WTA: US Open betting tip: Sloane Stephens - Victoria Azarenka
Aug 31, 2018
WTA: US Open: Sloane Stephens - Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka was a superstar of the game before giving birth and then getting involved in a nasty and long running custody battle and is taking a long time to return to her former glory, or even close. Early at the Rogers Cup I wrote .........
Early in her comeback this year from giving birth and issues with travelling with her son, relating to visiting rights, she had some success in Miami and it looked only a matter of months before we would see her winning again. But she is 5-6 in the subsequent five months, has looked a little fragile and had not won two matches in any event until last week at San Jose when she beat a lucky loser comfortably and limited Kateryna Bondarenko in three very long sets, but any wins are good, she then faced Danielle Rose Collins and took the first set 7-6, but was injured and at 0-3 in the second retired, it was a back injury apparently, but she was also holding her wrist, appeared in a lot of pain, was very distraught and in floods of tears. That was only four days ago, mentally, let alone physically, she cannot be in a great place right now and I could not back her in any match up and simply have to oppose her today .
Azarenka has not beaten a top 50 player on a hard court anywhere apart from her beloved Miami in 30 months, I know she was out for a lot of that, but still.
Azarenka again lost in her second match and repeated that in Cincinnati, she can look good in 1-2 matches, but has not shown us anything beyond that and until she does, have to look to take her on from R3 onwards anywhere and especially v top quality opposition. Stephens is top 2 , ranking says three , but only Halep whom she has trouble with can beat her right now when she has full focus. We have a mountain of notes on her, which I am pretty sure all of you have seen at some stage so I will just reproduce this from the Rogers Cup earlier this month ..........
Stephens was (very, very) good, for the first 5 games as good as anyone I have seen on Tour this year, she can just do things that no one else can, she can change direction of her shot almost after she has hit it and I have just not see that before, not sure it has ever been done and it was bringing gasps from the crowd at times, a really amazing ....., I don't know what to call it, demonstation (?) for 20 minutes of what is possible , except , unless your name is Sloane Stephens, it isn't !
Watching I must have said OMG six-seven times. You see that and think why hasn't she won a handful of slams, but we also know she can have weeks/months where her heart isn't in it, but they are becoming less frequent and when on form she is virtually unstoppable and is on another level on these US/Canadian courts and has the tennis world at her feet if she wants it. Pretty sure Kamau Murray (see Thursday notes) does.
Azarenka won the first three h2h meetings , all at the Australain Open, in Melbourne and Miami she is , or has been Queen and on a different level there to almost anywhere else. Stephens won the last two, including in Miami taking the last two sets for the loss of only 3 games and given how dominant VA has been there, they will both remember that and take those memories with them onto court today and she had also won in Indian Wells the week before 6-1 7-5.
1.5 units Sloane Stephens 2-0 sets 2.69 Pinnacle/Sportmarket Pro.
Good Luck.
We don't just sell football betting tips, as you can see there is an extensive analysis behind our asian handicap selections. Subscribing to our sports betting advice service need not break the bank. Learn more by visiting our subscriptions page.
Sport: