Sloane Stephens vs Elina Svitolina
Eight women came to Singapore with the hope of being crowned as WTA’s best. Six packed their bags. Two are left standing. The world of women’s tennis will be keeping an eye on the duel between two of the best players in the sport squaring off.
Under the Merlion’s gaze, Sloane Stephens and Elina Svitolina will be squaring off for the WTA Finals title. Both ladies thrilled fans with the thrilling semi-final games they were involved with. After giving us some of the most exciting WTA Finals 2018 results to date, these two will duke it out for the big prize.
This match promises action and drama in spades, and these two will leave it all on the floor. SBOBET tennis fans will have a grand time choosing between the two deserved finalists.
Talking Points
Stephens: I am not a fluke
Stephens is in a unique situation when it comes to establishing herself as the heir apparent to American tennis legend Serena Williams.
Expectations were really high for the Fort Lauderdale, FL native after winning the US Open last year. Her dominating performance over Madison keys in a quarter-final that saw an-all American semi-final caught the imagination of the American audience and a lot of tennis fans.
However, some thought that the 25-year-old achievements were a fluke, and her performance in the Majors this year supplemented those thoughts. She was booted out of the Australian Open by Zhang Shuai in the first round, followed by disappointing spells in the remaining Majors. Her loss to Simona Halep in the French Open final probably cut her inside the most painfully.
Due to her lacklustre season, many have jumped off the Stephens train and slapped her with the one-hit wonder label. Many were still considering her as such ahead of her big semi-final duel against Karolina Pliskova, and her horrible first set seemed to justify those claims.
However, doubters were proven wrong just by the fact that Stephens got herself a ticket to Singapore. Moreover, she came back from her abysmal 0-6 opening set to win the next two sets in dominating fashion [6-4, 6-1].
Stephens is aware of what people perceive her, and she is determined to prove them wrong: “I really want to play a little more consistent, I want to have some better results in the bigger tournaments and just do better to show that I’m a Top 10 or Top whatever player. I think I did that throughout the year.”
Svitolina: I’ll win it all this time
This tournament is the Ukranian’s second straight year of competing in the WTA Finals after making it to the tournament last year. She tried to put up a valiant fight but wasn’t able to get out of the round robin stage as she finished with a 1-2 win-loss record.
She then admitted that she a little emotional last year and wasn’t really zeroing in on her opposition. She also wasn’t sure if she was going to make the big dance this year after a poor run of form during the second half of the year.
However, she was far from distracted when she confirmed her ticket to the tournament and put on a brilliant display for the crowd. She was focused on her play, and her focus helped her avenge her 2017 loss to Caroline Wozniacki by beating her in straight sets.
She is determined to win it all this time, and she is ready to grind through the criticisms to get the final laugh.
“I have to look only on my path,” she said ahead of her thrilling semi-final against Kiki Bertens. “There [are] a thousand opinions, million opinions. I just have to do my job and go on court. I’m trying to win every point. I’m not giving any free points, and I just want to continue that way.”
History
These two ladies haven’t crossed each other’s paths much in their touring careers. They have only played three matches, two of which were played on the hard courts. If we solely rely on their prior history, Stephens will be the big favourite here. She won both of the hard-surface games the two played, and both of them were settled in straight sets.
However, it is also important to note that both of these ladies aren’t without their weaknesses. Bertens, Kvitova, Wozniacki, and Naomi Osaka gave these two ladies a tough time in the tournament, forcing full-set games.
Moreover, their playing styles both suit the surface they are playing on. Svitolina’s high-powered serves and Stephens’ all-rounder approach should make for exciting tennis and compelling WTA Finals 2018 betting odds.
What are the odds?
Stephens is the big favourite once more, but the odds of 2.92 for a -1.50 handicap is a testament to Svitolina’s talents as a player.
Given how streaky these two players can be when in form, it may be possible to see sets end with a score of 6-3. With that being said, The Game Handicap Over-Under market offers great value. Under 21 Games offer a tasty 2.00 for your troubles.
If you believe that this game will be a slugfest, however, there is a high possibility for the second set to be a back-and-forth between the two. The Second Set Over Under is a great market to check, with Over 9.50 games rewarding bold punters with a tempting 2.11.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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