From May 27 to June 10, the 122nd edition of the French Open will be staged with a familiar face back in the women’s field. That’s Serena Williams, who did not join the last year’s staging of the tournament. Will Serena take another French Open title home? Or will it be another player who will reign supreme in the end?
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Early Betting Preview for the 2018 ATP French Open of Tennis Women’s Singles Division
Favorites: Serena Williams (+550) / Simona Halep (+750)
Serena Williams – It’s 2018, but Serena Williams is still being considered as a heavyweight in the women’s circuit. Williams has lost his most recent match to Naomi Osaka in the first round of the Miami Open last March. Although Williams has not played on a clay court since 2016, her record on that surface in 2016 was 11-1. A three-time French Open winner, Williams missed most of 2017 to tend to her pregnancy, and now that she’s back, the 36-year-old American legend is going to use the French Open as a platform to announce her return. In 2016, she made it all the way into the finals but lost to Garbine Muguruza in the title match.
Simona Halep – Halep, on the other hand, is still looking for her first Grand Slam win. She came close to accomplishing that elusive feat last year when she lost in the finals in both Australian Open and French Open. At Roland Garros in 2017, Halep reached the finals but fell to Jelena Ostapenko. Halep has two runner-up finishes at the French Open in her career.
Sleepers: Petra Kvitova (+1,800) / Caroline Wozniacki (+1,400)
Petra Kvitova – Kvitova has been on fire on clay this year. In fact, she has lost just once on 12 matches on the said surface. That includes her six-match win streak in the recently concluded Madrid Masters in which she topped the field by beating Kiki Bertens in the finals. Kvitova was bounced out of the French Open last year in the round of 64. In 2016, she ended her Roland Garros campaign in the round of 32. She reached the semis of the 2012 edition of the tournament.
Caroline Wozniacki -Wozniacki meanwhile, is having a strong year. Currently ranked second in the world, the 27-year-old Wozniacki is 4-2 on clay court matches this year. She reached the round of 16 in the Madrid Masters earlier this month at the Madrid Masters.
Long Shot: Dominika Cibulkova (+6,000)
Unlike the players mentioned above, Cibulkova is having a rough year. She is on a three-match losing skid. That said, the 29-year-old Slovenian reached the finals of the Hungarian Grand Prix back in February losing to Alison Van Uytvanck in the title match. Cibulkova flunked out of the French Open last year in the round of 64. She hasn’t gone further than round of 32 since 2013. She reached the semis in 2009 and the quarters in 2012.
Writers Prediction
Serena is definitely back, as she wins the 2018 French Open.
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