Chances for a maiden title in Charleston...

Monday 12th April 2021

In your Ones to Watch email today:

• WTA Charleston – MUSC Health Women’s Open…
• Outright Winner picks…
• Ones to Watch at 12/1 and 16/1…

So far this season, around a quarter of tournaments have seen a player lift a trophy for the first time in their career…

There were two more maiden title winners on the WTA Tour last week. In Bogota, the 19-year-old Colombian wildcard Maria Camila Osorio Serrana had a dream week in front of a home crowd. She was 25/1.

And at the WTA 500 event in Charleston, Veronika Kudermetova blasted through the field – including taking out my pick Sloane Stephens in the quarter finals – to land the first Singles title of her career. The 23-year-old Russian won all six matches without dropping a set. She was 66/1.

• At the Australian Open in February, we had Kudermetova in the book at 200/1. We also had Hubert Hurkacz as a 300/1 men’s outsider in Melbourne… Since then, both have gone on to win big titles on the respective WTA & ATP tours, at odds of 66/1 & 100/1. Which suggests we’re doing plenty right in our Ones to Watch research

Ones to Watch in Charleston…

The women’s tour stays on the ‘green clay’ in Charleston this week, with a lower-grade WTA 250 event taking place. This less-than-intimidating field offers up the chance for someone else to claim a maiden title…

One player looking to do that is Ons Jabeur. We’ve backed her this season at odds of 20/1 and 28/1, but the Tunisian failed to get further than the 3rd round.

Last week, the 26-year-old reached the semi finals here in Charleston, at the bigger WTA 500 event, from starting odds of 33/1. In this week’s smaller and lighter field, Jabeur goes off as a 4/1 (5.0) and 9/2 (5.5) favourite. I find it hard to put faith in her at those prices.

In the bottom half of the draw, another player that’s been around for a while and still looking for the first trophy win is Ajla Tomljanovic…

Like a lot of players – including Jabeur – Tomljanovic gets nervy sometimes, and makes a few too many costly unforced errors at important stages in matches. But she’s been playing some good stuff lately when I’ve watched her, and looks in superb physical condition. At age 27, there’s still plenty of time to get that first title. Ajla has made four finals before, and they’ve all been tournaments of this level (‘International’ grade events, which are now called ‘250’).

At 16/1 in general, Tomljanovic looks a more appealing prospect than Jabeur.

Also in this section of the draw, we shouldn’t miss the chance to back the fast-rising 18-year-old from Denmark, Clara Tauson…

Since winning a debut title in Lyon last month (as a 16/1 shot, coming through qualifying), Clara has stumbled in the 1st round in her last two tournaments. The bounce back is likely to happen sooner rather than later. Some bookies are going 7/1 this week. Take the 12/1 elsewhere; it’s a half-decent price today, and one that could look very decent if she wins her opening match or two.

Ones to Watch

WTA Charleston – MUSC Health Women’s Open

Outright Winner – Each Way

• Ajla Tomljanovic is 16/1 with Bet365, Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook, William Hill, Betway, Ladbrokes, Coral, Betfred 

• Clara Tauson is 12/1 with Bet365, Skybet, Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook, Betway

Each Way terms: 1/2 odds 1-2 places

Play starts from 6pm. Bookmakers take down their Outright Winner markets during the day’s matches.

I’ll be back throughout the week with more from Charleston, as well as the men’s ATP Maters 1000 event in Monte Carlo.

Enjoy the tennis…

Best wishes,

Tom Wilson

Ones to Watch