Williams and Osaka Top Favorites in 2nd Quarter at Australian Open

• Serena Williams is listed as the +150 favorite to win the second quarter at the Australian Open
• Williams is a seven-time Aussie Open winner
• The last three Australian Open women’s singles winners – Naomi Osaka (2019), Caroline Wozniacki (2018) and Williams (2017) – are housed in this quarter

Serena Williams is one win away from tying the all-time record for Grand Slam wins by a women’s player. Sportsbooks believe she will get at the very least a quarter of the way toward achieving this destiny at the Australian Open.

The sportsbook doesn’t even think defending champion Naomi Osaka can prevent Serena from doing so.

Williams is pegged as the +150 favorite to win the second quarter of the Aussie Open draw. She’s a seven-time Australian Open women’s singles champion.

This side of the draw includes the last three players to win the Australian Open women’s singles title. Defending champion Osaka is the second betting choice to emerge from this quarter at +300. Caroline Wozniacki, the 2018 champion, is a much longer shot on the board at +1600.

2020 Australian Open Women’s Singles Second Quarter Odds

Odds taken Jan. 17

Williams most recently won the Aussie Open in 2017.

Williams Arrives a Winner

In search of her eighth title, Williams got to Melbourne off a victory at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. The final saw her defeating fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-4.

It was the first victory for Williams on the WTA Tour since giving birth to her daughter Alexis in 2017. The triumph also gave her victories in four different decades. Williams won her first WTA event in 1999.

Among the players in this quarter, Williams displays the most consistent history. She’s reached the quarterfinal stage in each of her last four appearances. She won the Australian Open in 2015 and 2017. Williams was a quarterfinalist in 2016 and 2019.

She didn’t play in the 2018 event because she was still recovering from giving birth to her daughter.

Osaka Also on a Roll

The defending champion vs the all-time leader in Australian Open women’s singles titles? That’s the way the draw fell.

The stage is set for a potential quarterfinal showdown between Osaka and Williams. Both players also formerly held the world #1 ranking.

Each would come into that match on fire.

me and my mom lol. pic.twitter.com/HvCoPpgShm

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) January 15, 2020

Osaka’s 14-match winning streak was halted by Karolina Pliskova in the Brisbane International semifinals.

Her side of the draw is a tough one. The Japanese player opens against Rogers Cup semifinalist Marie Bouzkova. Venus Williams, a 2017 Aussie Open finalist, teen sensation Coco Gauff and World #15 Sofia Kenin might also block Osaka’s path to the quarterfinals.

Fond Farewell for Wozniacki?

Former world #1 Wozniacki announced last month that the Australian Open would be her final tournament. She’s retiring from competitive tennis.

https://twitter.com/umbre_sports53/status/1215847232877940736?s=20

Wozniacki spent 71 weeks at the top of the WTA rankings. Her most recent stint at #1 came in February 2018 following her Australian Open triumph.

In the summer of 2018, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Wozniacki hasn’t won a tournament since 2018. She hasn’t reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event since her win in Australia.

Value Bets to Consider

Britain’s Johanna Konta reached the quarterfinals here in 2017 and the semifinals in 2016. She’s been a quarterfinalist at her past two Grand Slams.

Good vibes 🙌👋😁 pic.twitter.com/gjzbms9oHQ

— Johanna Konta (@JohannaKonta) January 13, 2020

China’s Shuai Zhang was in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2016. She’s 6-1 in her last seven matches. Gauff opens against Venus Williams, the same player she beat in the first round to launch here fairytale run at Wimbledon last year.

Odds Against Osaka?

Recent Australian Opens haven’t been kind to defending women’s singles champs. The last five tournaments saw just one title defender reach the quarterfinals. That was Serena Williams in 2015. None have won their quarter of the draw since Kim Clijsters in 2012.

If it comes down to Osaka vs Serena, she’s beaten Williams in two of three matches. That includes a 6-2, 6-4 win for Osaka in the 2018 US Open final.

Pick: Naomi Osaka (+300)