Wuhan Open – WTA Tennis Preview

The 2019 edition of the Wuhan Open is about to begin in China. World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty will be on hand for this tournament as well No. 2 Karolina Pliskova. Elina Svitolina had to retire from a warm-up tournament earlier this week, so her status for this tournament is uncertain. Also skipping out will be U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu and runner-up Serena Williams, who will not attend.

With eight of the WTA top 10 will take part in this Premier 5 competition, who is the best bet to win it?

WUHAN OPEN
WTA TOUR–PREMIER 5
SEPTEMBER 22-28, 2019
OPTICS VALLEY INTERNATIONAL TENNIS CENTER, WUHAN CHINA

LAST 5 CHAMPIONS

2018 – Aryna Sabalenka
2017 – Caroline Garcia
2016 – Petra Kvitova
2015 – Venus Williams
2014 – Petra Kvitova

BEST BET TO WIN IT: NAOMI OSAKA

Naomi Osaka stands out as a good choice for multiple reasons. First, she did well in the Asian swing last year in China. Second, she has had multiple weeks since the end of the U.S. Open to rest and recover from a knee injury she suffered in Cincinnati in August. That injury hampered her mobility to a degree at the U.S. Open. She played reasonably well but did not have enough movement or defensive quality to handle Belinda Bencic in the fourth round. After a few weeks off, and after falling to No. 4 in the world after spending most of 2019 at No. 1 or No. 2, she will be motivated and hungry, and she might be in a position to play her best tennis since the Australian Open.

A lot of details at this tournament could work in her favor with Svitolina injured, Barty not playing her best tennis, Pliskova having played a lot of tennis this year (much more than Osaka), and Simona Halep trying to find her range after winning Wimbledon. Osaka is probably the best choice among the top five players in this field.

BEST LONGSHOT: WANG QIANG

Wang Qiang is the No. 9 seed, ranked No. 12 in the world. She was obliterated by Serena Williams in the U.S. Open quarterfinals, winning only one game. That beatdown ensures that she won’t be valued too highly in the betting markets for this tournament, but if you look through her career, her results have consistently been a lot better in Asia than on other continents. She had a productive Asian swing 12 months ago. The players seeded higher than her all have various weakness or elements of inconsistency. If you want someone outside the top three favorites to make a run to the title or final, this is your choice, at least among other seeded players.

PLAYER TO AVOID: ANGELIQUE KERBER

Angelique Kerber is a seeded player but she deserves no favorable treatment or analysis at this tournament. She had lost five matches in a row after falling in an early Asian swing event just after the U.S. Open. She did absolutely nothing in the summer hardcourt season and lost in the second round of Wimbledon. She’s had a terrible year since losing to Bianca Andreescu in the Indian Wells final in late March.

She was considered one of the top 10 betting favorites for the U.S. Open when she had no business being anywhere close to that list. Her great 2018 season is long behind us as the Kerber we’ve seen in 2019 isn’t worth betting on here.

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