The Australian Open is just days away and this year the woman’s side of the draw looks super competitive. As we saw in last year’s US Open, any woman in the draw will feel that this year could be their year as Emma Radacanu’s shock success proved.
Here we cast our eye over some of the field that will be hoping to leave their mark on Melbourne Park over the next two weeks.
The Favourites
As always with the Australian Open, there are a few players that punters are liking the look of, have a read on below to see who the current favorites are.
Ash Barty (+320)
There is no better place to start this preview than with the hometown hero, Ash Barty. Barty carries the hope of the host nation and will enter this year’s tournament as the number 1 seed and undisputed world number one. Barty couldn’t have started her 2022 on a better note with a victory in the WTA Adelaide warm-up event.
It’s taken a while for Barty to hit her stride in Melbourne as she only managed to reach the quarterfinals on her 6th appearance. Since this breakthrough, Barty has made the semi-finals in 2020 before a disappointing defeat in the quarterfinals last year.
A very special Sunday 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/WcD2woc7i0
— Ash Barty (@ashbarty) January 9, 2022
Barty has the class and despite her defeats in recent years, her cool exterior doesn’t suggest she feels the pressure of playing in front of a home crowd. In a field that is dominated by power hitting, Barty is the exception.
Her mix of slice and topspin, coupled with a world-class serve is more than a match for anybody in the field. The one worry you would throw at Barty is that if a power hitter has a good day, they could overpower the Aussie but at +320 Barty deserves to start as a worthy favourite.
Naomi Osaka (+600)
What an eventful 2021 it was for Naomi Osaka. Osaka heads to Melbourne as the defending champion after claiming her third Grand Slam title and her second at Melbourne Park. Osaka clearly likes playing at the Australian Open and seems to have the game perfectly suited to the conditions. At +600 and with a game as devastating as Osaka’s can be, if everything is firing those odds could represent some good value.
Osaka made most of her headlines last year with issues off the court and it remains to be seen if she has been able to put that all behind her. The Japanese star missed most of 2021 and there will be many who will doubt whether Osaka’s game can hold up in the pressures of a Grand Slam. There will also be some concerns over her fitness due to Osaka withdrawing from the Sydney warm-up event.
Garbine Muguruza (+1400)
In a sign as to how open the betting is on the women’s side of the draw, the equal third favourite in the draw is Garbine Muguruza. The Spanish ace can be backed at +1400. Muguruza is one of the hardest players to predict as she is a player that can go blow exceptionally hot and cold.
Her track record at Melbourne Park is mixed with her best result coming back in 2020 where she lost in the final to Sofia Kenin. That appearance in the finals is littered amongst numerous second and third-round defeats. Muguruza could be just as likely to lose early as she would be in reaching the latter stages.
But all of this should be caveated. When blowing hot, Muguruza is one of the finest players on the Tour and she heads to the Australian Open fresh off the back of winning last years WTA Finals. She has proven in the past that she has the mentality and game to win Grand Slams and if she can avoid falling early, she has every chance of advancing far and providing really good value for money.
Who else can challenge?
As the odds continue to lengthen, we then find the names of a couple of Grand Slam champions and a woman who ended 2021 in fine form.
Iga Swiatek (+1400)
Swiatek who took the tennis world by storm by winning the French Open back in 2020, had a mixed 2021 failing to reach the quarterfinals of any of the Grand Slams. Swiatek, despite having a Grand Slam title to her name, is still relatively inexperienced at this level and like most players her age has suffered periods of inconsistency.
I know that I had solid week in Adelaide but this kind of reward? Thanks @WTA 😅 pic.twitter.com/FLoRYMpwgG
— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) January 10, 2022
Question marks surround whether the young Pole has the game to win on hard courts and whether she can string seven solid performances together. Swiatek is one of the best shot makers on Tour and if fully firing can cause an upset to anyone.
Simona Halep (+1600)
Simona Halep now finds herself ranked at 15 in the world and still has question marks to answer over her form and fitness. Halep has never tasted success at Melbourne Park with her best effort coming back in 2018 where she reached the final.
Halep announced herself as a contender for the title with success in the WTA Melbourne warm-up event, she made easy work of her opposition only dropping one set on her way to the title. Halep’s hopes lie with her fitness and the Romanian will be hoping it holds up for the two weeks.
Those backing Halep know that she will give everything to the cause, and she will be a difficult woman to beat, but you feel it will take a monumental effort if she is to finally break through and win her maiden Australian Open title.
Anett Kontaveit (+1500)
For those that don’t follow the women’s game in-depth, the name of Annett Kontaveit might be a new one. Kontaveit had a fantastic end to the 2021 season rising to 7 in the world rankings. Kontaveit capped off her 2021 season by winning titles in Moscow and Romania before losing in the final of the WTA Finals to Garbine Muguruza.
Under the tutelage of former top ten player Dimitri Tursunov, the Estonian’s game has reached new heights and she will be wanting to take her much-improved game into the Grand Slam arena. Those backing Kontaveit know they are backing a player who is inexperienced at the top level but will be backing a player in fine form and someone who will be carrying a great deal of confidence into this event.
Any at a bigger price to take notice of?
As we scroll through the vast list of names there are a few at bigger prices that stand out.
Petra Kvitova (+3000)
The main concern has to be consistency. There rarely seems to be a Plan B for the big-hitting Czech and if Plan A fails, she is susceptible to a player that can keep the ball in court consistently. If Kvitova can manage to keep the ball in court she could be a handful for anybody.
First win of the season and it… did not come easy 😳@SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/2gqrBGRa84
— Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova) January 10, 2022
Victoria Azarenka (+3000)
For Azarenka, her consistency which is her greatest strength can often prove her undoing. Azarenka doesn’t have the power to hit her rivals off the court which can result in her being overmatched and overpowered as the tournament gets deeper. For Azarenka to make a dent in the draw she will need everything to fall into place and for her game to be in the perfect place.
Clara Tauson (+7000)
One name to watch out for is that of the talented Danish teen sensation Clara Tauson. Tauson is ranked at 41 in the world and is destined for the very top of the game. Tauson started to make her mark in the main draws of several WTA tournaments last year and is a player that could do real damage this year. This tournament might be arriving too soon but at odds of +7000, it could be a long shot worth backing.
Honourable mentions must be given to Paula Badosa +1600, Emma Raducanu +2500 and Maria Sakkari +2300, all of whom must be given a real shot of winning this year’s tournament and could all represent some nice value options.
If you are interested in more news for the Australian Open then make sure you visit our tennis hub page, we’ve got all the details you need!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
Image by: Jono52795
