The Tolworth Hurdle is a good marker to some of the novice events at the Cheltenham Festival and has often been a stepping stone to greater things over the years.

The contest is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 2 miles and 110 yards with a generous first prize of almost £30,000. The race was abandoned in 2009 & 2010 and in 2014 was rescheduled to Kempton.

Recent winners of the Tolworth Hurdle include Summerville Boy, Finian’s Oscar and Elixir De Nutz, and if you search through the archives you will even find the great Desert Orchid listed.

The 2018 Tolworth winner, Summerville Boy, went on to take the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, just proving that this Sandown feature is a key race in the future development of a high-class jumps horse.

Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls have pretty much ruled the roost between them since the turn of the millennium, with Nicholls winning the race on four occasions since 2000, while Henderson has saddled the winner four times in the last nine years.

Dorset-trainer Colin Tizzard however has recently got in on the act and has sent out the winner twice in the last three years.

 

Tolworth Hurdle: Trends

• Nicky Henderson is the most successful trainer in the history of the Tolworth Hurdle and has recorded five victories - New York Rainbow (1992), Minella Class (2011), Captain Conan (2012), Royal Boy (2014) and L'Ami Serge (2015).
• Nine of the last ten winners had at least had one win over hurdles already.
• Eight of the last ten winners have either been aged five or six.
• Eight of the last ten winners had won their last race prior to running in the Tolworth Hurdle.
• Six of the last ten winners have come from the top three in the horse racing betting with five favourites coming home first in that period.
• Five of the last ten winners were officially rated 135 or higher.

 

Here is your runner-by-runner guide to the first renewal of this decade:

Ballycloven Beat (Gary Moore)

This son of Beat Hollow has been sent off at odds of 150-1, 25-1 and 20-1 on his last three runs and it would be one of the major shocks of this very New Year if he were to land this race.

Pulled-up behind Fred at Kempton on Boxing, this five-year-old simply hasn’t shown enough so far to rank as a threat.

Calva D’Auge (Paul Nicholls)

This French recruit made a winning start for the Owners Group in heavy conditions at Plumpton in November. He ran reasonably well next time out finishing second to Thebannerkingrebel in a Listed race at Haydock despite losing a shoe.

There should be more wins to come out of him this season but it’s unlikely that this race will be one of them.

 

Fiddlerontheroof (Colin Tizzard)

Colin Tizzard might just make you a rich man on Saturday afternoon if his exciting six-year-old can bring home the spoils. Yet to finish out of the top two places on his last five runs, Fiddlerontheroof is certainly holding his form well at the moment.

He was beaten on his first two starts over hurdles, but he ran into the excellent Thyme Hill at Chepstow and his next race at Wincanton has yielded three other runners being victorious on their next outing.

His win at Sandown in the first week of December should see him spot on for this.

 

Hang In There (Emma Lavelle)

Hang In There has flourished since joining Emma Lavelle from and has won his last two starts. He scored at Exeter before hosing up in the Grade 2 Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in November.

Andrew Gemmell and Tim Syder are the co-owners of the six-year-old and Gemmell is no stranger to big races successes, namely with Paisley Park in the Stayers’ Hurdle last year.

With Gemmell as your lucky charm, who would bet against another win here for the Lavelle-trained gelding?

 

Logan Rocks (Amy Murphy)

This son of Yeats looks to be a solid performer when you first glance at the horse racing news and his form figures, but after carefully dissecting them you will find that he is just a pretty average horse.

His maiden hurdle win at Huntingdon was a Class 4 event and then he looked one paced in a Class 3 at Doncaster. He’s right up against it here.

Silver Hallmark (Fergal O’Brien)

Silver Hallmark is held in high regard by his trainer Fergal O’Brien and his £115,000 purchase price at the sales was justified when he won a competitive maiden hurdle at Chepstow last time.

Owned by Mr and Mrs Bill Rucker, he looks typically like the staying type they have traditionally gone for in the past, so the end game isn’t necessarily a race like this – it would however be a nice bonus along the way.

 

Son Of Camas (Nicky Henderson)

Given Henderson’s record in this race you cannot afford to ignore his five-year-old and he will be a popular pick for many. A bumper win at Newbury was followed up a debut hurdles victory at the same venue and the runner-up has gone on to win since.

He is a speedy type and he could well find his rivals tapped for toe if he steals any kind of a march on them.

 

Jeremys Flame (Gavin Cromwell)

The Irish-raider comes into this race with a 7lb mares' allowance which can only enhance her chances. The six-year-old has run solid races in defeat this season, finishing a close up second to two odds-on winners in Daylight Katie and Floressa.

She tasted victory herself at Listowel back in September and could easily end up being the fly in the ointment in this big Sandown Saturday feature.

 

Tolworth Hurdle: Prediction

A trappy little affair for the first big test of 2020 for the hurdlers, but preference just goes to Emma Lavelle’s Hang In There (nap) who you can easily envisage following up at The Festival.

888sport suggests: Hang In There (win).

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Patrick Semansky / AP Photo*

With the 2020 Six Nations now just around the corner, anticipating is growing ahead of what could be a famous tournament.

While England fell short against South Africa in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, their journey to rugby’s showpiece fixture helped to reignite wider interest in the game across the country.

Wales head into the 2020 tournament as the defending champions after winning the Grand Slam last season. Warren Gatland’s departure was emotional but Welsh fans will be getting behind new Wales boss Wayne Pivac ahead of the upcoming Six Nations.

Here though, we take a look at the Six Nations tournaments of the past. Who is the most successful team in Six Nations history? 888sport look through the record books to see who comes out on top…

 

Italy

Italy have been Six Nations whipping boys since their introduction to the competition back in 2000.

To put their performances into perspective, Italy have been awarded the Wooden Spoon in 14 of the 20 Six Nations tournaments in which they have competed in – which says a lot about the state of Italian rugby.

However, there are a few reasons to be optimistic ahead of 2020. Italy will play Scotland in Rome this year and some punters may fancy the hosts to get the better of the Scots on that occasion.

If so, Italy may avoid the Wooden Spoon for the first time since 2015. Neutrals will have everything crossed for an Italian success.

Six Nations titles: 0

Scotland

Scotland supporters would love nothing more than to celebrate a first Six Nations success in 2020 but you won’t find many punters backing Gregor Townsend’s side.

Without a doubt, Scotland are much improved these days though, avoiding the Wooden Spoon in each of the previous four editions of the Six Nations.

Murrayfield is one of the best Six Nations stadiums and Scotland fans will create a rousing atmosphere for travelling fans in 2020.

A first Six Nations crown continues to elude them though and you have to back to the 1999 Five Nations to find their last triumph at the top level of rugby union in the northern hemisphere.

Six Nations titles: 0

Tournament titles: 15

 

Ireland

With three Six Nations triumphs in the last six years, it has been a glorious era for Ireland fans. However, that wasn’t always the case – Ireland had to wait 24 years from 1985 before their next tournament success.

Their style of rugby hasn’t always reaped rewards but Irish fans after always in good spirit, particularly in Dublin.

Ireland slipped down the Six Nations pecking order in 2019 but it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see them bounce back in 2020.

With Andy Farrell taking over from Joe Schmidt after the Rugby World Cup, the 2020 Six Nations offers an ideal opportunity for Ireland to announce themselves as major players once again.

Six Nations titles: 4

Tournament titles: 14

 

France

Once regarded as the northern hemisphere’s rugby union superpower, France have lost their way a little in recent times.

Their last Six Nations success came back in 2010 and you won’t find many punters backing Les Bleus to get back to winning ways this year. However, there is plenty of talent in this French squad…

In terms of overall tournament titles, France are a deserved third behind Wales and England.

Historically, France were always one of the strongest teams in world rugby and that is reflected in their performances on the big stage, with France reaching the Rugby World Cup final on three separation occasions.

Six Nations titles: 5

Tournament titles: 17

Wales

With a grand total of five Six Nations triumphs and 27 total tournament titles, Wales sit just behind England in terms of success.

One area where Wales do have an edge though is in Grand Slam wins – Wales lead the way with four compared to three for France and just two for England and Ireland.

The Principality Stadium crowd played their part in 2019, getting behind their team in hard-fought victories over England and Ireland.

Wales have enjoyed most of their success when their two closest rivals have to visit Cardiff, with three of their five Six Nations triumphs in those particular campaigns.

Six Nations titles: 5

Tournament titles: 27

 

England

England are the most successful team in Six Nations history with six tournament wins.

The talent pool in England is arguably the strongest in world rugby and that certainly helps when it comes to challenging for Six Nations glory. It doesn’t always translate directly to success though; England went seven years without the title from 2004 to 2011.

888sport’s rugby union betting odds have England at 41/50 to win their seventh Six Nations title this year – probably because of their success in Japan.

England fans will be hoping that Eddie Jones can bring the Six Nations trophy back to Twickenham after a couple of barren years.

Six Nations titles: 6

Tournament titles: 28

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Tim Ireland / AP Photo*

The 2020 PDC World Championship is almost done and dusted but it has been a fantastic tournament for so many reasons.

Fallon Sherrock’s rise to power has been well-documented while Peter Wright’s heated semi-final success over Gerwyn Price sent shockwaves across the sporting universe.

In this article, we look at the greatest moments in PDC World Championship history. As the highlight of the darts calendar, fans have been treated to many memorable moments over the years but some in particular stand out above others.

Here are our favourite ever PDC World Championship moments:

 

2007: Van Barneveld And Taylor Shine

Without a doubt, Raymond van Barneveld and Phil Taylor played out the greatest PDC Darts World Championship final of all-time in 2007. Circus Tavern was the venue and that match is still talked about to this day.

Van Barneveld had won his previous three tournament matches by a combined 15-0 and the Dutchman was expected to go close in his pursuit of glory. However, what followed exceeded all expectations as it went right down to the wire.

Both players topped the 100 average mark but Van Barneveld came out on top 7-6 after an intense affair. It was a topsy-turvy contest between two of darts’ greatest ever players and it is unlikely we will see a World Championship final to compete in terms of drama and excitement.

2013: Van Gerwen’s 17 Perfect Darts

Van Gerwen was the red hot favourite in his World Championship semi-final against James Wade but nobody expected the Dutchman to be quite as dominant. This performance had everything; a convincing win, a high average and an incredible nine-dart finish.

Arguably the best darts player ever, Van Gerwen almost became the first player in history to record back-to-back nine dart finishes in a televised event. Surely it is only a matter of time until the Dutchman defies the odds and achieves this feat.

Van Gerwen went on to lose the PDC Championship final on that occasion as Taylor claimed his 16th world title. We’ll get onto that shortly but Mighty Mike deserves plenty of plaudits for his incredible effort in that semi-final against Wade.

 

2013: Taylor Claims 16th World Title

Taylor got the better of Van Gerwen in a high-scoring World Championship final, with both players again topping the 100-average mark. The Dutchman was touted to get the better of his opponent but Taylor defied the odds to claim his 16th world title.

Van Gerwen found himself 2-0 up and then 4-2 up but Taylor won five sets in a row from that point to clinch victory. It wasn’t his easiest success but it was incredibly sweet as that triumph silenced Taylor’s doubters – particular as Van Gerwen was the new world number one.

At the time, many darts fans claimed that Taylor should announce his retirement there and then but he continued to play until the end of the 2018 PDC World Championship. He went on to reach the showpiece event but fell short against new kid on the block Rob Cross.

2018: Cross Caps Off Euphoric Rise To Power

The 2018 World Championship will be forever known for Cross’ exploits. His rise to power was well-documented, with Cross’ nickname Voltage a play on words relating to his work background as an electrician and he quickly matured into a fan favourite.

Cross defeated the great Phil Taylor in the final – an impressive feat but made even more impressive as Cross was a Sussex pub player when Taylor won his most recent PDC world championship.

Even the most ardent Taylor fan would admit that Cross was full value for his victory and, if anything, the 7-2 margin was probably kind on the 16-time world champion. Cross hasn’t quite lived up to the hype since then but time is very much on his side.

 

2020: Fallon Sherrock Changes The Game

Fallon Sherrock is now a household name in the world of darts. In the space of a whirlwind couple of weeks, Sherrock went from an unknown quantity to ‘Queen of the Palace’ and we could see lots more of her at future darts tournaments.

Nobody expected Sherrock to emerge victorious in round one but she defied the odds to beat Ted Evetts. In the second round, she raised her game further to defeat 11 seed Mensur Suljovic – arguably the biggest scalp of the 2020 PDC World Championship.

Sherrock quickly became a fan favourite but exited the competition at the hands of Chris Dobey in the third round. However, her impact and influence on the tournament has changed the game for female players in the future.

Find here all the latest Darts odds

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Tom Hevezi / AP Photo*

The second major event of the golf calendar, the 2020 US Open could be one of the sporting highlights of the year. One of the four majors in golf, the US Open ranks highly on the list of popular golf tournaments for 2020.

The US Open has been rather one-sided in recent years, with two of the previous three champions winning by at least three strokes. It has been unpredictable at the best of times, with 15 different winners in the last 16 years.

Our Masters 2020 guide referenced the total prize money for golf’s major tournaments – the US Open is the largest in terms of earnings. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the 2020 US Open and all the ‘need to know’ information ahead of this summer’s event.

 

When Is The 2020 US Open?

The 2020 tournament will get underway on Thursday 18th June,  with a $12.5 million purse available in prize money. Defending champion Gary Woodland claimed victory by three shots in 2019 and he will hope to challenge for the $2.25 million winner’s prize this year.

Should the US Open 2020 finish in a tie, there will be a playoff to decide the winner. There hasn’t been a playoff in the US Open for 11 years so it would be a bit of a shock to see the 2020 tournament go that way.

 

US Open 2020: Location

The location for the US Open changes annually and Winged Foot Golf Club will play host to the tournament in 2020. Unlike the US Masters where it is held at Augusta National every year, the US Open location changes and the schedule is already available for future years.

With a number of golf courses in the rotation for the US Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship, golf can be a difficult sport to follow and the general outlook of each major event is ever-changing. That makes winning all four majors in a single year very difficult indeed.

Winged Foot has hosted the US Open on five occasions while the PGA Championship has been held at the venue just once back in 1997. The last major competition to take place at Winged Foot was back in 2006, with Australian Geoff Ogilvy taking the prize.

 

US Open Winners

Willie Anderson claimed four US Open successes in the space of five years between 1901 and 1905 – though three other players have gone on to emulate that feat.

Of the current crop of golfers, Tiger Woods leads the way with three US Open wins. His last victory at the event came back in 2008 and it would be some achievement if he can get back to the top of the sport at the US Open 2020.

Brooks Koepka could be the one to watch after his back-to-back victories in 2017 and 2018. If the American can perform at his brilliant best, there’s no reason why Koepka won’t be celebrating another US Open victory in the summer.

Betting On The US Open 2020:

As per usual, the golf betting odds on the 2020 US Open are wide open. As one of the most difficult major events of the year, winning the US Open is not straightforward by any means. Here are the latest golf odds ahead of the US Open 2020:

• Brooks Koepka – 8/1
• Rory McIlroy – 10/1
• Dustin Johnson – 10/1
• Tiger Woods – 14/1
• Justin Thomas – 20/1
• Patrick Cantlay – 22/1
• Justin Rose – 25/1
• Bar – 25/1

 

2020 US Open With 888sport

Keep an eye on the 888sport blog for the latest golf news, tips and online betting odds ahead of the US Open 2020. We’ve got the US Masters to get past first but the US Open 2020 will be here before we know it.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Carolyn Kaster / AP Photo*

The only major to take place outside of North America, the Open Championship has a long and illustrious history. It is the oldest golf tournament on the planet, with the first event held at Prestwick Golf Club in 1860.

Nowadays, the location for the British Open changes each year, with various courses in the Open Championship rotation. In 2020, it will be the turn of Royal St George’s to host the prestigious event for the 15th time.

We’ve already looked at two of golf’s four major tournaments but the focus in this piece is on the British Open.

2020 could be a huge year for golf with the Ryder Cup and it is a great time to get involved in the sport. Without further ado, here is everything you need to know ahead of the 2020 Open Championship.

 

When Is The 2020 British Open?

The best players on the planet will travel to Kent for this year’s event, with Thursday 16th July slated in as the opening day of the 2020 British Open. With $10.75 million up for grabs in prize money, winning the Open Championship will be high on the agenda for the best golf players in the business.

As is the case with all of the four majors in golf, there is always a possibility that a playoff may be needed to determine the outright British Open winner. With just one of the last 10 tournaments going to a playoff, history suggests that the 2020 Open Championship could be decided in regulation.

British Open 2020: Location

Royal St George’s has hosted 14 Open Championship tournaments in the past, each with varying levels of success. The 2011 competition tugged on the heartstrings after Darren Clarke’s emotional victory while Greg Norman’s dominant performance in 1993 was one of the golf purists.

The course itself isn’t the most straightforward and that is reflected in most of the winning scorecards. Just one of the previous six winners at Royal St George’s has finished on six-under-par or better and that bodes well for an exciting 2020 British Open.

It will be interesting to see whether the best golf players in the world can handle Royal St George’s – it can be an unforgiving course at the best of times. An interesting fact, the deepest bunker in championship golf is located on the fourth hole of the Kent course.

 

Open Championship Winners

Harry Verdon was the dominant force in the early years of the British Open, notching six wins between 1896 and 1914. To this day, he is the most successful player in Open Championship history.

The great Jack Nicklaus, arguably the best golf player of all-time, won the British Open on three occasions. Tiger Woods, perhaps Nicklaus’ only rival for golf’s greatest title, has also claimed three Open Championship triumphs ahead of 2020.

Americans tend to perform well at the British Open, with players from the United States notching 44 wins in the competition – more than any other nation. Meanwhile, Scottish golf players have a combined 41 victories but the most recent of those was back in 1999.

Betting On The 2020 British Open:

According to the latest golf betting odds, the Open Championship 2020 is wide open. The usual contenders are at the top of the market but that does not correlate directly to success of course – here are the 2020 British Open odds at the time of writing:

• Rory McIlroy – 9/1
• Brooks Koepka – 11/1
• Dustin Johnson – 14/1
• Jon Rahm – 16/1
• Tiger Woods – 16/1
• Justin Rose – 20/1
• Tommy Fleetwood – 22/1
• Bar – 25/1

 

2020 Open Championship With 888sport

Keep an eye on the 888sport blog for the latest golf news, tips and online betting odds ahead of the US Open 2020. July will be here before we know it and all eyes will be on Royal St George’s for what promises to be a very exciting British Open tournament.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jon Super / AP Photo*

Boxing can be a difficult sport to judge at the best of times.

With several weight classes and disciplines in the sport, the sport has evolved in the modern era. Fighters like Canelo Alvarez and Oleksandr Usyk have moved up the weight classes and that can have a major impact on the divisional rankings.

In today’s day and age, boxing aficionados have come up with ‘pound for pound’ rankings to determine which fighters are the best in the business. Here are our top 10 pound-for-pound boxers as we end 2019.

 

Juan Francisco Estrada (40-3-1, 27 KOs)

Estrada is a two-weight world champion and he deserves his spot on this list. He lost to Roman Gonzalez in his first world title bout at light-flyweight level but relished the step up to flyweight, eventually unifying the division.

Since then, the Mexican has gone on to win the WBC belt at super-flyweight and he will be one to follow in 2020. Estrada proved himself as tough as they come against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai back in April, securing victory by unanimous decision.

 

Anthony Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs)

Joshua sneaks onto this list after regaining his world heavyweight titles in the Clash of the Dunes. The British fighter was dominant from start to finish against Andy Ruiz Jr and boxing fans will hope to see Joshua face Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury in 2020.

Now arguably the best heavyweight boxer in the sport, Joshua’s euphoric journey to the top of world boxing has been fantastic to follow. British boxing fans will hope that he can cement his status as a top 10 pound-for-pound superstar.

 

Mikey Garcia (39-1, 30 KOs)

Garcia was undefeated before his bout against fellow boxing star Errol Spence but he failed to cope with the move to welterweight. Even the most ardent Garcia fan would struggle to argue against that but it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see the American bounce back.

With a tough clash against Jessie Vargas approaching in February, Garcia could get back to winning ways at the first time of asking. Garcia failed to win a round on all three judges’ scorecards in the Spence bout and a change in tactics may be adopted.

Gennady Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs)

Golovkin and Canelo’s rivalry has been well-documented over the years, with their second bout ranking as one of boxing’s greatest rematches. Known all over the world, Golovkin is to boxing what Roger Federer is to tennis.

Often referred to as ‘Triple G’, Golovkin has been linked with a third bout with Canelo. Fans from all over the world will be hoping that boxing could be set for one of the biggest trilogy bouts in the history of the sport – and Golovkin might even settle the score.

 

Oleksandr Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs)

Usyk’s rapid rise up the cruiserweight division led to him unifying the belts inside just 15 professional bouts. The Ukrainian’s fight with fan favourite Tony Bellew put him on the map in British boxing and Usyk could be the next heavyweight superstar.

Although he doesn’t boast tremendous height, Usyk is tactically astute and he will put the best heavyweights in the business under immense strain. Write him off at your peril, we may see Usyk climb these pound-for-pound rankings in the coming months.

 

Errol Spence (26-0, 21 KOs)

Spence has been dominant in the welterweight division since 2017, defeating Kell Brook to claim the IBF title. Spence has since gone on to defeat the great Mikey Garcia before unifying the division against Shawn Porter.

At 29 years old, Spence has the world at his feet and he is still improving. One of the sport’s biggest names, Spence is likely to feature prominently in boxing betting odds ahead of his next fight. Keep up with he latest news and tips ahead of 2020. 

 

Terence Crawford (35-0, 26 KOs)

Another fighter with a spot cemented in the top five – Crawford has won world titles in three different weight classes. However, his greatest achievement of all was becoming the undisputed super-lightweight king. That fight with Julius Indongo will live long in the memory...

You could argue that he has yet to be seriously tested. Crawford has been accused of hand-picking opponents but it would be disrespectful to ignore his accomplishments. If he can unify the welterweight division, he could break into the top two in these rankings.

Naoya Inoue (18-0, 16 KOs)

One of Japan’s sporting heroes, Inoue has cruised through the light-flyweight and super-flyweight divisions and he is building a stronghold in the bantamweight division. Without a doubt, Inoue is one of the most exciting fighters in world boxing.

Inoue has been dominant against good opponents in recent fights, defeating Jamie McDonnell, Juan Carlos Payano and Emmanuel Rodriguez within a combined total of four rounds. His most recent bout went to the judges’ scorecards but he did more than enough to come out on top.

 

Vasyl Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs)

Lomachenko had an incredible 396 victories from 397 fights as an amateur and he has taken to professional boxing like a duck to water. The two-time Olympic gold medallist has already won world titles at three different weight classes – an incredible feat.

He made light work of Anthony Crolla before outclassing Luke Campbell for 12 rounds to notch a one-sided unanimous decision. He is the clear pick as the second best boxer on the planet, with only Canelo above him in our pound-for-pound rankings.

 

Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs)

You only have to look at Canelo’s impressive list of scalps to understand why the Mexican ranks at the top of our list. Barring that courageous defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr, Canelo has been almost perfect throughout his 14-year professional career.

Canelo has wins over the likes of Golovkin, Daniel Jacobs, Amir Khan and Miguel Cotto and you won’t find too many boxing fans playing down his achievements. He is our pound-for-pound king and hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for his next fight.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Kevin Hagen / AP Photo*

The European Championship is the second most prestigious international competition in world football.

Obviously nothing can compete with the World Cup in terms of history and heritage but the Euros is always competitive and the 2020 tournament could go down as one of the greatest in recent memory.

A slight change to the traditional format means that 24 teams will now compete at Euro 2020 instead of the usual 16.

At the time of writing, we have 20 confirmed teams for the finals next summer while eight teams will do battle for the final four spots in a two-legged playoff.

Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the tournament. Whether England emerge victorious or not, Euro 2020 could be an iconic competition for the future of international football.

It isn’t going to be as straightforward for travelling supporters but Euro 2020 has all the makings of a roaring success.

 

Euro 2020: Format

The format for the 2020 European Championship will be exactly the same as it was for Euro 2016. The top two from each group will advance to the last-16, with the four best third-place finishers joining those teams in the next round.

From there, it is a round robin knockout format all the way to the final. The Euro 2020 final will take place on July 12th and Wembley Stadium, one of 12 stadiums hosting the tournament, will be the venue for the competition’s showpiece fixture.

Host Cities At Euro 2020

There are 12 host cities in total, with matches taking place across the continent.

Wembley Stadium in London will host the final and semi-finals, as well as one last-16 game and three group stage matches. The other host cities and stadiums are listed below:

• Baku, Azerbaijan – Baku Olympic Stadium
• Munich, Germany – Allianz Arena
• Rome, Italy – Stadio Olimpico
• Saint Petersburg, Russia – Saint Petersburg Stadium
• Budapest, Hungary – Puskas Ferenc Stadion
• Bucharest, Romania – Arena Nationala
• Amsterdam, Netherlands – Johan Cruijff Arena
• Bilbao, Spain – Estadio San Mames
• Glasgow, Scotland – Hampden Park
• Dublin, Republic of Ireland – Aviva Stadium
• Copenhagen, Denmark – Parken

 

Euro 2020: How Are Matches Split?

Host nations that qualified for the competition were automatically put into appropriate groups to ensure three group stage home games. England were entered in Group D and will play all three group matches at Wembley Stadium.

At the time of writing, football betting odds have England as 9/2 favourites to win Euro 2020 – those fixtures at Wembley will certainly help. As previously mentioned, the London venue will also host both semi-finals and the final as well.

Euro 2020: Groups

• Group A – Italy, Turkey, Wales, Switzerland
• Group B – Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia
• Group C – Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, Playoff Winner D
• Group D – England, Croatia, Czech Republic, Playoff Winner C
• Group E – Spain, Sweden, Poland, Playoff Winner B
• Group F – Portugal, France, Germany, Playoff Winner A

 

Euro 2020 Tickets – How To Buy

With around 2.5 million tickets for Euro 2020 going on sale to fans, a ballot application is the fairest way to determine who can purchase tickets for each fixture.

If you are unsuccessful in the ballot, don’t worry just yet. UEFA have introduced a ‘Fans First’ programme to give supporters another opportunity to purchase tickets ahead of next summer’s competition.

It is well worth keeping an eye on the official UEFA Euro 2020 website for the latest ticketing news ahead of the competition. 888sport will also be here with betting news, Euro 2020 tips and odds on the tournament.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Andreea Alexandru / AP Photo*

Wimbledon is the third tennis Grand Slam of the year, and the only one that takes place on grass.

This hasn’t always been the case, but it is the focal point of the ‘grass court season’ now with smaller warm-up events preparing players with the Grand Slam final in the United Kingdom.

Like the clay courts of Roland Garros, Wimbledon provides an opportunity to those players that specialise on grass.

Lesser known entrants can shock a few who aren’t accustomed to the pace of grass court tennis and write their own pieces of history along the way, perhaps joining the lists of famous Wimbledon upsets.

Wimbledon in 2020 is the focus of this piece, starting with the dates and running through to some Wimbledon tips...

When Is Wimbledon 2020?

The 2020 version of Wimbledon begins on Monday 29th June. The event runs for just shy of a fortnight, finishing with the men’s singles final on Sunday 12th July.

Like all Grand Slams, the journey to the tournament proper begins long before the excitement of 29th June with qualification taking place in the weeks before.

The British summertime weather can cause some delays, and this can give the schedulers some headaches.

If matches from the outer courts are moved, or there’s a particularly poor spell of weather, the finals can end up being moved but this is very unlikely.

Wimbledon 2020: Where is it?

Wimbledon is held at the All England Club and has been since 1877, when the first tournament was hosted. Wimbledon is an affluent area of south-west London, and obviously attracts a lot of tourists during the tournament fortnight.

The main court at the All England Club is inventively named Centre Court and had a retractable roof added in 2009. The secondary court, with an equally thrilling name, No1 Court, has recently had a roof added too, which was first used at Wimbledon 2019.

Wimbledon is renowned for its strict all-white dress code and the traditional consumption of strawberries and cream.

Wimbledon 2020: Reigning Champions

The media might be focused on the singles events, but there are more than two people celebrating glory come the end of a Grand Slam fortnight. There were 29 Wimbledon champions in 2019 across 18 different events.

Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in the 2019 men’s singles finals in what is widely considered one of the greatest matches ever played.

Djokovic has won Wimbledon on five occasions and will be looking to make it three titles in a row in 2020. Wimbledon prize money has played a major part in Djokovic’s $140 million tournament earnings.

Simona Halep lifted the women’s trophy to secure her second career Grand Slam following her French Open triumph in 2018.

The only British success was for Andrew Lapthorne and his Australian partner Dylan Alcott in the wheelchair quad doubles.

Wimbledon 2020: Betting

The latest tennis odds offer prices for the men’s and women’s Wimbledon draws.

After his historic win in 2019, Djokovic leads the way in the men’s market, while Serena Williams is favoured over Halep and Ashleigh Barty in the women’s draw.

Women’s Odds

Serena Williams – 6/1

Ashleigh Barty – 7/1 

Simona Halep – 7/1

Bianca Andrescu – 9/1

Petra Kvitova – 9/1

Karolina Pliskova – 9/1

Naomi Osaka – 12/1

Angelique Kerber – 16/1

Belinda Bencic – 20/1

Johanna Konta – 20/1

Elina Svitolina – 20/1

Men’s Odds

Novak Djokovic – 6/4

Roger Federer – 9/2

Rafael Nadal – 9/2

Daniil Medvedev – 11/1

Stefanos Tsitsipas – 12/1

Andy Murray – 20/1

Wimbledon 2020 With 888sport

Along with the British Grand Prix, FA Cup final and Lord’s Test match, Wimbledon is a huge occasion in the British sporting summer.

The 2020 edition will be no different, and 888sport is the place to find all the news, odds and tips.

888sport.com has tennis markets galore - all the tennis bets you could ever want

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Tim Ireland / AP Photo*