WTA Moscow Preview – October 15th, 2018
Simona Halep returns to the Kremlin Cup and this is her first time at the tournament since winning the title in 2013. She goes as the 9/4 favourite* (betting odds taken on October 14th, 29018 at 8:33 pm) for this week’s action in Russia. However she has been a bit hampered recently with her back injury which threatened at one point to keep her out of the end of season WTA Finals. Reigning champion Julia Goerges is not back to defend her title.
WTA Moscow Odds*
Simona Halep 9/4
Karolina Pliskova 4/1
Sloane Stephens 9/2
Kiki Bertens 10/1
Anett Kontaveit 16/1
Anastasija Sevastova 20/1
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 20/1
Elise MErtens 20/1
Dari Satakina 22/1
Johanna Konta 22/1
Kristina Mladenovic 25/1
Mihaela Buzarnescu 25/1
Bar 28/1* (betting odds taken on October 14th, 29018 at 8:33 pm)
Halep Returns to Moscow
Back in 2013, Simona Halep was on a hot streak of form and she claimed the title in Moscow. Her form isn’t hot at the moment because she is trying to battle through a back issue that she has had, which has seen her suffer early exits in recent tournaments. That includes having to retire at the end of September in Beijing in her first round match. She gets a bye in this one and this year’s French Open winner may be worth a pass until we see her get back to full fitness and her form return.
Bertens needs a boost
Kiki Bertens is going to be showing up this week with the bit between her teeth. She goes as fourth seed and she needs to at least make the semi-finals in Moscow to shove either Karolina Pliskova or Elina Svitolina out of the eight that will be heading to Singapore for the WTA Finals. Bertens, this year’s Cincinnati champions is as short as 10/1 to make a winning run here* (betting odds taken on October 14th, 29018 at 8:33 pm).
Pliskova is competing this week and she gets to the final four of the Kremlin Cup then she will guarantee herself a place at the end of season finals. So she has a big incentive to make a strong run as well this week and she goes as the second favourite behind Halep. Pliskova who won in Tokyo at the end of September slipped to a defeat in her first match out in Wuhan against Qiang Wang.
Sloane Stephens booked herself a place at the WTA Finals for the first time, so she can relax this week a bit. She gets her spot at the finals on the back of Elina Svitolina not playing anywhere this week. She hasn’t been in the great of form to be fair on this Asian swing of the season and with nothing at stake like Bertens and Pliskova, we feel it’s worth looking past her. Daria Kasatkina was the losing finalist here last year so will be enjoying some fairly fond memories of this tournament.
The Draw
Halep and Pliskova are the first and second seeds respectively for the tournament so they are on the opposite side of the draw and would only meet in the final. It is Kasatkina who is in Halep’s quarter and could be worth a flutter to cause an upset by winning that section.
Kiki Bertens as fourth seed heads up the second quarter with 7th seed Elise Mertens (who opens against Jo Konta in a big first-round match). With question marks over Halep that could end up being a good draw for Bertens who needs that deep run.
The third quarter has Anett Kontaveit opposing third seed Sloane Stephens. Then making up the fourth quarter is second seed Karolina Pliskova and fifth seed Anastasija Sevastova.
Predictions
We see the path ahead for Karolina Pliskova being a big factor at the Kremlin Cup and as she needs a good run to guarantee a place in the WTA Finals, we like the 4/1 odds on her* (betting odds taken on October 14th, 29018 at 8:33 pm). She would meet a Qualifier/Lucky Loser in the second round after her first round bye. From the top half, again because of the necessity of turning up on form, Kiki Bertens has to have appeal in the tournament.
