2019 Australian Open Women’s Preview
The 2019 Australian Open is the big highlight of the new calendar year. Players are barely back from their winter breaks and so there hasn’t been much playing time locked in. There has been little time to get anything going in terms of match sharpness for a lot of players.
Fortunately, because of the size of the Grand Slam draw, the top players have some time to work themselves up to top levels as they progress through the tournament.
Who will be crowned champion? It is Caroline Wozniacki who is the defending champion but she is a big double-figure price to defend. However, it is Serena Williams who is trading as the 9/2 outright favourite to land the title* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 10th, 2019 at 4:25 pm).
2019 Women’s Australian Open Odds*
Serena Williams 9/2
Angelique Kerber 8/1
Aryna Sabalenka 11/1
Naomi Osaka 12/1
Elina Svitolina 14/1
Karolina Pliskova 14/1
Ashleigh Barty 16/1
Petra Kvitova 16/1
Sloane Stephens 20/1
Simona Halep 20/1
Kiki Bertens 25/1
Caroline Wozniacki 25/1
Garbine Muguruza 28/1
Madison Keys 28/1
Julia Goerges 40/1
Victoria Azarenka 40/1
50/1 bar
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 10th, 2019 at 4:25 pm)
Table of Contents
Wozniacki’s Title Defence
Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki came through the pack twelve months ago to land her first ever Grand Slam title. She had been carrying no form at the Australian Open, not having been past the fourth round in her five previous visits there. Her best ever result at Melbourne Park before that success last year was a semi-final place in 2011. She would deliver as big of a shock this time around if she got back the winner’s circle at 25/1 odds* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 10th, 2019 at 4:25 pm)
Serena Eyes Up #24
Of course, we can’t go much further without mentioning Serena Williams here. She is looking to win what would be the 24th Major title of her career. She has reached the final of the last two Grand Slams after coming back from maternity leave, but she couldn’t deliver a title in either one of them.
Fascinatingly there isn’t an easy draw ahead of her on paper, starting with a potential round of sixteen clash against Simona Halep, the current world number one. It could be equally as difficult down the line for Serena if she were to get through that. Despite all of that, her career and reputation precede her and she is the 9/2 outright favourite* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 10th, 2019 at 4:25 pm). She’s look for title #8 at the Australian Open.
Halep Number One
World Number One Simona Halep is the top seed. Her warm-up for the tournament didn’t exactly go to plan as she lost her first match back for the new season. That was a defeat for the Romanian against Ashleigh Barty in the second round of Sydney. Halep reached the final of last year’s action at Melbourne Park where she was favourite, but couldn’t convert against Wozniacki. Halep has exited the Australian Open in the first round in two of her last three appearances.
Other Key Contenders
Germany’s Angelique Kerber started the new year strongly and she should be at the business end of things really. The 2016 Australian Open champion was a losing semifinalist last year at Melbourne Park. She had a strong season in the majors last year with a quarterfinal at the French Open and the title at Wimbledon behind her.
Karolina Pliskova should be a pretty decent contender and is floating around in the field at a nice 14/1 odds price* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 10th, 2019 at 4:25 pm). She came out firing in 2019 picking up a title at Brisbane, although it wasn’t the strongest of fields which she prevailed in.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina went deep to the quarterfinals last year at the Australian Open. She hasn’t been past the quarterfinals of any Grand Slam in her career but remains a threat in any field when she brings her best. She’s never a bad dark horse in a field really. Then there’s US Open winner Naomi Osaka who reached the semifinals of that Brisbane tournament which was won by Pliskova this month.
That victory at Flushing Meadows over Serena Williams last September in the final of the US Open, sees Osaka head to Melbourne Park as the fourth seed. That’s a whole new level of pressure on her shoulders now. How will she live up to the occasion? How appealing is the 12/1 odds on her to go out and get back to back Grand Slam titles* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 10th, 2019 at 4:25 pm)?
Ones to watch
There are so many good players around the WTA at the moment and you have strong contenders at bigger prices. You can look at the likes of Ashleigh Barty who had a good build up in Sydney and Kiki Bertens who has been raising her stock in the game. Sloane Stephens is a handful when she is on her game and the 2017 US Open champion knocked on the door of the French Open last year. She has had a poor time of things at the Australian Open though since her semi-final in 2013.
One of the biggest name makers on the rise is Aryna Sabalenka an 11/1 odds option to win the 2019 Australian Open which is a really short price* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 10th, 2019 at 4:25 pm). The fearless Belarusian, who is up to 11th in the World Rankings is a big new threat. She showed that in winning in Shenzhen, the opening tournament of the new season. That was the third title of the 20-year old’s short career. This will be just her second appearance at the Australian Open losing in the first round last season. She did make it to the fourth round of the US Open last year.
1st Quarter Winner Odds*
Serena Williams 7/4
Karolina Pliskova 5/1
Simona Halep 13/2
Garbine Muguruza 7/1
Johanna Konta 18/1
22/1 bar
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 10th, 2019 at 4:25 pm)
Simona Halep is in the top quarter and she actually gets a tricky opener. She goes up against Kaia Kanepi who destroyed Halep in the first round of last year’s US Open. Halep is coming back from injury it is worth remembering, and looking at things, of the top four seeds, she has gotten the short end of the stick in the draw. Venus Williams could be waiting in the third round and then Serena Williams in the fourth. Ouch.
Serena Williams should have a relatively easy run through to the round of sixteen really. That is where a potentially massive head to head clash with Halep would be. Looking ahead to the quarterfinals it could be someone like Garbine Muguruza or Karolina Pliskova lying in wait there. Pliskova, who has already won a title this year, heads up the second section of the first quarter. Britain’s Johanna Konta is there in that section too. Some big names are going to fall from the first quarter of the draw.
2nd Quarter Winner Odds*
Naomi Osaka 3/1
Elina Svitolina 4/1
Madisono Keys 7/1
Anastasija Sevastova 9/1
Qiang Wang 12/1
Victoria Azarenka 12/1
Elise Mertens 16/1
28/1 bar
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 10th, 2019 at 4:25 pm)
2018 US Open winner Naomi Osaka heads up the second quarter but could find a tricky challenger in Victoria Azarenka standing in her way early on. It looks to be a fairly comfortable section for Osaka in this section but the in the fourth round it could get really interesting. The second section of the quarter houses Elise Mertens (who faces the exciting youngster Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the first round), Madison Keys, Dominika Cibulkova and sixth seed Elina Svitolina all in there. There could be a bit of a minefield there really.
3rd Quarter Winner Odds*
Aryna Sabalenka 7/2
Ashleigh Barty 9/2
Petra Kvitova 5/1
Caroline Wozniacki 7/1
Marita Shapraova 14/1
Belinda Bencic 16/1
Jelena Ostapenko 20/1
Lesia Tsurenko 22/1
Amanda Anisimova 22/1
33/1 bar
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 10th, 2019 at 4:25 pm)
Down in the third quarter, reigning Champion Caroline Wozniacki is there and she could be meeting Maria Sharapova as early as the third round. Realistically though that may not be the big problem that Wozniacki has. Come the round of sixteen she could have to go up against home favourite Ashleigh Barty, who recently beat Halep in Sydney and who is a great dark horse threat in the section. That’s in the second section of the third quarter. In the first section it could boil down to Petra Kvitova or the aforementioned Aryna Sabalenka. They would meet up in the fourth round if they get there. Lesia Tsurenko and Belinda Bencic are the ones looking most likely to pull off any upsets in that section.
4th Quarter Winner Odds*
Angelique Kerber 9/4
Sloane Stephens 6/1
Kiki Bertens 11/2
Julia Goerges 15/2
Caroline Garcia 12/1
Anett Kontaveit 14/1
Aiaksandra Sasnovich 16/1
Donna Vekic 18/1
28/1 bar
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 10th, 2019 at 4:25 pm)
Angelique Kerber will be fairly happy with this draw. Primarily she avoids the potential problems of Halep and Williams at least. She is down in the fourth quarter where progress could be steady and strong from her. Anchoring the last quarter alongside her is Sloane Stephens who hasn’t had the greatest of form building up to this. Realistically, looking at the start that she had last year, Kerber is going to take some stopping down in the fourth quarter. There is the potential of meeting Woanzizki in the quarterfinals.
Predictions
So here we go again. This is fantastic spectacle and frankly a great way to spend two weeks of January. Who can go all the way? There have been question marks over Halep and Serena Williams. Williams has lost it the last couple of the times in Grand Slam finals and Halep needs to shake off some rust after her injury. Williams would probably be the more capable.
Catching our eye going into the tournament is Angelique Kerber who generally always looks composed and strong and has a decent record at Melbourne Park recently. If she slots into gear then she could be a very strong contender and is 3/1 to reach the Final* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 10th, 2019 at 4:25 pm).
The other name that appeals is Karolina Pliskova at 6/1 to Reach the Final* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 10th, 2019 at 4:25 pm). It hasn’t happened for her yet in the Grand Slams, but she could prevail in the rough top half of the draw. That’s because she has the easier section to come through.
