Posted on
10/15/2007 5:09:04 PM
WTA Tennis Betting: Favorites at the Zurich Open
By Nila Amerova
Zurich, Switzerland – This week the WTA tour stops in Zurich, Switzerland, for the Zurich Open. A Tier I event, and the second of the WTA’s European indoor swing, the Zurich Open with a prize purse of $1,340,000, runs from October 15 – 21, 2007. As one of the more prestigious tournaments on the WTA calendar, the Zurich Open attracts all the top players on the WTA tour. Tennis odds for the Zurich Open are already in full swing at BetUS Sportsbook.
Competing this year is the World No. 1 Justine Henin along with her companions in the Top 10 elite: Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic, to name a few. Notably missing is World No. 4 Maria Sharapova.
Justine Henin, the 2003 champion, arrives in Zurich as one of the outright favorites for the title. Henin is enjoying one of her best seasons this year, winning eight titles to date – 2007 Roland Garros, Dubai, Doha, Warsaw, Eastbourne, Toronto, 2007 US Open and Stuttgart.
With eight triumphs in the bag in 2007 alone, Henin will be one of the players to watch in Zurich. In the top half of the draw, Henin’s path to the final may see her face her first real challenge of the tournament in the quarterfinal - with a possible match up against either Shahar Peer or Dinara Safina; followed by her next potential challenge in the semifinal - a contest against either the favorite Jelena Jankovic or even – albeit the less likely option of either Nicole Vaidisova or Amelie Mauresmo.
World No.2 Svetlana Kuznetsova arrives in Zurich following consecutive semifinal appearances in her last two indoor events (Stuttgart and Moscow). The second seed heads up a tough bottom-half of the draw that includes heavy-hitters No.5 Ana Ivanovic and No.6 Serena Williams.
Williams looms as a possible quarterfinal challenge and Ivanovic a semifinal threat for the favorite Kuznetsova. The possible quarterfinal meeting with Serena Williams would mark their third consecutive meeting in three weeks. Splitting the last two victories - Kuznetsova defeated Williams in Stuttgart and Williams followed-up with a victory in Moscow – their newfound rivalry is tied at one each, but Williams leads 3-1 in career head-to-heads.
Serbia’s No.3 Jelena Jankovc, owing to an impressive 2007 season, arrives in Zurich as the third seed and one of the favorites, but with the shadow of her past record in Zurich looming over her head – second round defeats in 2005 and 2006, Jankovic will be anxious to perform well and showcase her star quality.
No.5 Ana Ivanovic, Serbia’s second female tennis sensation, is a dangerous floater. The 2007 season has been a breakout year for Ivanovic, and after already capturing one title during the indoor hard court swing in Luxembourg, Ivanovic could emerge out the bottom half of the draw.
The high-caliber line-up rounds up with the final four seeds No. 6 Serena Williams, last year's runner-up (No.7) Daniela Hantuchova and two-time Grand Slam champion No.8 Amélie Mauresmo and her fellow Frenchwoman No.9 Marion Bartoli. Throw into the mix last week’s Kremlin Cup winner Elena Dementieva and Stuttgart runner-up Tatiana Golovin and it is anyone’s bet who the Zurich Open Champion will be this year. Care to bet on it?
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Nila Amerova is a freelance sports writer and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room.