Serena Williams & Victoria Mboko v Nicole Melichar-Martinez & Erin Routliffe: 7/4 Serena to make winning return

All the talk in the build-up to WTA Queen's Club Championships has been about the return to competitive tennis of Serena Williams, with the legendary American set to play her first match on Tuesday.

At the age of 44, Williams will team up with Canada’s Victoria Mboko in the women's doubles, with the prospect of claiming a place at Wimbledon.

The pair face a tough test of their credentials though, having been drawn to face the number three seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe.

Williams & Mboko v Melichar-Martinez & Routliffe Tips Summary

Best Bet - Williams & Mboko to win @ 7/4
Alternative Bet - First Set Winner - Williams & Mboko @ 6/4
Alternative Bet - Set Betting: Williams & Mboko 2-1 @ 4/1

Williams & Mboko v Melichar-Martinez & Routliffe Prediction

Best Bet: Williams & Mboko to win @ 7/4

You can guarantee that Serena Williams will have been considering a return to action for several months and will have been working hard behind the scenes.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion would not have come out of retirement unless she felt she could compete at the highest level and challenge for titles.

Williams will team up with teenager Mboko, who has made big strides up the rankings over the last two years.

The Canadian number one was ranked 350 in the world at the end of 2024, with the 19-year-old now as high as 9th, after reaching three WTA Tour finals so far this year.

The wise-head/young star combination will be strongly tested by doubles experts Melichar-Martinez and Routliffe.

The American-New Zealand partnership have a lot more doubles experience, although they are also debuting as a duo this week.

Both are top-15 players and both have won Grand Slam titles, but they will also find themselves very much second-best in crowd support.

Alternative Bet: First Set Winner - Williams & Mboko @ 6/4

If the new partnership is to come out on top on Tuesday, then you feel they will need to make a quick start.

Victory in the first set will not only give them a much-needed confidence boost, but it will also involve the crowd even more in the match.

Serving looks like being critical for Williams and Mboko’s chances of success, with the Canadian ranked fifth on the WTA Tour for aces this year.

Even in her veteran years, Williams also possesses a powerful first serve and that should be one area where they have the edge.

Alternative Bet: Set Betting: Williams & Mboko 2-1 @ 4/1

With this being Serena's first competitive match since 2022, there is bound to be some rustiness, especially on a grass court.

Coupled with the relative inexperience of her teenage partner, there are expected to be some hiccups all the way.

The overall doubles experience of Melichar-Martinez and Routliffe is likely to see them at least win a set.

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Key Match Stats

• Serena Williams has won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles during her career

• Williams' record on grass is better than on any other surface, winning 87% of her matches

• Victoria Mboko has served 143 aces in 34 matches this year - an average of 4.20 per match

• Erin Routliffe reached the final of the Wimbledon Women's Doubles in 2024

• Nicole Melichar-Martinez is a former Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title winner, in 2018

• Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski knocked Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez out of the semi-finals of the 2024 WTA Finals

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.