VENUS WILLIAMS VS DINARA SAFINA AND ELENA DEMENTIEVA VS SERENA WILLIAMS

We are down to the final four of the 2009 Ladies Wimbledon tournament at the All-England Tennis Club. I'd predicted an all-Williams final at the outset of the tournament and the bookmakers look extremely confident that the American sisters will outdo their Russian counter-parts and contest this major championship once again.

As it currently stands, Venus Williams is listed at 1/5 outright to beat Dinara Safina in their match-up tomorrow. Safina carries a 10/3 price and is not favoured to take a set against Venus. Williams 2-0 pays out at 4/7 while Williams 2-1 pays out at 16/5.

Should Safina pull off an upset (World #1's don't usually have to pull off upsets) you're looking at 13/2 for Safina 2-0 or 7/1 for Safina 7/1. Should the match go to three sets, you're looking at 2/1 odds. Safina is odds-on not to win a set at 4/7.

The prices are virtually identical for the Elena Dementieva vs Serena Williams match. Literally each price is the same and this shows you just how high the Williams standards really are in terms of international tennis. Neither of them are ranked #1, but they go into each of their matches as large favourites.

In terms of the tournament betting, Venus and Serena are both listed at 11/10 to win, with Dinara Safina carrying a 10/1 price. Elena Dementieva is 12/1.

Since the Williams sisters are such heavy favourites, I think that the real value will be found here in the set betting. If you can predict the correct score of specific sets, you're looking at very generous odds. Conveniently, you can profit more from blow-out sets and with both Williams sisters at such short odds, you get the feeling that a few lopsided margins could be in store tomorrow.