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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With eight of the WTA top 10 will take part in this Premier 5 competition, who is the best bet<\/a> to win it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2018 \u2013 Aryna Sabalenka 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s had a terrible year since losing to Bianca Andreescu in the Indian Wells final in late March. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019ve seen in 2019 isn\u2019t worth betting on here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Get the latest tennis betting odds and information–follow BetOnline.ag on Twitter<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\nWUHAN OPEN
WTA TOUR–PREMIER 5
SEPTEMBER 22-28, 2019
OPTICS VALLEY INTERNATIONAL TENNIS CENTER, WUHAN CHINA<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nLAST 5 CHAMPIONS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n2017 \u2013 Caroline Garcia
\n2016 \u2013 Petra Kvitova
\n2015 \u2013 Venus Williams
\n2014 \u2013 Petra Kvitova<\/p>\n\n\n\nBEST BET TO WIN IT: NAOMI OSAKA<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
BEST LONGSHOT: WANG QIANG<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
PLAYER TO AVOID: ANGELIQUE KERBER<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n