The final grand slam of the year takes place over the next fortnight in Flushing Meadows – it’s the US Open. Steve from Ace Previews is back with his outright preview and best bets for women’s half of the tournament. Check out his best bets below!
Ashleigh Barty. Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina. All three have gone home with a grand slam title in 2022. Will Swiatek or Rybakina pick up another, or will we see another Emma Raducanu-style run from the Brit or another competitor in the field this year?
Let’s get stuck into the overall draw. Much like the ATP preview, we see the Russian and Belarussian players returning to the field after they missed Wimbledon. It is also time for us to bid farewell to Serena Williams as she brings her incredible career to a close. Let’s take a look at the draw quarter by quarter to see if we can find any value, before locking in a couple of outright selections.
Also, be sure to check out Ace’s best bets for the men’s draw right here!
Women’s US Open Futures Betting Tips
1st Quarter
I don’t think this was the type of draw that Iga Swiatek would have been hoping for as the top seed. After a relatively comfortable first round against Jasmine Paolini, things will become a little more difficult quite quickly. She was troubled at times against Sloane Stephens last week, and she is a potential round 2 opponent. She may face the hard-hitting Ekaterina Alexandrova in round 3, and one of Amanda Anisimova and Jelena Ostapenko in round 4. It is unlikely to get any easier from then on, with Jessica Pegula/Petra Kvitova a potential quarterfinalist, and then she still needs to win two more to claim the title. She is a deserving favourite. However, on her form post Wimbledon, I am not entirely sure I am keen on jumping into the offer currently on offer.
I will play it safe in this quarter with a small play on Pegula at the other end of the section to Swiatek.
Pegula to Win Quarter 1
$8 (0.25 Units)
2nd Quarter
Paula Badosa heads another competitive little pocket of the draw here, but there are a number of players in better form and justifying shorter odds than the Spaniard at the moment. This list is headed by Aryna Sabalenka, Belinda Bencic, and Elena Rybakina, and is closely followed by former US Open champions Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka. Osaka vs. Danielle Collins has the potential to be the most fascinating Round 1 match of the tournament. I am fascinated by this quarter, but it isn’t a quarter where I feel the need to be heavily invested. Even the likes of Karolina Pliskova and Victoria Azarenka could cause some chaos here. In terms of recent form and a level that is able to match it with most in this section, I’ll give the slight edge to Sabalenka. The work she has put into her service woes is noticeable, and for mine, her draw is more favourable than that of Badosa/Bencic up the top.
Sabalenka to Win 2nd Quarter
$6 (0.25 Units)
3rd Quarter
Sitting in the other half of the draw to Swiatek appeals, but this quarter in general presents some opportunities for a number of players to make a breakthrough at the top level. To do so, they’ll likely need to go through Simona Halep at the top of the quarter. The resurgence of Caroline Garcia in 2022 has been incredible to watch, but the books haven’t missed her with her current pricing in this quarter on the second line of betting alongside Coco Gauff. Of the rest of the seeds in this section, it’s likely Beatriz Haddad Maia and Madison Keys are the biggest threats. Maria Sakkari’s form hasn’t quite justified strong consideration, but her draw initially is quite friendly. There are a couple of unseeded players who could cause an upset or two, but it’s difficult to see them going all the way. This quarter in a word? Tricky! As a result, it's just a small play on Gauff to progress.
Gauff to Win 3rd Quarter
$7 (0.4 Units)
4th Quarter
This quarter is bookended by two players who appear to have lost the form that led them to such a high ranking. Anett Kontaveit is the 2nd seed, but her recent form leaves a lot to be desired and her ranking is likely to fall dramatically between now and the end of the year without a significant uptick in form. I am happy to work around Kontaveit and, to a lesser extent, Ons Jabeur, who has looked a little devoid of confidence since losing the Wimbledon final from a set up. Is the missed opportunity still playing on her mind?
It may be worth looking a little wider in this quarter, and for mine a name that does stand out is Veronika Kudermetova. I do also like Daria Kasatkina coming off her recent form, but there isn’t any value in her current price given her recent successes.
Kudermetova to Win 4th Quarter
$13 (0.25 Units)
Outright
This is an incredibly open draw, so I won’t be investing too heavily. Instead, I will just make a small selection on Veronika Kudermetova and Coco Gauff in the outright market pre-tournament, as they are both on the other side of the draw to Swiatek and present value at current prices. I may add to this throughout the tournament, so keep an eye out on Twitter!
Also Backing: Kudermetova to Win Outright - $80 at Betfair (0.15 Units)
Gauff to Win Outright
$18 (0.3 Units)
