Venus to trap Wimbledon title

Although this year's Wimbledon has been blighted by shocking weather, a lack of British interest since the second round and the inevitability of title number five for Roger Federer there are reasons to be cheerful as the tournament approaches its dying stages.

Firstly, the quality of the women's matches has been exceptional, secondly, the quality of the women has been exceptional (Hantuchova, Vaidisova, Sharapova and Ivanovic, anyone?) and thirdly it's not too late to get on a winner.

Venus Williams is crying out for attention to win Wimbledon at 9/4. Now, before you spit out your strawberries and cream all over your tennis whites, hear me out. Justine Henin of course merits respect.

The diminutive Belgian has stamped solid current form with a third French Open title, a win at Eastbourne and a five-match winning sequence at SW19 that has all but booked her place in the final. It is hardly surprising then, to find the World No1 installed as favourite. However, little Justine is far too short – and I'm not just talking about her elfin stature.

Of course the fact that Henin is odds-on does not mean she will not win it, but there are strong arguments to suggest that she won't. Henin has played well enough so far on grass, but she has only actually had one tough match to date – and that was against a Serena Williams who, despite debilitating wrist and calf injuries, managed to take the waspish 25-year-old to three sets.

Had Williams Jnr been able to move with any sort of freedom, I have no doubt that she would have beaten a Henin, who when pressured began to make the sort of mistakes that suggested the inner demons would once more betray her at Wimbledon.

More importantly, Venus Williams has been in sensational form. Defying her status as the No28 seed, much as she defied her no14 seeding when she won Wimbledon two years ago, she is back in the sort of form that should remind us, lest we have forgotten, that she has actually won this thing three times already.

Williams completely dismantled Anna Sharapova in the fourth round, brushed aside Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarters and has rediscovered the power game that should see her make short shrift of Anna Ivanovic, who survived three match points against 18-year-old Vaidisova in a nerve-addled quarter-final. Henin can be expected to get past Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli in her semi-final but getting the better of the three-time winner will be another matter entirely.
 
Verdict: Venus Williams to win Wimbledon 9/4 (Boylesports)