Maria Sharapova to Make Short Work of Laura Robson?

The 2011 Wimbledon Tournament is officially in full swing and there hasn't been a huge amount of surprises as of yet but the more interesting fixtures are definitely on the horizon. Perhaps the biggest surprise so far has been the elimination of Li Na by wild card Sabine Lasicki. One of the most interesting match-ups on these shores at least is going to be the face-off between Great Britain's Laura Robson and international superstar Maria Sharapova.

Playing at home in front of a local crowd is certainly going to be a double-edged sword for the seventeen-year-old upstart as all of that cheering and support brings with it a fair amount of pressure for somebody so young.

Sharapova has proven herself to be distinctly beatable in several recent tournaments and it isn't always the biggest names in tennis that beat her. The possibility certainly exists that Sharapova may be off her game on the day or that Laura Robson is simply ready to make a very big statement.

A quick examination of the betting markets indicates that Laura Robson even derailing a Sharapova straight sets victory would still pay out at enticing margin. Sharapova to win the match outright trades at a microscopic 1/33 while Robson is floated at around 9/1. There will probably be a significant amount of late volume coming in on her as the patriotic punters get out in full force. There will be many single men watching this match so you can expect higher than average volume.

Sharapova is expected to stroll to a 2-0 victory with a 1/6 payout awaiting anybody looking to bet against Laura Robson. Sharapova to win 2-1 pays out at 9/2 and you reckon there will probably be a few opting for that selection. Robson to squeak this one by a 2-1 margin rewards at 14/1 with a 2-0 victory paying out at 20/1.

Sharapova does enter the match with plenty of momentum after demolishing Anna Chakvetadze in a straight sets romp. The fact that the fixture will be held at court one ramps up the pressure on the local lady but virtually everybody is confident that she will give it everything she's got.