The WTA Tour continues its controversial return to China this week, with the Zhengzhou Open taking place over the next seven days. This WTA 500 event was primed to be one of the most stacked tournaments of its size this year, however, late withdrawals by the top two seeds have seen its field take a significant hit. Nonetheless, there’s still some excellent betting to be had as we look ahead to the Zhengzhou Open this week.
With Coco Gauff withdrawing due to a shoulder injury and Elena Rybakina also opting not to make the trip to the Zhengzhou Open, it’s Ons Jabeur who is now the name to beat in this WTA 500 tournament. The likes of Maria Sakkari, Barbora Krejcikova and Luidmila Samsonova will be looking to stop her and with players looking to finish the season strong, expect this to be a hotly contested event.
We break down all the latest odds from bookmaker bet365 and outline the best bets to make on the Zhengzhou Open this week.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: October 9th, 4:30 P.M. (GMT)
It’s no surprise that with the withdrawals of Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, Ons Jabeur is now the clear favourite to win in Zhengzhou this week. The Tunisian pays 4.75 for a victory, leading second favourite Barbora Krejcikova who pays 6.50 by a reasonable margin. Next in the betting favourites is Guadalajara champion Maria Sakkari at 7.50, followed by beaten China Open finalist Luidmila Samsonova at 8.00. Rounding out the top five betting favourites, the mercurial Caroline Garcia comes in at 8.50 for a win in Zhengzhou.
In terms of the quarters most likely to produce a winner, surprisingly Maria Sakkari’s quarter leads at 3.00. Jabeur’s quarter is next at 3.50, before the Krejcikova and Garcia’s quarters both come in at 4.00.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: October 9th, 4:30 P.M. (GMT)
There’s a good argument to be made for Ons Jabeur winning this tournament. Yes, she suffered an early exit in Beijing last week, falling to Marta Kostyuk in the second round. However, prior to that she won the Ningo Open and has had another solid year, sitting at No. 8 in the race and confirming her spot in Cancun later this month. The sensible bet is wagering on Jabeur to win the Zhengzhou Open and grab some vital momentum ahead of the WTA Finals.
Another great bet, however, is betting on the winner of the Zhengzhou Open to come from the fourth quarter. Here, we have two players in great form that could easily go on a run in the form of Luidmila Samsonova (finalist at the China Open over the weekend) and Caroline Garcia (three quarter-finals and a semi-final in her last four events). At 4.00, it’s a healthy return for one of these two—or a dark horse—to go on and topple the rest of the field.
