Struggling Gauff Looks to Become Rare Repeat Champ in Cincy
2024 WTA Cincinnati Open Odds Have Swiatek Among Top Contenders
Top Five Ranked Players For US Open Warm Up Event in Cincy
Is this the year that Iga Swiatek finally breaks through and wins in Cincinnati or will Coco Gauff become the first player since Serena Williams in 2014 and 2015 to win back-to-back women’s singles titles in Cincinnati? The 2024 WTA Cincinnati Open odds have Swiatek and Gauff leading the list of contenders.
No player has won the women’s tournament in Cincinnati three times since Pauline Betz won her third and final title in 1945. Victoria Azarenka could change that if she defies the odds to win her first WTA tour title since 2020.
When looking at the WTA live rankings, Danielle Collins and Barbora Krejcikova are the only top-10 players not entered in the tournament.
Among the players attempting to qualify for the tournament is former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka. Her presence should shake things up when it comes to the tennis picks.
Swiatek has the shortest odds at +240 to win the title in Cincinnati followed by Sabalenka (+430), Gauff (+600), Rybakina (+700), and Pegula (+1100).
Elise Mertens-Marta Kostyuk, Emma Navarro-Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anismova-Victoria Azarenka, Karolina Muchova-Dayana Yastremska, and Peyton Stearns-Paula Badosa are among the matches in the first round to keep an eye on.
This is the final WTA 1000 tournament before the start of the US Open. Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek currently lead the way at +300 to win the final Grand Slam tournament of 2024 followed by Coco Gauff at +600 and Elena Rybakina at +800.
Top Seed Swiatek Has Challenging Draw
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek could need to do some work to add to her title collection.
After a first-round bye, she may meet up with Alja Tomljanovic in the second round with No. 15 seed Marta Kostyuk a possible third-round opponent.
Jazda @iga_swiatek 🇵🇱 #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/fylXXjLkkF
— Cincinnati Open (@CincyTennis) August 11, 2024
This will be the first tournament for Swiatek since winning the bronze medal at the Olympics.
The bottom portion of the quarter is where the degree of difficulty could increase.
Jasmine Paolini, who has played in two Grand Slam singles finals this year, is favored by the 2024 WTA Cincinnati Open odds to be Swiatek’s quarterfinal foe. American Emma Navarro, who advanced to the semifinals in Toronto, teen phenom Mirra Andreeva, and former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova could prevent Paolini from reaching the quarterfinals.
Swiatek and Paolini met in the French Open final with Swiatek rolling to victory to improve to 3-0 against Paolini.
Sabalenka Eyes First Title Run In Cincinnati
Since No. 3 seed Aryna Sabalenka didn’t play in the Olympics, she got a head start playing in hard-court tournaments. Sabalenka reached the semifinals in Washington, DC and the quarterfinals in Toronto. That makes her a contender according to the 2024 WTA Cincinnati Open odds.
No. 14 seed Victoria Azarenka or dangerous floater Elina Svitolina could meet up with Sabalenka in the third round. When looking at WTA scores, Sabalenka is 5-1 against Azarenka after a recent 6-4, 6-4 win in the Washington D.C. quarterfinals.
Jelena Ostapenko, Liudmila Samsonova, Bianca Andreescu, and Katie Boulter are all players who could meet up with Sabalenka in the quarterfinals. Sabalenka’s 6-2, 6-4 win in Rome improved her record to 3-0 against Ostapenko
Pegula Looks to Build on Strong Showing in Canada
Jessica Pegula looks to delight the U.S. fans with a deep run in Cincinnati. Her first match will not be an easy one. After receiving a bye into the second round, Pegula will square off with either Dayana Yastremska or Karolina Muchova. If Pegula powers her way through that match, No. 9 seed Daria Kasatkina could be up next.
With Pegula not playing in the French Open and winning just one match at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, she is in danger of falling out of the top 20. Pegula has not dropped a set in her first four matches in Toronto heading into the final against fellow American Amanda Anisimova.
2nd final of the season 👏@JPegula fends off Shnaider in style to seal her place back in the #NBO24 final! pic.twitter.com/sg0c1lWS2S
— wta (@WTA) August 11, 2024
There could be anywhere from seven to nine Americans in the main draw based on the results in the final round of qualifying so perhaps this is the year that a U.S.-born player celebrates a title run in Cincinnati.
“I think it’s really cool to see. I’m not that young, but also the younger crop, maybe with like Emma [Navarro] and Coco [Gauff] and those types of girls that are obviously going to have a long kind of stretch of career ahead of them, especially showing obviously already, Coco’s already a Grand Slam champion at such a young age. It’s really cool, and hopefully, that will just keep inspiring more Americans and more girls to want to play this sport.”
Elena Rybakina and Donna Vekic could collide with a spot waiting in the quarterfinals. Beatriz Haddad Maia, Leylah Fernandez, and Dina Shnaider are unseeded players to keep an eye on. Haddad Maia was one of three seeded players to retire in her match in Toronto.
Gauff Looks to Return to Winning Ways
Is Coco Gauff ready to shake off some disappointing results with a run at the Cincinnati title?
Since losing to Iga Swiatek in the French Open semifinals, she is 2-4 against players in the top 20 in the WTA rankings after falling to Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-1 in Toronto.
American Payton Stearns, Paula Badosa, or No. 13 seed Anna Kalinskaya could be challenging opponents for Gauff before the quarterfinals.
Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng could be waiting in the quarterfinals. No. 12 seed Ons Jabeur and former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki are also in this portion of the draw.
Gauff has never played Badosa. She fell to Kalinskaya in three sets in Dubai back in February. Zheng is 2-0 against Jabeur with straight-set wins in Toronto in 2022 and at the 2023 US Open. Gauff defeated Zheng in straight sets at the Italian Open in May in the first match between the two. Gauff has won her last three matches against Jabeur.
2024 WTA Cincinnati Open Odds: A Quick History Lesson
Only one American had reached the women’s singles final in Cincinnati since Madison Keys won the title in 2019.
That all changed once Coco Gauff arrived in Ohio last year. After beating Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals, she outslugged top-seeded Iga Swiatek in a three-set semifinal before topping Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-4 to win her first time in Cincinnati.
Just three of the top six seeds reached the quarterfinals with No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka beating No. 5 Ons Jabeur in one of them. Sabalenka fell in three sets to Muchova in the semifinals. No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula and No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina were both eliminated in the third round.
Defending champion Caroline Garcia lost in the second round to unseeded American Sloane Stephens.
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