Tennis betting tips, outright winner odds for the WTA Western & Southern Open
Big-hitting Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka looks set for more silverware
Free tennis tips, predictions, best bets and analysis for the WTA Western & Southern Open, which starts in Cincinnati on Monday.
Where to watch
Amazon Prime, 4pm Monday
Best bet
Aryna Sabalenka
1pt each-way 9-1 Coral, Ladbrokes
Tournament preview
The Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati has attracted the majority of the WTA’s superstars and with competition so fierce it is no surprise to see bookmakers going 9-2 the field.
Only Sofia Kenin is absent from the world’s top ten and with the US Open fast approaching this is one of the final opportunities for the players to fine-tune their game.
Japanese hero Naomi Osaka, who finished runner-up to Victoria Azarenka in this event last year, heads the betting but struggled to handle the pressure at her home Olympic Games.
Osaka crashed out in the third round to eventual silver medallist Marketa Voundrousova and has limited herself to only five tournament appearances since tasting Australian Open glory in February.
The 23-year-old phenomenon bypassed the French Open and Wimbledon in order to protect her mental health and although she must be considered a serious title contender in Cincinnati, her price isn’t an appealing one in a field of this magnitude.
World number one and Wimbledon heroine Ashleigh Barty also returns to action hoping to make up for her first-round exit to Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo at the Tokyo Games.
However, the Aussie ace has been dealt a bad hand with defending champion Azarenka, French Open star Barbora Krejcikova and two-time Grand Slam queen Garbine Muguruza in her section of the draw.
That first quarter looks best swerved, as does a tight-knit fourth section featuring Osaka, Cori Gauff, Bianca Andreescu and Olympic medallists Belinda Bencic and Voundrousova.
The third quarter may be the easiest to solve and Belarusian powerhouse Aryna Sabalenka looks a standout each-way selection at 9-1.
The world number three is a prolific winner on the WTA Tour having already racked up ten titles at the age of just 23.
Sabalenka’s hard-hitting style makes her a difficult woman to beat when on-song and last week’s semi-final run in Montreal highlighted that she is holding her form well.
The Belarusian was defeated by Karolina Pliskova in the last four, but had previously denied Sloane Stephens and compatriot Azarenka, and a first-round bye should give her the necessary recovery time.
With Pliskova and Camila Giorgi potentially vulnerable after clashing for title honours in Montreal on Sunday and Simona Halep appearing rusty following a lengthy layoff, Sabalenka looks well-placed to secure a semi-final spot.
Sabalenka, who also reached the last four at Wimbledon in July, has an aggressive style of play which accumulates high numbers of winners and if she can keep down the unforced errors then she may be the woman they all have to beat.
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