
A massive 16 million dollars was wagered on the match, where the Scot was crushed by Spain's all-powerful number two. Gaming officials say the previous mark was 10 million dollars.
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Murray may be losing ground in British affections to a talented teenager.
Ladbroke's has tipped 14-year-old girl's semi-finalist Laura Robson of Wimbledon as 50-1 to win Wimbledon by the year 2020.
'Move over Murray,' said a spokesman. 'Laura Robson is the great new hope of British tennis. Her wins at Wimbledon have really captured the imagination and punters seem to love her.
'We've been under siege from fans wanting to back her for future glory.'
*** ********************** NOTEBOOK: Federer serves up a perfect delivery =
London (dpa) - Roger Federer has got his winning serve down so well grooved, that he feels little incentive - or need - to polish it during training in order to protect his shoulder.
'I hardly practice it,' said the Swiss, bidding for a sixth consecutive Wimbledon title. 'When I hit, say 50 serves in a row, the shoulder starts hurting, the whole thing.
'You have to also remember what it does to your body. You can hit 50 serves in a row in just a few minutes. That's maybe not as good for your shoulder.
'At the same time, you've got to do it sometimes when you have time. That's usually the off-season.'
With his controlling nature coming to the fore in the closing days of this Wimbledon edition, the top seed doesn't want to change any part of his winning combination.
'For my serve, it's about being consistent and being concentrated on it. It's really the only shot I can control. That's why the serve is such an important part of my game.'
View blog reactions
There are currently no comments for this article. Be the first to comment! (no registration required)
Advertising
There are currently no comments for this article. Be the first to comment! (no registration required)