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WTA Tour Updated 2019 Qatar Total Open Odds During Round of 16

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in Tennis

Updated Apr 9, 2020 · 2:54 PM PDT

Simona Halep WTA
Simona Halep is the favorite entering the Round of 16 in a strong WTA Doha Open field. Photo by Mihnea Stanciu (Flickr) [CC License].
  • WTA Doha Qatar Open is down to the Round of 16.
  • World No. 3 Simona Halep won this tournament in 2014.
  • Karolina Pliskova was the 2017 Qatar Open champion.

The WTA Doha Qatar Open was where big things first started happening for two-time world No. 1 Simona Halep.

She won her first premier tournament title there at the Khalifa International Complex in 2014.

Halep, Karolina Pliskova (2017) and Carla Suarez-Navarro (2016) are former Doha Qatar Open champions still in the hunt in this year’s event.

Odds to Win WTA Doha Qatar Open

Team Odds to Win WTA Doha Qatar Open
Simona Halep +300
Angelique Kerber +400
Karolina Pliskova +500
Elina Svitolina +550
Kiki Bertens +700
Julia Goerges +900
Anett Kontaveit +1600
Jelena Ostapenko +2200
Su-Wei Hsieh +2800
Elise Mertens +3300
Barbara Strycova +4000
Lesia Tsurenko +4000
Anna Blinkova +5000
Carla Suarez-Navarro +5000
Karolina Mucohova +5000
Alison Riske +6600

Odds taken 2/12

Halep defeated Angelique Kerber 6-2, 6-3 to win the 2014 title.

Halep The One To Beat In Doha

Not only is Halep the No. 1 seed and the +300 favorite to win in Doha, she arrived at the Qatar Open off a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 triumph over Pliskova in a battle of former top-ranked players in the world to help Romania edge the Czech Republic 3-2 and advance to the Federation Cup semifinals.

It’s been an up and down battle of late for Halep. The reigning French Open champion fell in the opening round of last year’s US Open as a No. 1 seed, and a back injury forced her to withdraw from the WTA Finals.

She was eliminated in the round of 16 last month at the Australian Open.

Halep is also breaking in a new coach, having recently hired Thierry Van Cleemput.

It’s A Deep Field

Five of the world’s top eight players and nine of the top 22 in the WTA rankings are in the field of 16 left playing in Doha.

Halep is one of three former champions still in the hint. Pliskova was the Qatar Open winner two years ago. She’s the No. 2 seed and faces world No. 21 Elise Martens in the round of 16. Pliskova has beaten Martens in 12 of 16 matches.

Spain’s Carla Suarez-Navarro was the 2016 winner in Doha and at +5000, offers a hefty price. She faces No. 5 seed Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, but Bertens could be ripe for an upset after battling to beat Italy’s Camila Giorgi 0-6, 7-6(7), 6-4 in the first round.

Suarez-Navarro holds a 30-18 edge in matches against Bertens, who is just coming off a bout with the flu.

Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, who lost 1–6, 6–4, 6–4 to Suarez-Navarro in the 2016 final, is another intriguing look at +2200. Ostapenko faces No. 4 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the round of 16, but she’s 2-0 in head-to-head clashes with Svitolina.

On the other hand, Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, also recently returned from a wrist injury and may not be at 100%.

One play to definitely avoid is Kerber, and not because she lost to Halep in the 2014 Qatar Open final.

Kerber is 0-2 against her round of 16 opponent Anett Kontaveit in two previous meetings, failing to take a single set off of Kontaveit. In their most recent clash in Stuttgart, Germany, Kerber was down 0-6, 0-2 when she withrew from the match.

Who Should You Play?

If either Pliskova or Halep win the tournament, they would ascend to the No. 2 slot in the WTA world rankings, right behind Japan’s Naomi Osaka.

A back injury kept Osaka out of this event and three other among the world’s top 20 players also withdrew – No. 10 Caroline Wozniacki (illness), No. 14 Ashleigh Barty (hip) and No. 19 Caroline Garcia (undisclosed ailment), thinning out the field.

While it’s always easy to put your money on the favorite, in this instance, that looks to be the wisest play. Halep arrived in Doha off a sensational performance and it came against Pliskova, the player who figures to be her toughest opponent in this this tournament.

Halep looks to be rounding into form and she has a history of success at this facility.

On the other hand, if you’re someone who just doesn’t like to play the chalk and prefer to seek out a price, we recommend giving Ostapenko a look.

She’s a Grand Slam champion and has played in the final in Qatar. If her left wrist has healed, she could be a real sleeper pick here.

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