Rogers Cup Women’s Singles
Unlike the men’s singles, the women’s competition of the Rogers Cup won’t be short of big-name stars as the top eight players are all set to feature in Montreal this week.
Sure enough, the last-minute withdrawal of Serena Williams came as a blow to the tournament and its fans who are hoping to see the 23-time Grand Slam winner in action once again after her exploits in Wimbledon last month.
However, no other notable name has withdrawn besides Serena, with the likes of Simona Halep, Caroline Wozniacki, Sloane Stephens and Angelique Kerber headlining the event that is poised to take over the tennis world in the next seven days.
Talking Points
Okay, okay. Let’s talk first about Serena, because why not? There were high expectations for the 36-year-old former World No.1 since returning to tennis after giving birth. She struggled in her return and showed some rust in recent months, but in Wimbledon, it was clear she’s getting back to her old form as she made her way to the finals.
Williams eventually fell to Angelique Kerber in that finals match-up and delayed what could have been her first post-pregnancy title. With her performance, many fans expected her to be better and stronger in Canada where she won three times.
Unfortunately, Serena withdrew from the tournament the just hours after the qualifying— and three days after experiencing the most lopsided loss of her career in San Jose. According to the latest Rogers Cup 2018 news, she cited “personal reasons” for her decision to skip the contest.
Fortunately for Tennis Canada and their supporters, the blow of Williams’ withdrawal is softened by the presence of the best and brightest players in women’s tennis today.
Simona Halep, who recently broke her Grand Slam curse in Roland Garros, heads to the competition as the No.1 seed. While her ranking is secured up until the next two weeks, she has all the reason to win the title in the Premier 5 event considering that it gives the best preparation in the build-up to the US Open.
There’s also Caroline Wozniacki and Sloane Stephens, both major title winners. Wozniacki started the season on a high note after winning the Australian Open and will be keen to return to form after suffering a thigh injury last week.
Stephens, on the other hand, has something to prove here. She’s the reigning US Open Champion, and the pressure is on her to deliver on a daily basis, particularly in this series.
And who could forget about Kerber? The 2018 Wimbledon champion has been one, if not the best player on tour so far. The 30-year-old has the most match wins with 31 and leads all female players for the most victories on hard court with 21.
Kerber is in terrific condition and is undoubtedly one to watch especially with a favourable draw in the contest after the withdrawal of Williams—who could have been the German’s opponent in the second round had she played and qualified.
Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard is expected to have strong home support and, in front of her fans, is predicted to go all-out in hopes of turning around what has been a largely frustrating season for her.
Reigning Rogers Cup champ Elina Svitolina has fallen a bit in the rankings in recent months, so she surely has her eyes on defending her Canadian Open title and boosting her confidence ahead of the final tour Grand Slam.
Caroline Garcia, Garbiñe Muguruza, Petra Kvitova, Jelena Ostapenko are all high-ranking players and should pose a threat to the top seeds, especially on a hard court. The same goes for Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova, both known for their mastery on the surface.
History
Besides Serena, no player has won the Rogers Cup title two times in the past 10 years. The younger Williams won it in 2011 and 2013 while the other eight winners were all different.
Wozniacki, the 2010 titlist, had a huge chance to win the Canada trophy twice but flopped in the finals last year against Svitolina.
Halep reached the finals of the tournament in 2015 and 2016, losing the first one to Belinda Bencic before bouncing back the following year by taking down Madison Keys in a hard-fought match.
Dinara Safina (retired), Elena Dementieva (retired), Kvitova and Agnieszka Radwanska were the other women’s singles winners of the competition over the last decade.
What are the odds?
Following Kerber’s Wimbledon stint, it’s no wonder why the Rogers Cup 2018 betting odds are swinging in her favour. She’s the favourite to win at 6.00, with World No.1 Halep only second at 7.50.
The SBOBET Rogers Cup offers, meanwhile, have Muguruza, Svitolina, Wozniacki, Stephens and Kvitova on equal terms at 10.00.
Among the top female stars, however, Garcia and Ostapenko are considered outsiders. The former is tipped with outright odds of 51.00 while the latter isn’t highly rated as well at 29.00. The same goes for former Rogers Cup finalists Sharapova and Venus Williams who are at 23.00 and 34.00 respectively.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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