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Stosur favourite with Aussie bookies

Sam Stosur was favourite with her country’s bookmakers on Thursday to win the French Open following her wins over Justine Henin and Serena Williams.

Stosur, 26, who is poised to end a 30-year-long drought for Australian women in Grand Slam tennis, takes on Serbian fourth seed Jelena Jankovic in the semi-finals later Thursday.

Stosur, who was listed at 150-1 in early betting to win the French Open, is now rated at 11-8 against to become the first Australian woman to win a Grand Slam title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley at Wimbledon in 1980.

The winner will play either Russian Elena Dementieva or Italy’s Francesca Schiavone in Saturday’s final.

Stosur, in reaching the semi-finals for the second straight year at Roland Garros, has taken out four-time Open champion Henin and world number one Williams in epic three-setters.

Jankovic, who lost in straight sets to Stosur the last time they played, is second favourite at 15-8 ahead of Dementieva at 4-1 and Schiavone at 11-2.

Margaret Court was the last Australian woman to win at Roland Garros in 1973.