The 2019 WTA Tour continues with selected matches from the French Open quarter-finals on Wednesday the 5th of June 2019. Check out our full betting preview below.
2019 WTA Tour | French Open
Roland Garros, Paris, France, (Outdoor Clay)
Selected Quarter-Finals – 5 June 2019
Amanda Anisimova (34/10)
vs Simona Halep (2/11)
The emergence of 17-year-old Russian, Amanda Anisimova has been one of the stand-out narratives at this year’s French Open. The young starlet has been a breath of fresh air in an event marred by more Serena-related controversy over the past few days. She has had a fairly favourable draw thus far though she once again accounted for Aryna Sabalenka in the second round. Anisimova was a junior sensation, claiming the 2016 Aussie Open Girls title. She also became the first American finalist at the French Open girl’s event in 14 years: she clearly is clay-court proficient, reaching three finals on clay on the ITF Tour. Anisimova broke through at the Aussie Open earlier this year, beating Aryna Sabalenka en route to an impressive round of 16 showing. She then won her first WTA title on clay at the Copa Colsanitas. Anisimova is an exciting young prospect primed for further Grand Slam success.
Romanian Simona Halep has certainly enjoyed a rollercoaster journey in Paris over the past five years. The 2014 and 2017 runner-up must have thought that success on the red Roland Garros clay would never materialize. But her victory over Sloane Stephens last season allowed her to abandon the moniker of best ever player to not taste Grand Slam success. Halep has needed three sets twice this week and actually entered this event somewhat under the radar. A final in Madrid was her best showing in an uncharacteristically subdued clay-court campaign. She has maintained decent consistency, reaching the final in Qatar and semi-finals in Miami. Halep has always felt a close affinity to Justine Henin and will be looking to emulate the Belgian legend by claiming multiple French Open titles this year: Henin went on to claim four Roland Garros titles in her storied career.
This will clearly be their first ever meeting. Halep already has experience in this year’s event with dismissing up-and-coming teenage sensations with ease: she disposed of young Swiatek in less than 45 minutes. I think that Anisimova is a slight proposition to schoolgirl Swaitek. She has reached a Grand Slam fourth round previously and has tasted junior success in Paris. I think Halep will persevere but perhaps the young Russian could edge a set out of it.
Ashleigh Barty (11/20)
vs Madison Keys (27/20)
This is promising to be an epic encounter between two powerful ball-strikers. Ashleigh Barty has enjoyed a fabulous resurgence that really started in earnest towards the end of last year. She won the WTA Elite Trophy and also won the US Open Double’s title. Her double’s skills have come in handy and allowed for maturation on the slower clay-courts. Barty started the year with a final in Sydney and an excellent quarterfinal run at the Aussie Open. But it was that victory in Miami that really announced her arrival in the upper echelons of women’s tennis. Her clay-court season hasn’t been as successful despite a promising quarterfinal run in Madrid. Her double’s victory alongside Victoria Azarenka in Rome highlighted a growing awareness on the surface. Barty overcame Serena Williams’ conqueror Sofia Kenin in a tight three-set battle. She will be going up against a canny competitor in American Madison Keys.
American Madison Keys is like the WTA equivalent of Brooks Koepka. She tends to underwhelm in regular tour events but always finds an added gear in Grand Slam tennis. It all started with a semi-final appearance at the 2015 Australian Open. She then lost to Sloane Stephens in an all-American affair at the 2017 US Open final. But more pertinently to this occasion Keys reached the semi-finals here last season. Keys is renowned for her pedigree on harder surfaces but has shown a growing acumen for clay. She won the Charleston Open earlier this year in portentous fashion. She hasn’t had it all her own way this year and will need to keep those pesky unforced errors down. She also had to overcome an unsavoury incident involving a young child who received her shirt only to be accosted by an unruly fan. It’s been a tumultuous French Open in terms of decorum this year.
These two share the spoils at one apiece in the head-to-head count. Barty won earlier this year in the Fed Cup while Keys actually holds a Roland Garros victory in 2017. So it would appear that Keys may have the edge on this surface while Barty has the momentum. But big match temperament must count for something and Keys has a natural proclivity for this stage. I think it will be yet another Grand Slam semi-final for Keys.
Written by Damien Kayat for Hollywoodbets
