US Open 2019: Men's Final
The Men’s US Open Final takes place this Sunday evening with Daniil Medvedev facing Rafael Nadal. Medvedev was in red-hot form ahead of the year’s final Grand Slam, but he was no more than an outsider in the pre-US Open betting.
Plonked in the same half of the draw as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Medvedev’s path to the final looked extremely challenging a couple of weeks ago.
Federer’s five-set defeat to Grigor Dimitrov and Djokovic’s retirement through injury gave Medvedev a favourable path to Sunday’s showpiece.
The fifth-seed battled past Stanislas Wawrinka in the last eight before cruising past Dimitrov on Friday evening in the semi-final.
That was the young Russian’s first straight-sets victory since the first round – it’s not been easy for him, and he will have been delighted to make relatively light work of the Dimitrov matchup.
While the fact neither Djokovic or Federer made it to the final is a surprise, Medvedev’s successful fortnight is not. This is his fourth consecutive final, having lost in Washington and Montreal before defeating David Goffin to win in Cincinnati.
That Montreal defeat came against Nadal with Medvedev winning just three games. Such a domination contributes to the lengthy 5/1 for Medvedev to lift the trophy on Sunday night.
With 50 tour victories this calendar year, Medvedev has won more matches than any of the big three. Providing he can get past the inevitable nerves associated with a first Grand Slam final, we should be in for a very competitive match. Over 0.5 tie breaks is Evens.
Nadal might not be the first name that comes to mind when we think of hard court tennis, but the brilliant Spaniard was one of the standouts in US Open betting tips before the tournament started.
His main challengers in the bottom half of the draw all fell before they were due to meet.
Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered first-round upsets, while Alexander Zverev was thoroughly outplayed by Diego Schwartzmann in the fourth-round. Nadal made light work of the Argentine in the last eight.
Having only dropped one set so far, there will be plenty of support for Nadal to win in straight sets at Evens.
It’s been as easy a competition as one could imagine for Nadal to date. That trend continued with his 7-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Matteo Berrettini on Friday night.
Some big shots from the Italian frustrated Nadal, and made him work for it, but in true Nadal fashion, he wore him down and took advantage of his opponent’s mistakes.
With a Grand Slam crown on the line, Medvedev will enter Sunday’s match under the sort of pressure he hasn’t faced before. A poor start and the match could quickly fall into Nadal’s hands.
Medvedev’s first serve percentage was down against Dimitrov, and he must get that back up towards the 60% mark if he’s to stand a chance against an in-form Nadal in the final.
888Sport have an array of US Open odds. With Nadal at 1/7 to win his fourth Grand Slam, the value obviously lies elsewhere. If Medvedev can improve on his Montreal performance, the 6/1 on Nadal to win in five sets could prove to be a great price.
US Open 2019: Women's Final
Serena Williams (7/20) will have the chance to make history against young Canadian Bianca Andreescu in Saturday’s US Open final.
Williams is hunting a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title and is in supreme form ahead of the showpiece event, dropping just one set en route to the final.
Playing in her home event, Williams overpowered Elina Svitolina in the semi-final, romping to a 6-3 6-1 victory.
If she is victorious on Saturday, it will be her first Grand Slam triumph since giving birth back in September 2017. Having lost her last six singles finals, Williams will have to cope with mental demons as much as anything else.
At just 19 years old, Andreescu (23/10) wasn’t even born when Williams won her first Grand Slam title.
Incredibly, the Canadian is making her first ever appearance in the US Open main draw and neutrals in the New York crowd will be backing the youngster to produce one of Grand Slam tennis’ biggest shocks.
Andreescu edged past 22-year-old Swiss star in a three-set thriller, winning the last five games of the match to seal an improbable victory.
Beating the greatest female player of all-time won’t be easy by any means but Andreescu looks primed to enjoy a long and successful career at the top of the sport.
Williams will want to get off to a fast start in Saturday’s final and she can use her experience to her advantage.
4/9 for the American to win the opening set of the match is a price worth taking, especially as Andreescu is likely to be nervous ahead of the US Open showpiece. A fast start for Williams will put Andreescu under pressure.
The most powerful woman in the sport, Williams has been a class above her competitors for most of her career.
Now free from any lingering injury issues, the American can cement her status as an all-time great with a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam triumph. Add her doubles record into the mix and she is easily clear of her peers.
Now ranked number 15 in the world, Andreescu could climb into the top 10 with a Grand Slam triumph this weekend.
Without a doubt, the Canadian has the quality to push Williams close – plenty of punters will fancy the underdog to edge it. The 23/10 on offer for a shock win represents solid value given how unpredictable Grand Slam tennis is at times…
Over 2.5 sets is available at 31/20 and that could turn out to be a monster price.
Williams is the clear favourite but Andreescu has shown plenty of grit and determination throughout the tournament and we could be set for a US Open final for the ages. Watch this space, you won’t want to miss Saturday’s contest.
Williams and Andreescu are at different stages of their respective careers and that makes it very difficult to predict. It isn’t quite David vs Goliath but Williams certainly heads into the clash as the red-hot favourite.
History beckons if the American can get the job done but 19-year-old Andreescu will take some stopping.
The 2019 US Open gets underway on 26th August in Flushing Meadows, New York.
The 139th edition of the US Open will see Serbian Novak Djokovic and Japanese youngster Naomi Osaka look to defend their 2018 crowns. More information about the upcoming fortnight of tennis can be found in our US Open 2019 tournament guide.
The fourth Grand Slam of the calendar year brings with it its own pressures, with players having to wait until Melbourne in January for another bite at the Grand Slam cherry.
Many of the greatest US Open finals have had implications beyond that year’s competition too – finals in New York have been turning points in many careers.
Sadly for British tennis fans, Andy Murray’s Grand Slam singles return has been delayed, but the three-time Grand Slam winner will be in doubles action. This preview, however, focuses on the two singles draws…
US Open 2019: Men's
The market suggests Novak Djokovic will take some beating in New York. Looking to defend his crown and lift a fourth US Open, Djokovic is just 11/10.
The 32-year-old suffered a shock loss to Daniil Medvedev in Cincinnati – his only tournament since beating Roger Federer in that extraordinary Wimbledon final.
The Serbian is aiming to win three Grand Slams in a calendar year for the third time in his career. Previously achieved in 2011 and 2015, it appears there is a four-year cycle of Djokovic winning in Australian, France and the US.
Medvedev, Fabio Fognini and Kevin Anderson are the main threats before a potential semi-final matchup with Federer. Federer, arguably the greatest tennis player ever, is priced at 5/1.
Still searching for a sixth US Open, the great Swiss has had a mixed time in Flushing Meadows since winning a record-breaking five in a row during the 2000s. Having not made the last four since 2015, expectations of more glory in New York are fading.
On the grass, however, we saw some vintage Federer on his way to that fifth-set tiebreak defeat to Djokovic. Prior to that, he had impressed on the hard courts of Dubai and Miami.
A straight sets defeat to world number 70 Andrey Rublev in Cincinnati was his most recent match, though, and that will not have ignited a wave of support.
While still up to competing at the very top of the sport – as his world ranking shows – Federer is the underdog whenever he faces Djokovic, particularly over five sets.
Wimbledon might give Federer backers hope if they meet in the semi-final, but the betting markets will likely still favour Djokovic.
The other of the big three, Rafael Nadal, will like the look of his draw. Avoiding Federer or Djokovic until the final, Nadal is 7/2 to lift his fourth US Open.
John Isner or Marin Cilic in the fourth round will be Nadal’s first real test. Such is his superiority over the field, it will be a shock if he doesn’t make it all the way to the final.
Young challengers Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas still have a way to go to be considered real threats deep into the second week of a Grand Slam fortnight.
Fresh off Cincinnati glory, Medvedev follows Djokovic, Federer and Nadal at 13/1.
Losses to Nick Kyrgios and Nadal in Washington and Toronto finals respectively were obviously disappointing for the world number five, but he’s been in superb form of late and should make it into the last eight.
In the tougher top half of the draw, however, it’s a big ask for the 23-year-old to make it into the semi-final.
Speculation about Thiem, Zverev and Tsitsipas’ Grand Slam credentials will be plentiful in the coming weeks. Maybe this is the tournament where they prove themselves as challengers, but even at those long prices, it’s not worth considering.
It will come down to the big three, and most likely an epic final between Djokovic and Nadal. The easier route to the Sunday showdown could make Nadal a good bet.
US Open 2019: Women's
Despite pulling out of the Rogers Cup final with an injury, and not taking the court since then, Serena Williams is the tennis betting favourite to win the 2019 US Open at 5/1.
The six-time US Open champion was the centre of controversy in her 2018 final loss in New York as arguments on the court overshadowed Naomi Osaka’s victory.
On a long tournament drought, Serena heads to her home Grand Slam with a major point to prove. A first-round matchup with Maria Sharapova will be a severe early test, and could put off some bettors.
Out at 14/1 to go all the way, and having only made a Grand Slam final once before, Madison Keys is an intriguing name in the women’s draw.
Keys was magnificent on her way to winning in Cincinnati, including a brilliant three-set victory over US Open second favourite Simona Halep.
Keys has leapt up the rankings as a result. While her route to the latter stages isn’t the easiest – with Sofia Kenin and Evina Svitolina lined up for third and fourth round meetings respectively – Keys’ form will tempt some people to back her for a first Grand Slam.
Halep’s 13/2 price is probably on the short side considering her US Open track record.
Victory at Wimbledon showed the Romanian is capable of adapting to different surfaces, but her preparation for a gruelling fortnight in the Big Apple hasn’t been ideal.
A favourable looking draw could change things quickly for the 2018 French Open champion, however.
World number two Ashleigh Barty is at 8/1. The Australian wasn’t at her best in Cincinnati and suffered a disappointing loss to Kenin in Toronto. A pretty dismal record at the US Open won’t attract much support, and probably suggests her price is a bit short.
Considering the odds, Osaka at 10/1 is a significantly better bet than Barty and Halep, and might be the value pick of the draw.
The reigning US Open champion has returned to the top of the world rankings and rediscovered some form over the last few weeks. As the top seed on her favourite surface, Osaka could be set for another deep run at Flushing Meadows.
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*Credit for the main photo belongs to Adam Hunger / AP Photo*
