WTA Cincinnati Tennis Preview 2018
It is a big week for players at the Connecticut Open as this is the final tournament before the US Open. This follows straight on from the Rogers Cup so it is more top-level Premier quality action on the way. There is a strong field out, including Serena Williams who steps out onto the hard court for the first time since a harrowing defeat against Jo Konta. She will be looking for some redemption to get her eye in ahead of the US Open.
Halep Top Seed
Top seed for the event is Simona Halep who lost twelve months ago in the final against Garbine Muguruza. Halep though showed more fantastic form as she stormed the field to take the Rogers Cup on the weekend, albeit after an epic final against Sloane Stephens. That was a lot of graft that Halep had to put in and she will be wary of burning herself out ahead of the more pressing issues at Flushing Meadows coming up. Halep is the 6/1 outright favourite for Cincinnati* (betting odds was taken from Unibet at 10:53 pm on August 12th, 2018).
Serena Williams never has to prove anything to anyone although she is coming back just two weeks after that crushing defeat dished out to her by Johanna Konta. That hammering was the worst ever defeat that Williams has suffered in her career, going down 6-1 6-0 against the Brit at the Silicon Valley Classic. Williams then pulled out of the Rogers Cup because of personal reasons. Williams won Cincinnati back to back in 2014 and 2015.
Can Konta deliver?
So has that massive victory over Williams done much for the form of Konta? Well, she did beat Jelena Ostapenko and Victoria Azarenka at the Rogers Cup in Montreal before losing out to the defending champion Elina Svitolina. That was her first tournament since that Silicon Valley Open where after beating Williams in the first round, was stopped in the quarter finals by Elise Mertens. She hasn’t been at her best and is nothing more than a 28/1 odds* (betting odds taken from Unibet at 10:53 pm on August 12th, 2018) long shot for Cincinnati.
Angelique Kerber is going to be one to watch this week as she gears up for the US Open. The German had that fantastic Wimbledon success in the final over Serena Williams back in July but on her first outing on hard court she was shocked by Alize Cornet early in Montreal. Muguruza doesn’t look at her sharpest at the moment having injury problems which forced her to pull out of events in California and Montreal recently. That’s not going to instil a lot of confidence in her.
Sloane Stephens had a brilliant run at Montreal and is so strong on the hard court surface but that was a long week for her, an emotional rollercoaster which has to have left her a bit up on the weary side of things. But then to Elina Svitolina who couldn’t defend her Rogers Cup title but was stopped on her path to her title defence in the semi finals by Stephens. But overall that was a much better return to form for Svitalina after somewhat of a disappointing season from her. It could spark her into life on the hard court.
WTA Cincinnati Winner Odds*
Simona Halep 6/1
Serena Williams 7/1
Angelique Kerber 8/1
Elina Svitolina 8/1
Sloane Stephens 10/1
Garbine Mugartza 12/1
Caroline Wozniacki 16/1
Ashleigh Barty 18/1
Karolina Pliskova 20/1
Petra Kvitova 22/1
Madison Keys 25/1
Johanna Konta 28/1
Jelena Ostapenko
* (betting odds taken from Unibet at 10:53 pm on August 12th, 2018)
Prediction
Halep in our eyes remains the one to beat but that was a long week for her in Montreal and will probably be holding something back for the US Open so we are not going to back her, even though she is the obvious choice. Breaking things down and looking at the tournament itself which seems to produce enough upsets to look beyond the outright favourite, we are going to lean on Svitolina.
That positive run in Canada has to have given her something that has been missing, that extra injection of confidence so we see her having a good week and gets our backing at nice 8/1 odds* (betting odds taken from Unibet at 10:53 pm on August 12th, 2018).
