Hats off to young Belinda Bencic who made her way past both Serena Williams and Simona Halep to win the Rogers Cup in Toronto on the weekend. That was her 21st win in her last 25 matches and is within touching distance now of the world top ten after claiming the second title of her career (both this year). The bookmakers have had to react to that of course and Bencic is a 20/1 quote at online betting site Bet365 to walk out and cap what would truly be a remarkable fortnight by winning in Cincinnati.
That’s a big ask of the 21 year old Swiss player though, as she will be opposed by some heavy hitters in the game again. The whole top ten (apart from Ekaterina Makarova) is actually out in Ohio this week so a massively competitive feature. Bencic has a tough opener against recent Stanford winner Angelique Kerber in the first round and were she to get through that then she could be on a collision course with fourth seed Petra Kvitova in the quarter finals.
Serena Williams is likely to be one of the semi finalists from the top half of the draw and you can be she will be out for some redemption after her final four loss against Bencic in Toronto. Williams goes as heavy 6/5 odds on favourite to win the Western & Southern Open a price which is a long way shorter than second favourite Maria Sharapova who makes her return this week. Sharapova hasn’t played since the Wimbledon semi finals, missing Toronto because of an injury.
Toronto finalist Simona Halep is thankfully back on form on the hard courts. No other player has won more hard court matches or WTA titles this season than the young Romanian has done. In each of the last two season she has been in the quarter finals of Cincinnati, but she is back at a price of 9/1 after having to withdraw with an injury problem in the final of Toronto against Bencic. Halep would meet Sharapova at the semi final stage, but with injury concerns over both, it may be worth opposing them in quarters betting.
Victoria Azarenka is a nice 9/4 appeal to win the third quarter of CIncinnati over Halep for the same price as the Romanian. Sharapova, who hasn’t looked herself for most of the season has an easier quarter, but there are a couple of players in there who could surprise like Karolina Pliskova and Timea Bacsinszky who are 7/1 quotes to beat Sharapova to the fourth quarter punch. Interestingly since the tournament began in 2004 there has been a different Champion each year. So look for someone who hasn’t won it (of the current crop that would count out Williams, Azarenka and Sharapova).
WTA Cincinnati Tennis betting odds
Serena Williams 6/5, Maria Sharapova 7/1, Victoria Azarenka 9/1, Simona Help 9/1, Petra Kvitova 16/1, Belinda Bencic 20/1, Garbine Muguruza 33/1, Agnieszka Radwanska 33/1, Angelique Kerber 40/1, Caroline Wozniacki 40/1, bar 50/1
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