WGM’s Best Weekend Bets: Fri 29 to Sun 31 May

The French Open is well underway and tonight sees an intriguing clash between defending champion Maria Sharapova and world number 26 Samantha Stosur. Stosur has struggled to make an impact at grand slam level since winning the 2011 US Open and was clearly struggling for confidence yet again at the Australian Open earlier in the year, but all of a sudden she is soaring again following two crushing wins in the opening two rounds at Roland Garros in which she has lost a total of just five games. It’s been a long time since Stosur, who reached the French Open final in 2010, has played this well which makes tonight’s clash a huge danger game for Sharapova. In fact an upset wouldn’t surprise us at all and with Stosur paying $4.30 for the win we can’t resist those crazy odds.

It’s a big weekend in London too with the final of the FA Cup at Wembley. Arsenal will start hot favorites against surprise packets Aston Villa and although Villa have improved in recent months it’s hard to see them upsetting the Gunners here. Arsenal won the FA Cup last year which also releases some pressure and we expect them to make it two in a row.

Finally we’re off to Italy for the sixth round of this year’s MotoGP and we’re backing Valentino Rossi to make it three wins for the season. Back on a genuinely competitive bike after a number of years struggling for pace, he has already out-raced young gun Marc Marquez a few times in 2015 and has a well-known love affair for his home track with nine wins including seven in a row between 2002 and 2008.