WTA China Open Odds: Plenty of Star Power as the WTA Tour Returns to Beijing

Can An American Woman Win the China Open Title for the First Time since 2003?

The WTA tour vowed not to return to China until the whereabouts of Peng Shaui were known. She disappeared from public view after making a sexual assault accusation against a high-ranking official in China.

There is no clarity regarding the 2014 US Open single semifinalist and two-time Grand Slam doubles champion. However, the China Open is set to get underway this weekend with WTA China Open Odds.

The last time the tournament was played was in 2019 as a result of the global pandemic and then the Peng Shaui allegation. Naomi Osaka topped Ash Barty in three sets to win the title.

With this being a WTA 1000 event, all the top players are expected to participate. When looking at the tennis schedule, this is the final WTA 1000 tournament before the WTA Finals, which are played in Cancun beginning in late October.

There is a 64-player draw, so there will be no first-round byes for the top WTA players. The purse for the event is one of the largest for a non-Grand Slam tournament.

The next Grand Slam is the Australian Open in January. Iga Swiatek is priced at +300 in the Australian Open outrights, followed by Aryna Sabalenka at +500 and Elena Rybakina at +600.

Here is a look at some of the storylines heading into the China Open.

No. 1 Sabalenka To Hit the Court

This will be the first tournament for Sabalenka since she replaced Swiatek atop the WTA rankings following her run to the US Open title match.

After winning the Australian Open, she reached the semifinals in the other three Grand Slam events.

Swiatek and Sabalenka haven’t played since Sabalenka’s three-set win in the championship match of the clay-court event in Madrid in early May.

The last time Sabalenka played in the event, she fell to Daria Kasatkina in her first match. Still, that won’t stop her from being a front-runner according to the WTA China Open odds.

Gauff Eyeing An Encore

There are two American women in the top five in the WTA rankings.

US Open champion Coco Gauff soared to No. 3 in the rankings, with Jessica Pegula coming at right behind her at No. 4.

Madison Keys is currently ranked 12th, and she has a chance to break into the top 10 by season’s end.

There is a bit of a drop-off after the big three, but Sofia Kenin did jump up from No. 53 to No. 31 in the WTA rankings after reaching the finals in San Diego and getting to the semifinals in Guadalajara. She posted a pair of top-30 wins in both tournaments.

No. 35 Danielle Collins and No. 39 Sloane Stephens are other Americans in the top 40, so perhaps this is the year a U.S.-born player makes a run at the title at the China Open. Gauff is among the top candidates according to the WTA China Open odds.

The last time an American woman won this tournament came in 2013 when Serena Williams captured her second title in Beijing. That was also the last time a U.S. player got to the final.

In 2019, three Americans advanced to the third round before Kenin, Jennifer Brady, and Alison Riske were all eliminated.

What’s The Latest?

It is easy to lose track of WTA results when there isn’t a Grand Slam event around the corner.

The Pan Pacific Open is currently taking place with Swiatek and Pegula the No. 1 and 2 seeds and tennis betting favorites.

Elena Rybakina, who would have been the No. 3 seed, withdrew due to illness.

No. 7 seed Liudmila Samsonova and American Kayla Day were among the first competitors to play their way into the second round.

In the Ningbo Open, Ons Jabeur is the No. 1 seed. No. 2 seed Petra Kvitova already advanced to the third round after receiving a first-round bye, and then a walkover win in what was supposed to be her first match.

Maria Sakkari just moved up two spots to No. 6 in the WTA rankings after winning the title at the 1000 event in Guadalajara. Her title run included a semifinal win over No. 3 seed Caroline Garcia. Garcia is among the former women’s singles champions expected to participate in the 2023 China Open. Garcia won the title in 2017 with a straight-set win over Simona Halep.

For tennis betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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