WTA Dubai Preview – February 2019
There is a big line up this week at the WTA Dubai tournament with this year’s Australian Open Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka heading up the field. This is the highlight of the week in what is a Premier 5 event.
Elina Svitolina is out to try and defend the title for the second season running, but it is Osaka who is the 5/1 outright favourite* (betting odds taken from bet365 on February 17th 2019 at 11:44 pm).
WTA Dubai Winner Odds*
Naomi Osaka 5/1
Petra Kvitova 7/1
Simona Halep 8/1
Karolina Pliskova 8/1
Angelique Kerber 8/1
Elina Svitolina 10/1
Aryna Sabalenka 12/1
Garbine Muguruza 16/1
Kiki Bertens 20/1
Caroline Wozniacki 25/1
Julia Goerges 28/1
Elise Mertens 33/1
50/1 bar
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on February 17th 2019 at 11:44 pm)
Osaka the Favourite
After just splitting with her coach who has guided Osaka to back to back Grand Slam titles, it will be interesting to see how her game is affected. She is the 5/1 outright favourite* (betting odds taken from bet365 on February 17th 2019 at 11:44 pm) to claim the title this week in Dubai.
She is the top seed and right at the top of the draw but there could be a really tough path ahead for her. Either Garbine Muguruza or reigning champion Elina Svitolina could be waiting for her in the quarterfinals. Then in the semi-finals, there is the potential that Osaka cold have to get past world number one Simona Halep.
Tough Top Section
The top half of the draw is set up wonderfully. Osaka, Muguruza and Svitolina all together in one section. That’s tough to call. Elina Svitolina is 10/1 to pull off another title defence in Dubai having won it for the last two seasons* (betting odds taken from bet365 on February 17th 2019 at 11:44 pm). She has been in good early form as she tends to be, losing to Osaka in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, while reaching the semis of Doha recently against Simona Halep.
Muguruza reached the round of sixteen at the Australian Open before exiting earlier than expected in a lower-tiered event in Thailand. The Spaniard has two semi-final exits in four previous attempts at Dubai though. Then there is Osaka who has come out firing this calendar year, sweeping up that Australian Open title to add to her US Open crown earned at the back end of last year.
If Simona Halep gets through then she will meet the winner of that section at the semi-final stage. Halep has an easier quarter to get through, the most likeliest of opponents challenging her at the quarterfinals being Caroline Wozniacki or heavy hitting Aryna Sabalenka. Halep who is at 8/1 to win this* (betting odds taken from bet365 on February 17th 2019 at 11:44 pm) is coming in hot having just won the Doha title over Elise Mertens.
Bottom half of the draw
The leading players in the bottom half of the draw will be grateful for having avoided all the congestion in the top half. Angelique Kerber is out in action as fifth seen as she goes in the same quarter as Karolina Pliskova, the fourth seed. That would be a fantastic meeting at the quarter final stage if that comes about. Realistically you wouldn’t put it past the winner of that section actually going on to reach the finals.
Second seed Petra Kvitova, who lost the 2019 Australian Open final to Osaka, has a comfortable looking quarter. The biggest challenges standing in her way are likely to be seventh seed Kiki Bertens and 11th seed Daria Kasatkina (last year’s runner up) who are on a collision course for the third round. Kvitova looks a pretty solid option to be lining up in the quarterfinals of the competition and she is 7/1 second favourite to win outright* (betting odds taken from bet365 on February 17th 2019 at 11:44 pm).
Former Winners
There is Elina Svitolina who took the 2017 title (really her breakthrough on the WTA) against Caroline Wozniacki. She then ran to the final last year in her title defence, sweeping past Daria Kasatkina there. Other notable former winners in the field are 2015 Champion Simona Halep and 2013 winner Petra Kvitova.
Predictions
It’s all eyes on that competitive top half of the draw. There is going to be some epic battles going down up there. We are going to throw a couple of names out there to oppose everyone in the top half though. Angelique Kerber has been a losing semi-final in Dubai in the last two seasons, both losses coming against Svitolina.
Karolina Pliskova has had a very good 2019 and was a finalist in Dubai in 2015. Both make very good value here. They are both at 8/1 outright and they could well meet for a quarter-final clash* (betting odds taken from bet365 on February 17th 2019 at 11:44 pm). Pliskova is coming in fresh, Kerber is more in need of getting something going. Kerber has won the last three on hard court against Pliskova. So it’s Kerber to make a run at the title for us.
