WTA Western & Southern Open Odds & Preview: Will Cincy Be the Charm for Naomi Osaka?
- No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and No. 2 Naomi Osaka, absent in Montreal, are back for the Western & Southern Open
- They are the top two favorites, along with Montreal semifinalist Aryna Sabalenka
- We break down the matchups, and look at who has the best chance of winning the tournament
The WTA welcomes back Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka, who both skipped a similar tournament in Montreal this week.
Both had huge disappointments at the Olympics in Tokyo. Barty was gone in a first-round shocker; Osaka lost in the third round.
WTA Western & Southern Open Singles Odds
| Seed | Player | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| [2] | Naomi Osaka (JPN) | +450 |
| [1] | Ashleigh Barty (AUS) | +550 |
| [3] | Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) | +750 |
| [6] | Iga Swiatek (POL) | +1200 |
| [5] | Karolina Pliskova (CZE) | +1600 |
| [14] | Victoria Azarenka (BLR) | +1600 |
| [7] | Bianca Andreescu (CAN) | +1600 |
| [8] | Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP) | +1600 |
| [11] | Petra Kvitova (CZE) | +1600 |
| [12] | Simona Halep (ROU) | +1600 |
| – | Elena Rybakina (KAZ) | +2000 |
| – | Danielle Collins (USA) | +2800 |
| [9] | Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) | +2800 |
| – | Cori Gauff (USA) | +2800 |
| Maria Sakkari (GRE) | +3500 | |
| [6] | Ons Jabeur (TUN) | +5000 |
| [SE] | Camila Giorgi (ITA) | +5000 |
Odds as of Aug. 15 at DraftKings
Osaka, the Japanese-American who has made more money than any female athlete on the planet lately, was chosen to light the Olympic flame at the opening ceremonies in Tokyo.
She was out early at the French Open, and skipped Wimbledon. Had it not been her home Olympics, we might not have seen her there, either.
Osaka didn’t appear in great shape. And she is clearly still wrestling with her inner peace. So it will be fascinating to see how she pulls up at the Western & Southern Open.
The defending US Open champion made the finals of the Western & Southern Open a year ago; it was relocated from Cincinnati to the US Open site as part of a secure COVID bubble.
https://twitter.com/Tennis24_com/status/1299711078193139715
Osaka didn’t even play the final; she withdrew with a leg injury.
But she’s defending points. Aryna Sabalenka could leap over her to No. 2 next week if she doesn’t do it.
WTA Western & Southern Open Contenders – Best Previous Results
| Player | Main-Draw Appearances | Career W/L | Best Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naomi Osaka | 3 | 6-3 | Final (2020) |
| Ashleigh Barty | 3 | 7-3 | SF (2019) |
| Aryna Sabalenka | 4 | 7-3 | SF (2018) |
| Iga Swiatek | 1 | 1-2 | 2R (2019) |
| Karolina Pliskova | 6 | 10-3 | Champion (2016) |
| Victoria Azarenka | 7 | 16-5 | Champion (2013, 2020) |
| Bianca Andreescu | 0 | 0-0 | Debut – 2021 |
| Simona Halep | 8 | 21-8 | Final (2015, 2017, 2018) |
Swiatek Strangely Among the Favorites Again
Iga Swiatek, who won the 2020 French Open, remains among the oddsmakers’ favorites every tournament she plays. For the Western & Southern Open, she again is high on the list, ahead of multiple former champions and finalists.
It’s hard to see why, even if her quarter of the Western & Southen Open draw might be the best one to be in.
Swiatek got to the fourth round of the 2021 Australian Open in February. And then she won the WTA 500 in Adelaide against a stripped-down field.
But in her four other hard-court tournaments since that win in Paris, she is 4-4.
Swiatek lost in the second round of the Olympic event to Paula Badosa. She didn’t play last week in Montreal.
So as a hard-court bet, she’s worth taking a pass on at the moment.
Previous WTA Western & Southern Open Winners and Finalists
| Year | Champion | Finalist |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Victoria Azarenka (BLR) | [4] Naomi Osaka (WALKOVER) |
| 2019 | [16] Madison Keys (USA) | Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) |
| 2018 | Kiki Bertens (NED) | [1] Simona Halep (ROU) |
| 2017 | [4] Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP) | [2] Simona Halep (ROU) |
| 2016 | [15] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) | [2] Angelique Kerber (GER) |
| 2015 | [1] Serena Williams (USA) | [3] Simona Halep (ROU) |
| 2014 | [1] Serena Williams (USA) | [9] Ana Ivanovic (SRB) |
| 2013 | [2] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) | [1] Serena Williams (USA) |
First-Round Matches to Watch
Marketa Vondrousova (-115) vs Belinda Bencic (-115)
This is a rematch of the Olympic gold medal game, won in three sets, by Bencic.
But neither has played since. And Bencic has been home basking in the adulation and opportunities.
Vondrousova probably was encouraged by the result after struggling with injury and form. The Czech lefty defeated No. 2 Osaka and No. 6 Elina Svitolina en route to the silver medal.
And she beat Bencic in three sets in Miami back in March. Vondrousova looks poised to win.
[9] Barbora Krejcikova (-140) vs Daria Kasatkina (+110)
French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova has had an incredible rise in 2021.
She and Katerina Siniakova won the doubles gold medal in Tokyo. But Krejcikova played a ton of tennis in June and July.
Meanwhile, Kasatkina – who didn’t make it to Tokyo – reached the San Jose final. Last week in Montreal, she ran into an in-form Ons Jabeur in the third round.
She’s playing well. And, more importantly, she has ample experience on the North American hard-court swing.
Krejcikova has a total of one career main-draw singles matches on the summer hard court circuit. And she lost it.
Best Bet: Ashleigh Barty (+550)
Longer shot: Victoria Azarenka (+1600)
Stephanie gets the straight dope from the tennis insiders. On court, she has represented her country internationally. A BA in journalism led to years on the MLB beat and a decade covering tennis globally. She's written for Postmedia, the Guardian, the New York Times and also publishes OpenCourt.ca.
