US Open Tennis 2015: Odds for Key Players in Draw
There is quite a bit of drama as the U.S. Open prepares to get underway on both the men's and women's side of the draw.
The most pressing issue on the women's side concerns top seed Serena Williams. Can she complete the calendar-year Grand Slam by winning her second consecutive U.S. Open?
Serena has picked off the first three Grand Slam championships this year, and she ended 2014 by winning last year's U.S. Open. If she can defend that title, she will become the second woman to win all four of the major titles in one year, joining Steffi Graf, who accomplished the feat in 1988.
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"Fascinating details by @TomPerrotta about how Serena got better than ever ....http://t.co/EgYIhyPfRB
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) August 28, 2015"
As far as the bettors are concerned, there is not much drama. Tennis fans who believe Williams will accomplish her goal and defeat the field during the two weeks of the U.S. Open must risk $120 to win $100, according to OddsShark.com.
Those odds are eye-opening in an individual sport. Victoria Azarenka (plus-800) and Maria Sharapova (plus-900) are the only women in the field with odds of less than plus-1,000 in the field.
"Maria Sharapova not only lands in Serena's half, she has to open with the very tricky Daria Gavrilova. #WTA #USOpen
— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) August 27, 2015"
That means that if any player other than Serena earns the U.S. Open Championship, it will be a huge upset that comes with a big payoff.
| Player | Odds |
| Serena Williams | -120 |
| Victoria Azarenka | +800 |
| Maria Sharapova | +900 |
| Simona Halep | +1,200 |
| Petra Kvitova | +2,000 |
| Garbine Muguruza | +2,000 |
| Belinda Bencic | +2,000 |
| Caroline Wozniacki | +2,500 |
| Player | Odds |
| Novak Djokovic | +120 |
| Andy Muray | +350 |
| Roger Federer | +450 |
| Stan Wawrinka | +1,200 |
| Rafael Nadal | +1,400 |
| Kei Nishikori | +1,400 |
| Marin Cilic | +2,500 |
| Grigor Dimitrov | +2,500 |
The men's side is quite a bit different. Instead of one player having a huge edge on the field, three players are rated significantly higher than their competition.
Top-seeded Novak Djokovic, who won Wimbledon earlier this year, is the plus-120 favorite. A $100 bet on Djokovic would return $120 if he wins the tournament championship. Andy Murray, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, offers a plus-350 return for his backers, while Roger Federer, the No. 2 seed, offers a plus-450 return.
".@DjokerNole & @rogerfederer seeded No. 1 & 2, respectively, for the #usopen. Will it be another Novak-Roger final? pic.twitter.com/keBXTfzJ84
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 25, 2015"
"Can @andy_murray use recent win over @DjokerNole to his advantage at the US Open?? http://t.co/PmNzQtbXNd pic.twitter.com/4glOIJ0wRR
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) August 28, 2015"
Fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori, who reached the U.S. Open final last year, would return winnings of $1,400 on a $100 bet, while fifth-seeded Stan Wawrinka would return $1,200.
The oddsmakers are saying it would be a complete shock if any player other than Djokovic, Murray or Federer won the U.S. Open crown this year.
Defending champion Marin Cilic is a plus-2,500 long shot.
While Serena has a 48-2 record, she was beaten in Toronto earlier this month by Belinda Bencic of Switzerland. The 18-year-old served notice with that win that she will be a prominent name on the women's tour in the future, but Odds Shark has her return listed at plus-2,000 for her supporters.
Djokovic has been the most consistent player on the men's tour this year, but he has been beaten in consecutive finals by Murray (at Montreal) and Federer (at Cincinnati).
Of those two, Federer might have the best chance of keeping Djokovic from winning. In gaining the Western & Southern Championship in the Queen City, Federer did not lose a single game on his own serve, and he ousted Djokovic in straight sets.
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