US Open Tennis Preview (Ladies)

The US Open tennis kicks off next week, running from August 29th to September 11th. Check out part two of the RoundersPalace.com US Open preview – the Ladies tournament – where Serena Williams is the hot favourite to take the title at Flushing Meadows.

Serena Williams
Serena Williams was off the court for a year prior to Wimbledon, yet she still managed to make the last 16 before succumbing to Marion Bartoli. Since then, she has won two WTA titles but pulled out of a third due to an injury to her foot. Williams is clearly back to something close to her dominant best and if the foot injury isn’t serious, it’s very easy to see why the bookmakers rate her as a clear favourite for the 2011 US Open.

A winner of 13 Grand Slam titles, including the US Open three times, Williams at 80% of her best is still more than good enough to beat the current crop of female tennis stars and she will be especially eager to do so, given that a US Open success would catapult her back towards the top 10 in the WTA rankings. With more than a week’s rest, the injury to her toe shouldn’t be too much of a problem either.

The best price available for Williams at the moment is 2.70 (Unibet) and she is as short as 2.30 with bwin.

Maria Sharapova
Despite being rated as second favourite by the bookmakers, at a best price of 8.00 (Unibet), Maria Sharapova doesn’t actually have the best of records at the US Open. She has won the event once – but not since 2006 – and last year’s tournament. where she made the fourth round, was her best performance at Flushing Meadows since that 2006 triumph.

That said, after an up and down 2011, Sharapova has had the perfect US Open preparation, beating the likes of Svetlana Kuznetsova, Samantha Stosur and Jelena Jankovic on the way to winning the Western & Southern Open, in Cincinnati. This hard court victory has seen Sharapova jump to number four in the world – her highest position since returning from a career threatening shoulder injury.

If the 24 year old can carry that form into the US Open an with her injury problems seemingly behind her, that 8.00 currently being offered by Unibet could look huge come September 11th.

Victoria Azarenka
22 year old Belarusian Victoria Azarenka is currently ranked number five in the world and is fresh from her first ever Grand Slam Semi Final appearance, which came at Wimbledon earlier this summer. Despite that result, Azarenka’s US Open preparation hasn’t been ideal having crashed out of the 2011 Bank of the West Classic in the second round. She had been seeded number one and was the defending champion.

Azarenka doesn’t have a great deal of form at the US Open either; her best finish to date came in 2007 when she reached the fourth round. She has entered the competition five times and averages a third round finish. All things considered, it’s perhaps a little surprising to see her ranked as third favourite by the bookmakers, at a best price of 12.00 (Unibet) but as short as 9.00 with Bet365.

Petra Kvitova
Petra Kvitova is undoubtedly enjoying her best season to date. The 21 year old from the Czech Republic made her first ever Grand Slam Final at Wimbledon this summer, beating Maria Sharapova in straight sets to land her first Grand Slam title. In the Australian Open she reached the Quarter Final, beating her previous best effort and although she only made the fourth round of the French Open, this equalled her best performance in the tournament.

In the three US Open tournaments that Kvitova has competed in, she is yet to progress past the fourth round, but given her current rate of progression, it wouldn’t be unrealistic to expect at least a Quarter Final appearance, if not much better. Her current best price for US Open glory is 12.00 with Betfair, though she is as short as 6.00 with William Hill. If the bookmakers are struggling to agree on her chances, there is surely value to be had.

Vera Zvonareva
Zvonareva made back to back Grand Slam Finals last year, losing out at both Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows. Although she made the Semi Final of this year’s Australian Open, the 26 year old Russian has so far struggled to reach the form that she displayed throughout 2010.

Things could be about to change though; Zvonareva has been preparing hard for the US Open, playing in four hard court tournaments already, making a Semi Final and two Finals. Of those two Final appearances, she managed to emerge triumphant in the Baku Cup en route to a career record sequence of nine straight victories.

Zvonareva can currently be backed to win the US Open at 20.00 on Betfair and is as short as 13.00 with Paddy Power.

The Field
The women’s competition looks much more open than the men’s, with the likes of Li Na (21.00, Betfair), Caroline Wozniacki (18.00, Unibet) and Venus Williams (40.00, Unibet) all capable of taking down a Grand Slam tournament on their day. Despite this, the 2011 US Open winner still looks most likely to come from the shortest priced contenders in the betting.

RoundersPalace.com verdict
Serena Williams looks back to her best and she is going to be tough to stop, but we think that Maria Sharapova represents the best value at 8.00 with Unibet. She is in great form and her hard court preparation couldn’t have gone better.

source: http://www.rounderspalace.com/us-open-tennis-preview-ladies/