Maria Sharapova proves she is a contender for US Open glory and one of several women to watch in the US Open build-up.
The favorites for women's singles have not changed very much since the end of Wimbledon, at least not in the top six. Here are the odds with bet365:
1. Serena Williams (7/4)
2. Venus Williams (4/1)
3. Maria Sharapova (6/1)
4. Dinara Safina (8/1)
5. Victoria Azarenka (8/1)
6. Elena Dementieva (10/1)
Odds have shortened or drifted a little bit here and there but for the most part that list of six players and those odds are what tennis fans have been looking at for the last month.
Serena Williams, of course, remains the favorite but after that the other favorites need to be sorted out.
Maria Sharapova did well in Los Angeles and her defeat of Victoria Azarenka there shows that she, Sharapova, is once again playing top 10 tennis.
Previously Sharapova was the one who felt overrated coming back from surgery but now her odds start to feel valid and a worthy bet.
Safina, the number one player in the world, did not have a good showing in Los Angeles as she fell, unimpressively, to 14th seed Jie Zheng in the third round. That loss and the way she got absolutely mauled by Venus Williams in the Wimbledon semis makes Safina look like a bad pick to win the US Open.
Perhaps the price tag of 8/1 is slightly redeeming for Dinara Safina bets but if there is value in picking her then it's small value.
Venus is hard to find value on at 4/1, as she has not been on top form this season with early exits in the French (as usual) and in the Aussie (something new). Also, Venus did not challenge Serena in the Wimbledon final and that is something new for the former grass court queen.
Since Dementieva was the only player to challenge Serena Williams at Wimbledon, punters have to think that she is at the top of her game. Rearranging the list above shows that her and Sharapova are probably the best picks in terms of value at this point.
1. Serena Williams
2. Elena Dementieva
3. Venus Williams
4. Maria Sharapova
5. Dinara Safina
6. Victoria Azarenka
Place early bets on the US Open with Bet365 to find the best value.
