The women’s US Open was a wide open fair in the absence of Serena Williams 12 months ago and even although the legend is in the field this year it is still 13/2 in the outright market which highlights just how open the 2018 version is.
Sloane Stephens took advantage of the open draw last year and she will defend the title on her return to New York but there are a number of potential challengers looking to dethrone her over the next two weeks.
Recent Winners
2017 – Sloane Stephens
2016 – Angelique Kerber
2015 – Flavia Pennetta
2014 – Serena Williams
2013 – Serena Williams
2012 – Serena Williams
2011 – Sam Stosur
2010 – Kim Clijsters
2009 – Kim Clijsters
2008 – Serena Williams
The Format
There is nothing new to the format of this tournament either so every match will be the best of three sets in keeping with all the Grand Slams. Unlike some of the other ones though this one has a tiebreak in the final set. We have had a draw ceremony and the brackets have been pre-determined ready for a winner to be decided on the second Saturday.
Top Quarter
It is the world number one and French Open champion Simona Halep who is the top seed and the main seed in this first quarter but a certain Serena Williams looms large in it. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Venus Williams, Garbine Muguruza, Ashleigh Barty, Maria Sakkari and Karolina Pliskova are the other seeds in what looks like a very strong section.
There are one or two players who don’t have a seeding who will look to cause an upset here too. Lucie Safarova will hope to use her big serve to her advantage while Svetlana Kuznetsova knows a thing or two about going deep in Grand Slams. Camila Giorgi is also in what looks like a very tough section.
Second Quarter
This is where the defending champion and number three seed Sloane Stephens is housed. She is seeded to meet Elina Svitolina in the quarter final but there are plenty of seeds looking to stop that from happening. They are Daria Gavrilova, Barbora Strycova, Elise Mertens, Julia Goerges, Anastasija Sevastova and Magdalena Rybarikova.
Some big names are unseeded in this part of the draw too. Agnieszka Radwanska and Donna Vekic are but two of them but there is also Heather Watson, Ekaterina Makarova and Victoria Azarenka who are all capable of pulling off a string of wins at this level. We should see some competitive action here.
Third Quarter
Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber is the main seed in the third quarter of the draw and if it goes to the rankings she will face Caroline Garcia in the quarter final. Dominika Cibulkova, Coco Vandeweghe, Madison Keys, Jelena Ostapenko, Maria Sharapova and Carla Suarez Navarro are seeded to stop that from happening.
In terms of the unseeded players in this part of the draw we have the likes of Jo Konta, Olympic champion Monica Puig, Kiki Mladenovic, Andrea Petkovic and Alize Cornet who can all do some damage in what looks like being another extremely competitive quarter.
Bottom Quarter
Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki is the star attraction in this part of the draw with former Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova seeded to be her quarter final opponent. The other seeds in this section are Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka, Daria Kasatkina, Kiki Bertens, Mihaela Buzarnescu and Anett Kontaveit.
Former champion Sam Stosur is the pick of the unseeded players but underrated players such as Alison Van Uytvanck and Lesia Tsurenko are in here. Eugenie Bouchard, Belinda Bencic, Dani Collins and Yanina Wickmayer ensure this will be another competitive section to enjoy.
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Outright Betting
I’ll go with a player in each part of the draw in this tournament. In the top half I’ll dodge the top quarter because that looks like a competition in itself but while it will be competitive the second quarter looks slightly easier to tackle and I’ll take a chance that Elina Svitolina can ride the wave of lesser expectation to come through. Clearly Sloane Stephens is the one to beat but the way she bombed out of Wimbledon does nothing to inspire me. If Svitolina can get her timing early on she has the power and the defensive skills to go all the way in a tournament like this. Not many are touting her as a potential winner unlike in years gone by and that might suit her fine.
In the bottom half of the draw I will take a chance on Mihaela Buzarnescu who coasted to the San Jose title not so long ago. That sets a fair standard and with semi-finals in Strasbourg, Birmingham and Midland as well as finals in Prague and Sydney there is a lot to like about the Romanian. She has really come to the party this year and in that bottom quarter where Wozniacki is always vulnerable and Kvitova potentially injured she has every chance of coming through at a big price.
Quarter Betting
I’ll take Buzarnescu to win her quarter at a tidy price but there is one other I like the look of which comes in the third quarter. I’m convinced that one day Madison Keys will win this tournament and having been beaten in the final 12 months ago she doesn’t have to do much more to go all the way here.
Whether this is her year for going the distance I’m not sure but I do think she can come through this quarter. Angelique Kerber sets the standard for the danger but backing up big events isn’t easy while Maria Sharapova is way past her best. Jelena Ostapenko could be a live danger but she’s either brilliant or she’s terrible. I want a big hitter who is consistent and Keys fits that bill nicely and 5/1 is a perfectly acceptable price on the American who has already won her quarter at the French Open and lost in the quarter final in the Australian Open in 2018. She can make the semis here.
Tips
Back E.Svitolina to win US Open (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 19.00 with BetVictor (1/2 1-2)
Back her here:
VOID – Back M.Buzarnescu to win US Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 151.00 with Boylesports (1/2 1-2)
Back her here:
WON – Back M.Keys to win 3rd Quarter for a 2/10 stake at 6.00 with William Hill
Back her here:
VOID – Back M.Buzarnescu to win 4th Quarter for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with Betfair
Back her here:
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