The third, and most prestigious, Grand Slam tournament of the tennis calendar has started today.  So, don the all whites and grab some strawberries and cream because it’s time for Wimbledon.

With the shake-up that saw some new talent emerging at the French Open earlier on in the month, many tennis fans are no doubt wondering if we can expect the same on the grass.  Will the traditional favorites return to the top, or will this be another one that sees new contenders for the title?

As far as the men’s singles goes, you can never count Roger Federer out.  Though he had a somewhat forgettable French Open, the grass courts of Wimbledon are a whole new kettle of fish for the Swiss superstar.  He’s the defending champion at this year’s tournament and he’s listed as a favorite to win.  It’s no wonder as he has ruled the Wimbledon courts since 2001with a record seven titles under his belt.  Though he has mastered the serve and volley style of the grass courts, he did suffer an upset in Halle.  Australian Lleyton Hewitt conquered Federer for the first time in 16 attempts, giving the Aussie a huge morale boost going into the Grand Slam tournament.  So, does Federer have one more Wimbledon win left or are we indeed facing the end of an era?

Spain’s Rafael Nadal is breathing down his neck in both the rankings and the odds.  He has seen a major return to form over the past few months, even reclaiming his French Open throne with a win over Robin Soderling.  His win put him back in the new world number one position and made him a favorite to win this year’s tournament.  As good as Nadal has been in recent appearances, his record on the grass courts isn’t quite as stellar as his numbers on the clay.  He has been known to struggle with the serve and volley style that’s so common at this tournament.  Nevertheless, he has won at Wimbledon before, and his recent performances have proven he’s a force to be reckoned with.

The Brits are still holding out hope that Andy Murray will be the first UK man to take out the Wimbledon title in over 70 years.  He has made a couple of decent runs in recent years, but he hasn’t been quite the powerhouse this year that we’ve seen in past tournaments.  He struggled going into the French Open and ended up taking an early exit at the hands of Soderling.  He is rumored to be struggling with a knee injury.  Perhaps that can explain his third round exit at the Queen’s Club.  All of the UK will likely have their fingers cross for the Scottish star as he could face matchups with Sam Querrey (this year’s Queens Club winner), Fernando Verdasco, and Nadal en route to the Finals.  Nevertheless, the world number four is confident in his chances of making Wimbledon history as he is determined to make this the year that ends the British title drought.

BetUS is offering the following odds to win for the men’s singles:

Roger Federer: +125
Rafael Nadal: +225
Andy Murray: +650
Novak Djokovic: +2000
Andy Roddick: +1000

There will also be plenty of fans looking to the women’s tournament to see if the big names can return to the top.  If the Williams sisters have anything to say about it, they will be dominating the Final round for the third consecutive year.  They both suffered disappointing performances in the French Open; though, it’s no secret that neither really likes the clay.  Serena is Wimbledon’s defending champion and remains the world’s number one seed.  Her powerful and dominating style of play is perfect for the grass courts, and there are plenty predicting that she will easily make it through to the Finals.  She starts off her bid against Agnieszka Radwanska and Na Li neither of which should pose too much of a threat.

Sister Venus is known for her performances at Wimbledon and she has declared it her favorite tournament of the year.  She’s a five-time champion – two more than her younger sister – and last year’s runner up.  She’s had her ups and downs this year, taking out only two titles and posting a 25-9 record.  But, watch for her to get back on track on her favorite surface with her powerful serve and volley game.

Plenty in the tennis world have been keeping their eyes on the progress of Justine Henin, wondering how she will fare in the big tournaments as she continues to make her comeback after a brief retirement.  Wimbledon will be no exception, as plenty will be keen to see if she can make this her first Grand Slam win.  She’s listed in the top five favorites to win this year’s tournament, sitting just behind Serena and Venus.  She has been putting on consistently impressive performances since her return with two tournament wins and a 24-7 record.  Many are predicting that she will be the one to break up the all William’s Final.

BetUS is offering the following odds to win:

Serena Williams: +200
Venus Williams: +300
Justine Henin: +700
Maria Sharapova: +900
Kim Clijsters: +900

Be sure to get to BetUS to put down a wager at these odds, or to check out their full list of odds on all other competitors.  Don’t forget that they are also offering matchup odds for each stage of the competition.