Svetlana Kuznetsova Wins 2009 French Open
Svetlana Kuznetsova has won the 2009 French Open, beating out World number one Dinara Safina. Kuznetsova win means a payout of $700 for every $100 bet on her.
Safina, who has reached the top of the world rankings despite not having a major title to her name, looked completely out-of-sorts against her fellow-Russian, who secured a comfortable 6-4 6-2 victory in just over an hour.
The seventh-seeded Kuznetsova, U.S. Open champion in 2004, dictated the points consistently and prevailed after 74 minutes on Centre Court to deny Safina a first grand slam title.
"Today, when I was coming out on court I knew that everything would be alright," said Kuznetsova. "I was pretty calmed down.
"(Safina) is better than me at the moment, she is the world number one, but she was too tight."
For Safina it was a familiar story, following her defeat by Ana Ivanovic in last year's final.
"I am in the same situation as last year," she told the 15,000 crowd. "Hopefully one day I can win here."
Betting traffic for the 2009 French Open has proven unusually lucrative for the Gambling911.com website, which measures traffic based on inquiries. While not a dominating force like the Kentucky Derby, the French Open has enjoyed significant betting interest compared to past years.
Alistair Prescott, Gambling911.com (Rueters and CNN were referenced for this report)
