Women’s Singles US Open Futures

With another Williams Wimbledon Final (seriously they should just call it the Williams Slam) done and dusted tennis betting fans should start looking ahead to the 2009 US Open futures market. Wimbledon confirmed many things we already suspected; namely, that the women’s game is in complete disarray save for Serena and Venus Williams who continue to dominate events they chose to participate in (chose being the operative word). This valuable insight from Wimbledon— the mixed performance of so many at the All England Club, and during the course of the first half of the season come to that, should definitely be used as a measuring stick for the US Open

Here are SPORTSBETTING.com US Open futures on some of the favourites in the women’s game:

Serena Williams +150

Maria Sharapova +450

Venus Williams +500

Victoria Azarenka +750

Dinara Safina +800

Ana Ivanovic +800

Elena Dementieva +1000

Jelena Jankovic +1000

Vera Zvonareva +1200

Svetlana Kuznetsova +1600

Caroline Wozniacki +2000

Grab Serena (+150) now before her odds shorten. That should be obvious I would think. The 11-time Grand Slam champion, and two-time Grand Slam champion in 2009, Serena is enjoying a remarkable season and in winning the Aussie Open and Wimbledon titles this year she proves she is still a force to be reckoned with and the player to beat at Flushing Meadows. She is the defending champion and at +150 odds, she screams value.

Maria Sharapova is generously tipped at +450 in the market; why she is the second favourite is a tad perplexing. She returned from a shoulder operation a few months ago, and save for a quarterfinal appearance at the French Open (surprising result considering she dislikes clay), she has done little to suggest she would challenge for a Grand Slam title this year. Next year is more realistic. The hope she will get match fit by the time the US Open rolls in and give the event a plotline that includes a protagonist other than a Williams sister (here is hoping) is unrealistic. Though Sharapova won the US Open in 2006 and where intangibles are concerned – heart and desire – she is a factor, she has no value right now.

Dinara Safina (+450) the world No.1 player was demolished once again at a Grand Slam but this time in the semis; she is fast gaining a reputation of being the most outclassed No.1 player ever. Yet, there is value in her – hallucinatory, as it may seem right about now. She is fit, she works hard and she is competitive over the course of a tournament if only up to the final moments. Twice she was a finalist at a major this year – Aussie Open and French Open. Most recently, she reached the Wimbledon semis. At all three majors this year she went deep so one has to believe she is a contender. She is not the best player because she hasn’t won a major (the rankings say she is) but taking all into consideration, like it or not, she is the second best at the moment.

Safina was a semi-finalist at the 2008 US Open and the winner of the US open series. She has to break duck at some point. What better stage than the very same stage that saw her older brother Marat Safin shock Pete Sampras in 2000 to win his first major title.

The retail value on venus williams (+500) is adequate. However, save for dominating Wimbledon, she has not won any other Grand Slam title in years. The last US Open title she won was in 2002. Keep in mind she is also 29-years-old. Though, still a force and not to be taken lightly, she is not fantastic value at +500 for tennis bettors.

Perhaps the best value aside from Serena Williams comes in Elena Dementieva (+1000). She is quite a long shot bet the way the market has cast her but after her Wimbledon run methinks her odds might be shortening soon. They certainly did over this last fortnight at Wimbledon as she showed her abilities and had she converted on her match point against Serena in the semis, one has to think she would have handled Venus in the final. Nevertheless, dwelling on that potential sequence of events is pointless and misses the point. Wimbledon is behind us.Serena williams triumphed. It is all about the US Open.

Dementieva has been to the US Open semis four times in her career and was a runner-up once. At +1000 odds, she offers great value, as she might genuinely be the third best player (or second depending on perspective) on the tour right now.

Svetlana Kuznetsova (+1600) won the French Open title but her meek showing at Wimbledon takes away from any value she might have had a month ago. Skip Kuznetsova despite her runner-up finish at the US Open last year. I don’t think she will reach as far this time around.

Viktoria Azarenka (+750) and Caroline Wozniacki (+2000) are simply not ready yet for Grand Slam glory, Dinara Safina (+800) though knocking on Grand Slam doors is confounding, Ana Ivanovic (+800) is floundering and Jelena Jankovic (+1000), watch this space.....