As one of the biggest sports on the planet, tennis always seems to be a poorer relation to the seemingly more popular football and cricket. However, that shouldn’t be the case as more often than not, better stories seem to come out of tennis than they do in the other sports. Whether it is in an underdog story or an old champion having one last go, there are always intriguing little side notes that go hand in hand when some of tennis’ biggest tournaments get underway.
Qualified success
Just look at the story of Emma Raducanu when you think of underdogs or surprise packages. Completely unranked and having to go through three qualifiers to even get into the main draw, getting to the second week of the US Open might well have been considered a good tournament. That she went and won it just made the whole thing more remarkable. It was the first time any qualifier had ever won from that position, and the odds of it happening again would seem slim. But it is stories like this that generate intrigue when it comes to the Grand Slam tournaments.
Unexpected victory
One thinks back to the woes of Goran Ivanisevic at the turn of the millennium. Having been a three-time runner up in the early 90s, it looked like his chance at Grand Slam glory might have gone. Going into Wimbledon in 2001 ranked 125th and as a wildcard, nobody gave him a chance of progressing in the tournament, but much like Raducanu, he went and won against all the odds. Beating a who’s who of tennis stars in his run to glory in SW19, nobody could have predicted that he would go on to claim one of the most unlikely victories of all time. Not least Messrs. Henman, Roddick, and former world number 1 Patrick Rafter. But that is part of the charm.
When it pours
There can be lulls during a day out at the tennis, or you could be one of the unlucky few to be bested by the dreaded rain delay. If that happens and you don’t want to envisage Cliff Richard singing, why not have a little whirl online and look for some of the best payout casinos. While it isn’t solely about making money, having a little flutter can’t hurt and could be the perfect tonic for a lost day of tennis. With slots, poker, and even blackjack to have a go on, there is something for everyone if you look hard enough.
Hometown hero
It is not just underdogs that get a crowd going. Just look back to when Andy Murray first won Wimbledon in 2013. With a raucous home crowd behind him, it almost seemed as if he was willed to victory against long-time rival Novak Djokovic. However, after the heartbreak of final defeat, the previous year is seemed nothing would stop the Scotsman in the quest for glory, and on 7th July 2013 he finally did it, ending a 77 year drought for British tennis in the process.
