2018 French Open
The stage is set, and the eyes of the tennis world are fixed on Paris, France!
The French Open is the biggest clay-court tournament in the calendar, and many are already looking forward to the plays they will be seeing from some of the best tennis stars in the world!
Betting sites will be especially busy in the coming days as there are a lot of matches to cover. Rafael Nadal is obviously the man to beat in the Men’s Singles, while the ladies of the Women’s Singles will find themselves to have an interesting race to the top.
Put on your thinking cap and sit on your favourite chair, because this preview will be a bit of a doozy.
Talking Points
Nadal is having a grand time on the clay this season and he is undoubtedly the biggest favourite to progress through the tournament. He put on a remarkable display that left many in awe of his talent, and his latest victory at Roma just solidifies his legacy as one o the best players to ever set foot on the clay courts.
However, Roland Garros bore witness to some of the most impressive underdog runs in the sport’s history. It won’t be surprising to see any of the players in the bracket take him out in a stunning upset. He best be careful not to trip during the Grand Slam’s opening stages.
Leading the charge for the rest of the pack are Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev. Djokovic is slowly getting into form, and his performance in Roma is an indicator of what’s ahead for the players in his bracket. Meanwhile, Zverev is also looking to pounce. He’s had a great clay season and will be looking to add a first French Open to his trophy cabinet.
Of course, Roger Federer’s absence from the clay courts is a glaring fact that prevents the Men’s Singles from being one of the most exciting draws in the sport. However, it’s not like Federer has fully given up on playing in France. He revealed that he may play in the clay again at some point in the future. Until that happens, we sit and wait.
Meanwhile, the women’s game is a much more open field. Simona Halep is seeded first in the competition, but her inconsistency was in full display after Elina Svitolina knocked her out in Rome. With the World No 1 playing this way on clay, the rest of the players have a good shot at taking the trophy for themselves.
Angelique Kerber has a relatively easy path to the Last Eight and may run all the way to the title. Gabriñe Muguruza may also shock the world once more with another Cinderella run to the final. Serena Williams is making a comeback and will be a nightmare to deal with. Maria Sharapova is another tough cookie on the clay that will be rather tricky to defeat.
Naomi Osaka, Coco Vandeweghe, Johanna Konta, Venus Williams, and Caroline Wozniacki are the other impressive ladies that could make a splash in Paris.
The women’s game is much more entertaining to watch, in my opinion. I think even the best sportsbook will have a tough time identifying which lady will hoist the trophy in the end.
History
History matters in this tournament and a peek at the history books will give you a clue on what to expect in this competition.
Nadal is loved by the clay as he has won ten of the last twelve French Open trophies. Federer, Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka were the only ones to break the Spaniard’s monopoly in France. Given Nadal’s current performances in the early part of the clay season, there’s no reason for many to not choose the 31-year-old as the leading favourite to win it all again.
However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see someone like Alexander Zverev making a thrilling upset in Paris. The 21-year-old is playing some of best clay tennis in the Tour, making the idea of him winning the tournament a nice change of pace.
The Women’s Singles of the Roland Garros has been less predictable than its male counterpart. Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams took turns in lifting the trophy from 2013 to 2015. Muguruza shocked the world in 2016, and Ostapenko did the same in 2017.
The last two tournaments were won by talented young ladies that were not even booked as favourites to win the title. If this trend holds true, there wouldn’t be any surprises should a new face win the French Open this year.
What are the odds?
I am running out of words and synonyms to try and elaborate just how dominant Nadal has been on the clay this season. Bookies help me with my case after giving the Spaniard unsurprisingly low outright odds of 1.40.
Zverev is the second-lowest with his 8.00, while Nadal-beater Dominic Thiem is blessed with 11.00. Other significant ATP pros you should take note of include Djokovic (13.00), Wawrinka (51.00), Grigor Dimitrov (51.00) and Denis Shapovalov (81.00).
Meanwhile, Simona Halep is the heavy favourite among bookies in the Women’s Singles with her 4.00 outright odds. Maria Sharapova is a close second with her 6.00, and Elina Svitolina is not far behind with 6.50.
Muguruza (15.00), Petra Kvitova (15.00), Wozniacki (17.00), Osaka (41.00) and Williams (11.00) are some of the other ladies that are worth your attention.
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