US Open Tennis Championship: Round of 128 Preview
Published August 28, 2017 by Sol FH
The US Open Round of 128 starts today and there are a ton of matches all day from 16:00 GMT.
The US Open begins today and it will undoubtedly be an interesting one on the men's side, due to the number of injuries to top 10 players. The firm favorites to win on the men's side are Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. On the women's side there are fewer injuries, but Garbine Muguruza is the obvious favorite to win. Anything can happen though, and there are hundreds of games to play until the finals so let's take a look at some interesting match-ups and news.
The men's championship match will not be between Rafa and Federer. The two have never met in New York in a final match, but if all goes well we will see them in the semifinal, as both are in the top half of the draw. Both players have flipped the calendar to ten years ago and have literally taken over the ATP rankings once again. Injuries to Djokovic, Murray, Nishikori, Raonic and even defending champion Stan Wawrinka means the field will be open and players like Nick Kyrgios or the huge serve of Feliciano Lopez will most-likely be seen in the later stages.
The Return of Sharapova
Obviously the biggest news on the women side is the return of Maria Sharapova, arguably the biggest draw in women's tennis. This will be her first Grand Slam since she was suspended for doping. She is not in top form but the crowd will be there to see her play. Her first round match is against World No. 2, Simona Halep a player that Sharapova has a 6-0 record, but this could be the biggest test of the tournament for both players.
Muguruza is the outright favorite on the women's side, having won Wimbledon and is in the form of her life so far. Serena Williams not being in the tournament has given the Spaniard Muguruza a big boost, but on the other side of the draw it is more interesting. World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, defending champ, Angelique Kerber and other big names like Elina Svitolina, Agnieszka Radwanska and local hopeful Madison Keys could also be seen making it far.
US Open Online Betting Options
bet365 Sports is offering competitive odds on each of the matches being played at this year's US Open. The biggest draws in the Round of 128 will be Sam Querrey (1.40) against Giles Simon (3.00), Jack Sock (1.36) vs Jordan Thompson (3.25), and on the women's side Sharapova (2.75) vs Simona Halep (1.44), and Viktoria Kuzmova (9.00) against Venus Williams (1.071).
There will also be live in play betting markets available at bet365 Sports so be sure to check them out as you watch what should be some intense games.
