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Tennis News :: Wimbledon 2018 - Ladies Singles Preview

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Posted on 2018-07-01 by Auls

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A preview of the Womens Singles Tournament at Wimbledon - by Auls.


The two previous Grand Slams featuring the WTA players have been very open events and I have little doubt that this year's Wimbledon was going to be another. The favourite for the title is in the First Quarter of the draw, but Petra Kvitova is a big price to go all the way and win another Wimbledon title having done that twice before in her career.

The recovery from a hand injury caused by an intruder over eighteen months ago has been very impressive from Kvitova and her win in Birmingham suggests the Czech player is back to her best on her favourite surface.

I do think the price would have been much shorter for Kvitova if she had been in a kinder Quarter of the draw with some big names to overcome just to make the Semi Final.

Simona Halep is the World Number 1 and coming off a maiden Grand Slam win when she took the title home in Paris. There is a hope that will open the floodgates for Halep going forward, but I think it will be tough to raise her intensity at Wimbledon and I believe it is Johanna Konta, the Semi Finalist from last year, who will be most likely to reach the Quarter Final.

However it has to be said that Konta could have had a better path through to the Fourth Round herself which means there is a potential for some real upsets in this Quarter.

For Kvitova the biggest immediate danger looks to be Maria Sharapova although the Russian has yet to really get back to the level she had prior to the fifteen month ban for using a banned substance. Sharapova also hasn't played any competitive tennis since going out of the French Open and I am going to look for Kvitova to have a very strong run in this tournament.

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The Second Quarter of the draw is led by defending Champion Garbine Muguruza and there is every chance she could have another strong showing at Wimbledon. I find it hard to really trust Muguruza in these types of events though as she is player that can blow hot and cold frequently, although she does remind of Stan Wawrinka from the ATP Tour in that she does seem to peak for the Grand Slam events.

To be honest Muguruza could not have asked for a much better draw with the first real threat likely to come in the Fourth Round when she will come up against Ashleigh Barty who has been a tremendous player on the grass courts. It will take a big effort for Barty to make it through to that potential match, and I do wonder if she has the mental strength to really beat a big name player at this level.

Instead the biggest threat in this Quarter of the draw looks to be Angelique Kerber who will feel she is coming into the better half of the season as far as her results are going to show. The German has reached the Final at Wimbledon before and she has been in decent form on the grass courts underlined by her run to the Semi Final in Eastbourne last week.

I do think the likes of Naomi Osaka and Caroline Garcia could be tough matches for Kerber but I would favour the latter to beat both of those players on her current form. It really could come down to a Muguruza versus Kerber Quarter Final to decide the Semi Finalist in the top half of the draw and I think the latter looks a big price to win this Quarter of the draw.

You can't ignore the fact that Muguruza has beaten Kerber five times in a row, including at Wimbledon last year, but Kerber has been very unfortunate in at least a couple of those losses. Even the one last year should really have gone the other way and I think this time Kerber can find a way to get out of the Quarter even if she faces Muguruza, although the Spaniard becomes a real danger when she picks up momentum in these Grand Slam events.

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There really is an open look to the Third Quarter of the draw at Wimbledon this summer and that is highlighted by the favourite being as big as 4.50 to come out of the Quarter.

That favourite is Sloane Stephens who has won the US Open and reached the Final of the French Open in the last twelve months and who has a very strong performance indicator on the grass. However I am not convinced she gets past Donna Vekic in the First Round, while second favourite in the Quarter Karolina Pliskova has openly admitted that she is not completely comfortable on the grass courts despite having some strong results on the surface.

Venus Williams is a multiple time former Wimbledon Champion and that has to be respected, but she has not looked in good form for some time. There is a chance that Venus can turn things around here, but she is in a tough Quarter and will have to get going immediately, while Victoria Azarenka is still a little inconsistent on her return to full time tennis.

It really feels like a section in which we could have a surprise Semi Finalist and I have found Barbora Strycova at a very big price to be that player. It certainly feels like the Czech player could be worth a small interest to do that with her strong record on the grass courts in recent years certainly showing she is capable of having a strong tournament.

Strycova has not had a great season but she did reach the Fourth Round at both the Australian Open and French Open in 2018 and her best ever Grand Slam result was a Quarter Final run here in 2014. The price does reflect the situation with Strycova never having a really strong run in a Grand Slam to think she could reach the Semi Final here, but she may be the player that is able to work her way through the draw while other players perhaps falter.

The opening Round match against Svetlana Kuznetsova is the key to get this going and there are some big matches along the way that Strycova will have to negotiate too, but she could be someone who is a back to lay option in this draw.

I am not quite convinced enough to bring her into my staking plan but I wouldn't be massively surprised if Strycova can come through a tough section to get a read on.

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There may have been some controversy attached to the decision made by Wimbledon to Seed Serena Williams but that is the situation that the other players will have to deal with. The American is the best grass court female player of all time as far as I am concerned and Williams presents a significant threat if she can find her form here.

It isn't going to be plain-sailing for Serena Williams who had an injury at the French Open which forced her withdrawal from that tournament. She has not been able to play a competitive match since then and Williams has had limited tennis in the last eighteen months which means she should be vulnerable especially early in the draw.

The draw has been kind enough for Serena Williams to get through the first couple of Rounds without too many problems but a potential Third Round match against Elina Svitolina is going to a real test of her credentials. If Serena Williams is able to get through that she is then potentially facing Madison Keys who is coming in off a strong showing at the French Open and should be much more comfortable on the grass and I do think it is a tough ask for Serena Williams to get out of this Quarter.

With Williams in this Quarter it is no surprise you can find some big prices opposing her in the draw and it is the bottom half of the Quarter where my attention has drifted to find that player.

Caroline Wozniacki and Coco Vandeweghe are both very good grass court players and I think they will head into a Fourth Round match that could determine who is able to make it through to the Quarter Final. Both have a couple of very tough matches to negotiate before that Fourth Round match though with the likes of Agnieszka Radwanska and Petra Martic both in this half of the Quarter.

However both are in the same section as Wozniacki who has yet to get past the Fourth Round at Wimbledon and so my interest lands with Vandeweghe who hasn't had a great month on the grass courts. She is a two time former Quarter Finalist at Wimbledon though and I think her game is suited to go one step further.

Vandeweghe has not made it past the Second Round of her two Slams in 2018, but if she can get into a roll I think she can be difficult to stop here. She reached the Semi Final at the Australian Open and the US Open in 2017 so I am not of the belief that there is a Quarter Final mental blockage for the American to overcome at Grand Slam level and she looks a huge price to reach the Semi Final here.

I will keep Vandeweghe as part of my staking plan for this event as I look for her to get out of the Fourth Quarter of the draw.

Betting Strategy

Like the men's draw, my main focus from the women's event at London will be from the Quarter winners I have highlighted and I will back three players to just make the Semi Final.

My most likely winner of this event if Petra Kvitova, but the women's draw looks wide open to me and I am not always convinced by the Czech player. If she wins her Quarter I would fancy her to go on and win this tournament, but I am just going to back her at a decent price to come through her section of the draw.

Both Angelique Kerber and Coco Vandeweghe are worthy of small interest for Semi Final spots too as far as I can see and I am looking forward to hopefully produce some winners in around ten days time.

Betting Picks

• Petra Kvitova to Win First Quarter @ 2.87 Bet365 (2 Units)
• Angelique Kerber to Win Second Quarter @ 5.00 Bet365
• Coco Vandeweghe to Win Fourth Quarter @ 17.00 Bet365

 

Sourced From : Gooners Guide To Tennis Betting

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Wimbledon 2018 - Mens Singles preview