The WTA once again proved to be much more prone to upset than the ATP Tour during the 2009 season. Virtually the only consistent performer during the season was Serena Williams, with a host of Russian players jostling for position lower down the rankings before Kim Clijsters emerged from nowhere to cause a massive upset at the US Open.
The unpredictability of ladies’ tennis means there’s potentially far more value to be had in the antepost betting markets for the ladies’ tournament at the 2010 Australian Open. Here’s a look at the players bookies believe have what it takes to take the Australian Open title in Melbourne in January.
1. Serena Williams
Reigning champion Serena Williams has been priced the antepost favourite to win the 2010 Australian Open, a tournament she has won four times in the past. The American was in dominant form in 2009 winning two grand slam titles as well as the Tour Championships.
At 11/4 Serena is a decent each-way bet to win the tournament, although one must take the volatility of women’s tennis into account before placing a big bet on the younger Williams sister. Punters wanting to take advantage of this volatility can lay Williams at a low liability at a betting exchange like Betfair.
2. Kim Clijsters
Kim Clijsters caused the upset of the year at the US Open by winning the title after a prolonged absence from the game. The Belgian is fresh and motivated, but may struggle to win two grand slams in succession now that her opponents will be more wary of her abilities.
Clijsters is priced around 9/2 to win the Australian Open. These odds provide decent value for an outright each-way bet, given the fact that she has reached the final of the US Open once in the past. If you’re keen on backing Clijsters we’d suggest sticking to a small stake bet.
3. Justine Henin
The former world number one was obviously playing attention when Kim Kiljsters made her stunning comeback at the US Open in 2009. Within weeks Henin announced that she would end her self-imposed exile from the game and return to the courts in 2010.
Despite her long absence from the game, Henin has been priced amongst the favourites to win the Australian Open in 2010. The Belgian won the tournament once, in 2004, and we’re not convinced that she’ll manage to emulate Clijsters’ performance at the US Open to take a grand slam title on comeback. We’re happy to shoulder a stiff liability and lay Henin at Betfair.
4. Venus Williams
Bookmakers don’t seem to have lost faith in the prowess of the aging Venus Williams, and despite never having won the Australian Open, Williams once again finds herself priced amongst the favourites for the 2010 Australian Open.
Given that Williams last won a grand slam at Wimbledon in 2008, and that both her grand slam wins on hard courts were achieved early in her career, we see no reason why she would survive the attentions of the up and coming stars of the game in Melbourne in 2010. She’ll come with a stiff liability if you place a lay bet on her, but should pay dividends by exiting the tournament before the final.
5. Maria Sharapova
Bookies stick to their policy of backing former stars to win the Australian Open by pricing Maria Sharapova among the favourites for the tournament. In fairness to them, Sharapova is the one former champion who might come through in Melbourne, having won the tournament as recently as 2008.
Sharapova is trading at odds of 11/1 at many bookmakers. These odds are tough to resist, as it is almost certain that they will drop during the course of the 2010 Australian Open. If you wish to take advantage of this, we suggest that you put a decent back bet on Sharapova now, then lay her at an exchange later in the tournament when her odds drop.
The rest of the field
While the top 5 in the men’s betting markets are highly likely to produce the Australian Open winner, the same can’t be said for the women’s draw, and we think it’s worth taking a look at some of the other high-value betting options in the Australian Open women’s antepost betting markets.
Svetlana Kuznetosva hit a strong vein of form during 2009, claiming a grand slam title and making a strong impact in several other tournaments. While she’s unlikely to win in Melbourne, her odds of 22/1 make her an excellent trading option if she reaches the latter stages of the tournament.
Carlone Wozniacki, meanwhile, must be one of the fastest improving players on tour. The Dane is trading at 16/1 at many bookies, and has show that she has the ability to take on the top players in the game. We’re expecting a strong performance from her in Melbourne, and think she’d make another great trade.
For more information on trading, visit the trading section of the Gambling Guru betting school.
Australian Open Ladies’ Outright Odds Comparison
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