Tennis Betting: 3 Early Picks For Women’s 2021 Australian Open

The 2021 women’s Australian Open is the first major tournament of the year, but it is the third major tournament played since the coronavirus pandemic arrived. The U.S. Open was the first major tournament played in a pandemic, and it occurred at its normal spot on the calendar. Roland Garros occurred in early October, several months removed from its normal late-May, early-June period. Wimbledon was canceled in 2020, and it hopes to be back in 2021. On February 8, though, the Australian Open is scheduled to begin. This will represent a three-week delay of the tournament, which normally starts in mid-January and runs through the end of the month. This year’s tournament will end on Sunday, Feb. 21. Let’s look at three women’s players who can reasonably be viewed as elite contenders for the championship in Melbourne.

Ashleigh Barty

Though she didn’t compete in either the U.S. or French Opens last year after the pandemic hit, Barty – Australia’s own – is still the No. 1 player in the world. She and many other tennis players have had a lot of time to rest, train, and reconsider her tactics for the women’s tour. Barty’s use of an offensive slice makes her unique in women’s tennis, and with so many players playing conventional styles, Barty’s change of pace and unorthodox approach could be a difference-maker for her in Melbourne. Barty made the semifinals of this tournament a year ago, so it’s not much of a stretch at all to think she can take the final few steps and lift the trophy.

Naomi Osaka

The woman who won the 2020 U.S. Open championship is the best women’s hardcourt player in the world. Osaka has won two of the last three U.S. Opens and won the 2019 Australian Open title. Osaka struggles on clay and grass, but her hardcourt credentials are hard to top among any non-Serena Williams player in the field. With three hardcourt major titles to her credit, it’s very hard to bet against her in Australia. Osaka, in the prime of fitness and health, has great court coverage and is able to get to shots with her long reach. She has a clutch serve combined with terrific defensive instincts and a ruthless power baseline game in neutral rallies which can give her added leverage.

Sofia Kenin

Is it a reach to pick Sofia Kenin to defend her 2020 Australian Open title one year later? Not at all. Kenin reached the final of the French Open last October before losing to Iga Swiatek. Kenin has quickly carved out a reputation as a player who will play steady and persistent tennis. She isn’t flashy, but she stays in matches. She is one of the best scoreboard players out there, meaning that if she is down a set or down a break or down love-30 in a game, she doesn’t get rattled. She keeps her head down and plays the next point with a clear and focused mind. You can’t tell if she is winning or losing a match by looking at her body language. She has a form of intensity which slowly burns and isn’t volatile. Several players are more talented than Kenin, but few are more disciplined. If she plays a lower-ranked player due to an upset in her section of the draw, she has been very good at taking care of business and not getting complacent.