Crosswords0 min ago
Go Emma - Or Gone Emma?
I'll begin by saying i would love to see Emma Raducanu go all the way and win this tournament. She is now at the QF stage and is attempting to emulate just 2 women who have done just that from being out of the top 100. Those two? Billie Jean King and Kim Clijsters. If she can emulate just a fraction of what those two achieved, she has a very, very bright future ahead. So far she has been brilliant, winning all her previous games in straight sets. She will no doubt approach this match with all the exuberance of her youth and with her confidence sky-high.
However, her opponent Belinda Bencic is fresh from winning the Gold at the Tokyo Olympics and has a similar profile to Emma in that she more or less burst onto the scene when becoming the youngest QF qualifier since Martina Hingis (1997) at this very tournament in 2014. She has had her serve broken just 3 times throughout the entire tournament and has the highest % of first serve points won (82%). This is her 3rd QF appearance in this tournament; she lost in her first but got through to the SF in her 2nd.
Raducanu can take encouragement from the fact that Bencic has lost a couple of games to players outside the top 100 this season. Though i do think think this is one game too far for the Brit, i hope she can at least take it to the wire.
£5 win Belinda Bencic 2-1 @ 10/3
However, her opponent Belinda Bencic is fresh from winning the Gold at the Tokyo Olympics and has a similar profile to Emma in that she more or less burst onto the scene when becoming the youngest QF qualifier since Martina Hingis (1997) at this very tournament in 2014. She has had her serve broken just 3 times throughout the entire tournament and has the highest % of first serve points won (82%). This is her 3rd QF appearance in this tournament; she lost in her first but got through to the SF in her 2nd.
Raducanu can take encouragement from the fact that Bencic has lost a couple of games to players outside the top 100 this season. Though i do think think this is one game too far for the Brit, i hope she can at least take it to the wire.
£5 win Belinda Bencic 2-1 @ 10/3
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I don't think it'll be a walkover final in either direction. The reason Emma has been smashing her opponents off the court is at least in part because they've been caught off-guard by someone supremely confident in her own game, and haven't been able to adapt. But Fernandez is clearly a different challenge because she's shown no regard at all (on the court, ie in a good way) for her opponents' reputations, and had no doubts about her own game plan.
On the other hand, Leylah Fernandez hasn't been able to dominate, "merely" stay in the match. So, I don't see her succumbing to any pressure Emma applies, nor do I see Leylah being able to win easily. Hard, then, to look past another three-setter.
Also at this point I genuinely don't care which of them wins. Leylah's matches against Kerber, Svitolina and Sabalenka have been absolutely thrilling to watch, the first especially, and Raducanu's serene progress through her draw just so in a completely different way, and so finally I'm just interested in the match. They've both done enough to make me a fan of both for the rest of their, hopefully long and successful, careers, and it almost sucks that they can't share the prize.
On the other hand, Leylah Fernandez hasn't been able to dominate, "merely" stay in the match. So, I don't see her succumbing to any pressure Emma applies, nor do I see Leylah being able to win easily. Hard, then, to look past another three-setter.
Also at this point I genuinely don't care which of them wins. Leylah's matches against Kerber, Svitolina and Sabalenka have been absolutely thrilling to watch, the first especially, and Raducanu's serene progress through her draw just so in a completely different way, and so finally I'm just interested in the match. They've both done enough to make me a fan of both for the rest of their, hopefully long and successful, careers, and it almost sucks that they can't share the prize.
Agree for the most part, Jim, but Raducanu has yet to garner a 'reputation'. She is, as yet, a totally unknown entity. Her opponents coaches cannot point and say "That is her strength" or "That is her weakness."
I have only watched a handful of matches at the US Open, but one of them was her gutsy win over Naomi Osaka earlier in the tournament. She has been around long enough to have 'form' though. As you say, she will not just roll over and lay down in the final.
The bookies have Raducanu as 4/6 fav, with Fernandez around the 13/10 mark. Raducanu to win 2-1 is 3/1, Fernandez 4/1. Think i may change my mind about not having a bet and keep my fingers crossed it isn't over after 2 sets :-)
I have only watched a handful of matches at the US Open, but one of them was her gutsy win over Naomi Osaka earlier in the tournament. She has been around long enough to have 'form' though. As you say, she will not just roll over and lay down in the final.
The bookies have Raducanu as 4/6 fav, with Fernandez around the 13/10 mark. Raducanu to win 2-1 is 3/1, Fernandez 4/1. Think i may change my mind about not having a bet and keep my fingers crossed it isn't over after 2 sets :-)
Just logged on to my 365 account to place a bet on the Djokoman in tonight's semi final and was delighted to see that those good people had given me a free £5 bet to use on the women's final. Which has solved my problem as to which player to side with. My bets are;
£5 Novak Djokovic to win 3-1 @ 3/1
£5 free bet Emma Raducanu to win 2-1 @ 3/1
£3 Leylah Fernandez to win 2-1 @ 9/2
Most bases covered :-)
£5 Novak Djokovic to win 3-1 @ 3/1
£5 free bet Emma Raducanu to win 2-1 @ 3/1
£3 Leylah Fernandez to win 2-1 @ 9/2
Most bases covered :-)
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