Caroline Wozniacki v Serena Williams Betting Odds – US Open tennis – 09.09.11

Big power struggle ahead for semi final

Sports News

It has finally been confirmed, the big US Open betting match that we wanted to see in the women’s draw, as the semi final throws up Caroline Wozniacki v Serena Williams betting. Wozniacki, the world number one had to square off against Andrea Petkovic on Thursday in their quarter final match. That was supposed to be a tough challenge for Wozniacki as Petkovic is a powerful player in great form. However, the control and dominance which Wozniacki showed in taking the first set 6-1 was remarkable. She simply got her game plan right and forced her opponent (who had already beaten her this year) into making unforced errors. There were concerns over Wozniacki’s form coming into Flushing Meadows, as she hit a bit of a bump in her season. However, she bounced back with a warm up win in New Haven and has come through some tricky fixtures in the draw. She had to bounce back from a set down against big threat and former US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round. So now she will get to pit herself in a rare match up against tournament favourite Serena Williams. For all the glory that young Wozniacki has bathed herself in on the WTA, she has yet to taste Grand Slam success and after three failures again this year, doubts have been raised as to whether or not she ever will. In fact players like Sabine Lisicki and Vera Zvonareva have actually been starting at shorter prices than Wozniacki in tournament betting. But Wozniacki is finding her way and we think she is worth a bet. She has something major to prove against Serena Williams, and if the young Dane was to get past one of the great US Open champions on her way to her first success in a Grand Slam, it would be very fitting. Wozniacki’s game is built on defence and it has to be right on point against Serena Williams. Wozniacki stands a lot deeper behind the baseline than most players in the game,  and therefore it is harder to hit so many winners from that position. But she plays a phenomenal game of averages, by way of great anticipation and of keeping the ball in play. Those are her strengths, keeping the ball on the court, moving her opponent around. There is a small element of Wozniacki’s game that is missing, and that is the level of attacking aggression in actually taking initiative in a match. She will defend for all her worth and can’t see her game plan changing. Thing is, if her defence isn’t working, not sure where she will go.

Serena Williams booked her place in the semi finals with a good win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Pavlyuchenkova has a great array of ground strokes and had a chance to take down Serena in the first set. However the Russian just could not put away her chances, and naturally she was punished for that. But Serena Williams had to work hard in that first, and that will be key to Caroline Wozniacki v Serena Williams betting. We haven’t seen Williams under any real pressure in the US Open yet, not at the point where she has had to come from a set down. So if Wozniacki can take that first set, it will be interesting to see how Williams responds. There is also the matter of endurance and fitness with the players back on consecutive days. The thing with Wozniacki is that she is great at grinding down opponents in long rallies, and the longer the match goes on the more you will probably fancy the world number one. But Serena Williams is a proven Grand Slam champion, she has been here many times before, faced the best in the world before and won. She still has her big serve to trouble opponents and such power in playing the ball down the lines. This is worthy of being the women’s final, but one of the favourites will fall here at the semi finals. It is a fascinating prospect, the sheer power of Serena Williams against the incredible defence of Wozniacki. Which will crumble?

Serena Williams v Caroline Wozniacki Head to Head
The two have actually only ever met twice before. Both of those meeting were back in 2009 when Williams won them both. The two just have not ran into each other since, and there is a train of thought that that may help Wozniacki. She has rarely faced the power of Williams, and could therefore surprise Serena with the level of her own play. Wozniacki has won 6 WTA title this year, Serena Williams, 2.

Caroline Wozniacki v Serena Williams Betting Odds
Williams to win: 2/11 at Bwin
Wozniacki to win: 7/2 at Paddy Power

Caroline Wozniacki v Serena Williams Betting Tip: Well the American is a clear favourite, no doubt about that. It gets hard sometimes to see past the sheer power of Serena Williams, as that crushes opponents. But she can be got at and the defence of Wozniacki could be just the thing to do. It is just worth taking Wozniacki for value really and this is a massive test of her game. She has the ability to pull this off, but it will be against huge odds. Make no mistake, we don’t see her as favourite, we just think that she is capable of causing an upset.