The top WTA players, including Emma Raducanu and Anett Kontaveit, will be hoping to avoid a scare in the Transylvania Open this week.
The latest stop on the women’s tour heads to Romania, where the fans will have to watch from home. It’s disappointing for all involved, but bettors will still get fantastic opportunities to cash.
Tennis betting markets are open, where Kontaveit is favored to win consecutive WTA titles.
Back the Form Player
Anett Kontaveit is the form player of the tournament after her win at the Kremlin Cup in Russia.
The Estonian was seeded ninth for the tournament and defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova in three sets in the final. She was down a set and 0-4 in the second, but she fought back to capture the unlikely title.
“To go 4-0 down, she was really hitting the balls down the line, she was playing amazing tennis,” Kontaveit told WTATennis. “I was just trying to stay in it as long as I could, and I never really gave up. I was just trying to fight for every point as much as I could. If I would have lost 6-4, 6-2 or whatever, I knew I tried everything.”
Anett Kontaveit in 2021
40 Wins [31 on hard courts]
3🏆 [Cleveland, Ostrava, Moscow]
4 Top 10 wins
👑 Queen on and off the court pic.twitter.com/VQYyC11afr— Ryan 🐌📬🐊💙 (@Some1NamedRyan) October 24, 2021
She continued her good form, which included making the quarters at Indian Wells. It was her second victory in the last month after winning the Ostrava Open in September, so she is firing on all cylinders.
The sportsbook has her at +300, so she is short. However, the field is slightly easier than most this season. Raducanu is on the second line, and despite winning the U.S. Open, Raducanu was bounced in the opening round at Indian Wells.
We are always cautious when backing a player at +300, but there are only a few winning hopes in the Transylvania Open and Kontaveit leads them all.
Pick: Anett Kontaveit +300
Raducanu in Tricky Situation
We thought Emma Raducanu would handle the pressure of being U.S. Open champion at Indian Wells, but we were wrong.
The 18-year-old was beaten in the first round in straight sets, so all the media attention might have taken her away from the court. She is also searching for a full-time coach, which is another unwanted distraction.
However, we still believe she has the most upside of any player on the WTA Tour. She showed that at Flushing Meadows, and although she is being forced to coach herself for the next couple months, it could work in her favor.
“I think having a coach is great,” she said. “But once again you are on your own on the court. I don’t think it is great to be dependent. You need to coach yourself. That is something I am learning.”
Gabriela Ruse and Emma Raducanu chatting it up after practice today.
Source: Andrei Nourescu pic.twitter.com/g66w6f3HPn
— Romanian Tennis (@WTARomania) October 23, 2021
She was initially excited about playing in Romania, which is where her father is from. However, she was disappointed with the tournament not being open to fans. It will take away from the excitement levels, but she should give bettors a good sight.
Raducanu is on the second line of betting at +400 with the sportsbook, which is worth having on your ticket.
Pick: Emma Raducanu +400
Halep Seeking Confidence Boost
Simona Halep is the local favorite, but she is desperate to start showing her best form.
The Romanian has been struggling with consistency this season, and the former top-ranked player shouldn’t find this level of opposition too tough.
The 30-year-old from Constanta ended 2017 and 2018 as the world’s best player, but she has slipped down the rankings this year.
She has failed to make a deep run since making the semifinal in Stuttgart in April, which is a span of eight tournaments. If her form doesn’t improve, she could fall off the face of the earth.
However, we think bettors should keep the faith. She plays in her home country, and the two-time Grand Slam champion pays generous +450 odds.
Injuries have been a big reason for her downfall to No. 17 in the world, but she has the class edge on the players listed above her in betting online markets.
