World number one Simona Halep looks certain to be named top seed for the Women’s Singles in this year’s French Open, despite losing heavily to Elina Svitolina in the final of the Italian Open.
Halep was probably still basking in the glory of only a second-ever win over Maria Sharapova in Rome and may have underestimated the Ukrainian but the Romanian has already reached one Grand Slam final this year, losing to Caroline Wozniacki in Melbourne, and has twice finished runner-up in the French Open. She lost a close match to Sharapova in 2014 and also took Jelena Ostapenko to three sets 12 months ago.
Halep is a general 11/2 to win a first Women’s Singles in Paris this year but MARIA SHARAPOVA has already taken the title twice. The 31-year-old Russian will play Roland Garros for the first time since 2015 this year having served a drugs ban in the interim. Sharapova’s career has been far from conventional since she burst onto the world scene as an 18-year-old. She’s been dogged by controversy and injury and distracted by a part-time modelling career and other business enterprises but has still found time to win five Grand Slam titles. She began 2018 slowly but a run to the semi-finals in Rome, during which she beat defending French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, suggests she may just be peaking again at the right time. She’s a tough competitor who is attractively priced at 12/1 with several bookmakers including Betfred.
Ostapenko beat Svitolina (only a best 13/2 in Paris) at Wimbledon last year and again in the Miami Open earlier this season. The Latvian is 14/1 with Betfred to win back-to-back French Open titles but no player has lifted the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen in successive years since Justine Henin in 2007 and Ostapenko still hasn’t found a remedy for the habit of taking unnecessary risks when rallies are lasting longer than she expects.
But for doubts over a back injury, Garbine Muguruza would have been on the short-list as the 2016 champion won Wimbledon last year and always seems to raise her game for Grand Slam events. She has won a minor event in Mexico this year and played well in Miami until losing to eventual winner Sloane Stephens but pulled out in Stuttgart recently so the 12/1 with Betfred looks poor value.
Several leading figures have called for Serena Williams to be seeded in Paris but the 23-times Grand Slam champion has not played on clay this year and hasn’t played Roland Garros since 2015. She only returned to professional tennis in February following the birth of her baby and winning a fourth French Open may be beyond her against fitter and much younger opponents. Williams has slipped to 449th in the WTA rankings after early exits in Indian Wells and Miami and the general 12/1 quote is based on reputation rather than form. Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki is a general 22/1 to win back-to-back Grand Slams but the surprise Australian Open champion has never got beyond the third round at Roland Garros and is not expected to fare any better this year.
French Open Winners Since 2000
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Score |
|---|
2017 Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) beat Simona Halep (Romania) 4-6 6-4 6-3
2016 Garbine Muguruza (Spain) beat Serena Williams (United States) 7-5 6-4
2015 Serena Williams (USA) beat Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-7 6-2
2014 Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Simona Halep (Romania) 6-4 6-7 6-4
2013 Serena Williams (USA) beat Maria Sharapova (Russia) 6-4 6-4
2012 Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Sara Errani (Italy) 6-3 6-2
2011 Li Na (China) beat Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 6-4 7-6
2010 Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Samantha Stosur (Australia) 6-4 7-6(2)
2009 Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Dinara Safina (Russia) 6-4 6-2
2008 Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) beat Dinara Safina (Russia) 6-4 6-3
2007 Justine Henin (Belgium) beat Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 6-1 6-2
2006 Justine Henin (Belgium) beat Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 6-4 6-4
2005 Justine Henin (Belgium) beat Mary Pierce (France) 6-1 6-1
2004 Anastasia Myskina (Russia) beat Elena Dementieva (Russia) 6-1 6-2
2003 Justine Henin (Belgium) beat Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 6-0 6-4
2002 Serena Williams (USA) beat Venus Williams (USA) 7-5 6-3
2001 Jennifer Capriati (USA) beat Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 1-6 6-4 12-10
2000 Mary Pierce (France) beat Conchita Martinez (Spain) 6-2 7-5
French Open 2018 Women’s Singles Current Best Odds
Simona Halep 11/2, Elina Svitolina 13/2, Garbine Muguruza 12/1, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams 12/1, Jelena Ostapenko 14/1, Karolina Pliskova and Petra Kvitova 16/1, Daria Kasatkina 20/1, Caroline Wozniacki 22/1, Angelique Kerber and Kiki Bertens 25/1, Caroline Garcia 33/1, Anett Kontaveit and Victoria Azarenka 40/1, Elise Mertens and Madison Keys 50/1, Carla Suarez Navarro, Julia Goerges, Naomi Osaka and Sloane Stephens 66/1 (Odds correct at 2.30pm on May 23)
