US Open 2019 Women’s Preview
Naomi Osaka is the player with all the pressure of trying to handle a title defence at the US open 2019. Osaka won a turbulent final, upsetting the odds against Serena Williams 12 months ago.
That was the big match where Williams lost her cool and started her complaining to the umpire, to the point that winner Osaka could not enjoy her celebrations at the end of the match.
It is Williams who will return to Flushing Meadows as the 9/2 outright favourite* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on August 23rd, 2019 at 11:29 pm)
US Open 2019 Women’s Winner Odds*
Serena Williams 9/2
Simona halep 8/1
Ashleigh Barty 10/1
Naomi Osaka 11/1
KaronlinaPlsikova 12/1
Madison Keys 14/1
Bianca Andreescu 14/1
Sofia Kenin 25/1
Angelique Kerber 25/1
Elina Svitolina 25/1
Aryna Sabalenka 28/1
Petra Kvitova 33/1
Kiki Bertens 33/1
Sloane Stephens 33/1
Belinda Bencic 40/1
66/1 bar
* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on August 23rd, 2019 at 10:17 pm)
Table of Contents
Reigning US Open Women’s Champion
Naomi Osaka defeated Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 in the women’s final last year. Osaka had entered the tournament as the 20th seed and became the youngest champion at the tournaments since Maria Sharapova in 2006. Osaka would go on to become world number one.
While it was a momentous occasion for Osaka last year, the headlines were dominated by the Serena Williams for picking up penalties and code violations during the match while accusing the umpire Carlos Ramos of sexism and of being a “thief”.
Osaka, who became the first-ever Japanese Grand Slam winner, followed her U.S. Open success with the title at the 2019 Australian open as well. Osaka is at 11/1 odds to defend the crown in Flushing Meadows this year* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on August 23rd, 2019 at 11:29 pm).
Top seed Osaka goes in a section which contains young American sensation Coc Guff and they could meet in the third round.
Can Williams keep her cool in New York?
It is Serena Williams who the bookmakers are serving up as the 9/2 outright favourite for the 2019 Women’s US Open title* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on August 23rd, 2019 at 11:29 pm).
However, with a recent withdrawal from the Rogers Cup Final and having to pull out of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, there are question marks over her fitness.
Big ones at that for the 23-time Grand Slam champion. With knee injury problems plaguing her earlier this year and a loss in the Wimbledon final to Simona Halep, it has been a difficult season for Williams.
She is a six-time winner of the US Open though of course but hasn’t lifted the title at Flushing Meadows since 2014. Is it prime time to oppose her? There is an epic first-round match she will be going into as well.
Williams will renew her rivalry with Maria Sharapova. The Russian has only played six matches since January because of injury and will be facing up to Wiliams for the 22nd time. Sharapova has won just two of the previous 21 meetings.
Williams will be delighted with what looks to be a comfortable section of the draw which includes Britain’s Harriet Dart who has made the main draw for the first time.
Can a relaxed Simona Halep claim her first US Open title?
Halep tasted success at Wimbledon against Serena Williams. That was the second Grand Slam title of her career, building on her French Open win last year. However, the Romanian’s record at the US Open is pretty dismal.
In nine previous attempts, she has only been past the fourth round twice. Her best effort was a semi-final in 2015. Halep has made a first-round exit in the last two years at Flushing Meadows.
However, she has cut a far more relaxed figure this season and admitted that all pressure is off her after winning Wimbledon, something that was special to her. The draw ahead for her isn’t bad actually because a fourth-round against Caroline Wozniacki or recent Roers Cup champion Bianca Andreescu shouldn’t phase Halep too much.
Young Canadian Andreescu is 9/2 second favourite to win the second quarter behind Halep* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on August 23rd, 2019 at 11:29 pm). The 19-year old’s recent form makes her a threat.
Can Barty battle through the bottom half of the draw?
Second seed Ashleigh Barty heads up the fourth quarter where she should be on cruise control through to the fourth round. She is, however, only 3/1 second-favourite behind Serena Williams to win the fourth quarter* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on August 23rd, 2019 at 11:29 pm).
There could be a huge fourth-round showdown there against Germany’s Angie Kerber. A potential quarter-finalist then for Australia’s Barty would be Serena Williams. Barty had her big career breakthrough at the French Open this year, lifting the title in Paris. She hasn’t been past the fourth round in four previous appearances at Flushing Meadows.
Other contenders
Britain’s big hope Johanna Konta looks to have a bit of a thankless task ahead of her. She opens with a really tough game against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina. A potential fourth-round opponent could be third seed Karolina Pliskova too. Get through that there could potentially be Elina Svitlana waiting in the quarter-finals.
Karolina Pliskvoa keeps searching and searching and knocking on the door of a first Slam title. She lost the 2016 US Open Final against Angelique Kerber and has followed that up with back to back quarterfinal finishes in New York. Pliskova also reached the final four of the Australia Open this year. If a title is coming in the way in a Grand Slam, it will most likely be in the US or Australia on hard court.
Elina Sivtlitona is sort of in the same boat as Plsikova in that she looks every part a Grand Slam champion, but actually delivering a title is a completely different thing. She will be buoyed though after reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon this year, her best Grand Slam finish.
Svitolina is improving through the seasons at the US Open, two first-round and a second-round exit in her first three attempts. Then back to back third-round exits followed by back to back fourth-round exits. She’s getting there.
Predictions
At least the women’s draw is far wider open than the men’s side of things. We have to take a pass on Serena Williams because of the physical stresses that she has had this year. A gruelling two weeks in New York at the end of a tough season doesn’t fit well.
Simona Halep, who is just carrying a chilled vibe now, looks much better value and has a comfortable draw if she gets up a head of steam. So the Romanian piques our interest despite her poor form at the US Open.
The other two for the value we would consider is Karolina Pliskova and Elina Svitolina. Both are superb competitors and both have steadily improved their outputs at Flushing Meadows. At 12/1 and 25/1 respectively they offer some extended value* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on August 23rd, 2019 at 11:29 pm).
They go head to head in the third quarter, so Pliskova to sneak the third-quarter win is at 7/2* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on August 23rd, 2019 at 11:29 pm).
