Tournament Preview
The US Hard Court season gathers pace as both the ATP and WTA Tour roll into Washington, D.C, with plenty of big names looking for form before the US Open next month. With the added interest of Andy Murray announcing he will continue his comeback by playing in the men’s doubles event, alongside brother Jamie – there is sure to be plenty of scrutiny across the event this week. Here are our Citi Open betting tips.
Tournament History
The Citi Open is now into its 50th year as an event on the ATP Tour and has been an established part of the USTA’s US Open Series, kicks off, a seven-week conglomerate of tournaments that all feed into the final major of the year in New York. The Citi Open has been on the WTA Tour since 2011 and despite being a relatively new event on the tour; it has become one of the flagship events across the world with many big names using it to acclimatise to US Hard Court conditions.
Format
The Citi Open is a 48 player draw for men with the top 16 seeds in the draw receiving byes to the second round, whilst it is a 32 player draw for women.
Venue
The tournament has been held at William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Centre in Washington and has been for the past 50 years.
Dates
Monday 29th July 2019 – Sunday 4th August 2019.
Previous Winners (Men’s)
The Citi Open has an illustrious roll call in terms of past winners as it enters its 50th season as an ATP Tour event. Andre Agassi holds the record in Washington for the most title wins with 5 whilst greats of the game Ivan Lendl and Guillermo Vilas have won the event three times each. Home favourite Andy Roddick and big serving Argentine Juan Martin del Potro have also picked up the top the spoils in the capital three times apiece whilst 2018 champion Alexander Zverev has won the event twice.
Previous Winners (Women’s)
Despite not having the length of time to generate a winners list as prestigious as the men’s the roll call of female Citi Open winners is testament to the events standing in the game. Svetlana Kuznetsova has tasted glory in Washington twice as has Magdalena Rybarikova. Elsewhere the likes of Nadia Petrova, Sloane Stephens and Yanina Wickmayer have also triumphed in Washington since its introduction to the tour in 2011.
2019 Tournament Preview
Men’s:
With 7 of the top 20 male players in the world in the draw, the organisers of the Citi Open will be delighted to have secured the services of some of the biggest names in the game once more in 2019. Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas leads a generation of upcoming talent that looks to be going places in the game with the likes of Karen Khachanov and Daniil Medvedev very much in the mix in Washington this year. Home favourite John Isner will once again be one of the men to look out for on his favoured surface whilst the likes of Kevin Anderson, Milos Raonic and David Goffin will all fancy their chances here.
2019 Citi Open Preview
Men’s Outright Winner Odds:-
Here are some of our favourites for the Citi Open title:-
Stefanos Tsitsipas – 8/1 (Bwin) –
Greek superstar Stefanos Tsitsipas has continued his meteoric rise up the world rankings in 2019 and now finds himself at number 6 in the world. He will be looking to bounce back from a poor showing at Wimbledon but arrives in Washington as the number one seed.
Kevin Anderson – 10/1 (888sport) –
Big-serving South African Kevin Anderson has endured an injury laden year in 2019 but will be looking to go one better here in Washington after losing in the final in 2017. The 2018 Wimbledon runner-up has notoriously played his best tennis on hard courts and will be one to watch here.
Daniil Medvedev – 11/1 (Unibet) –
Next Gen star Daniil Medvedev is one of the brightest prospects on the ATP Tour currently and he has climbed to a career-high of 9th in the rankings this week. The Russian has a game well suited to hard courts and from his seeding of 3 in Washington he looks good value to go well.
Milos Raonic – 12/1 (BetBright) –
Big-hitting Canadian Milos Raonic is still striving for the same form that took him to the Wimbledon final in 2016 and saw him break the world’s top 5. He is back inside the world’s top 25 and he looks to be finding form at a time of the year he has historically enjoyed.
John Isner – 12/1 (Bet365) –
Home favourite John Isner is always one to watch during the US Hard Court swing with his big-serving prowess. He crashed out in the first round in Atlanta last week but picked up the Hall of Fame Championships in Newport earlier this month and if he plays anywhere near his best, looks overpriced here.
Karen Khachanov – 12/1 (Royal Panda) –
Another of the most exciting prospects on the tour, Karen Khachanov has climbed into the world’s top 10 after another solid season. He was bundled out in the third round at Wimbledon but has put in consistent performances all season and is seeded 2 here in Washington.
Marin Cilic– 16/1 (William Hill) –
Former US Open champion Marin Cilic will be searching for form after enduring a difficult run in 2019. The Croat has dropped out of the world’s top 10 in recent weeks but will welcome a return to one of his favoured surfaces and match practice will be top of his agenda here.
Kyle Edmund – 40/1 (Betsson) –
British number one Kyle Edmund is searching for form following a difficult middle period to 2019. His best results have come on hard courts historically and he will be able to benefit from the protection of being the number 13 seed in Washington. Whilst it is a congested draw in the capital, he looks overpriced in an open field.
Top Pick – Stefanos Tsitsipas – 8/1 (Bwin)
Outside Pick – Karen Khachanov – 12/1 (Royal Panda)
Tournament Preview
Women’s:
2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens headlines a stellar field at the Citi Open with Madison Keys and Sofia Kenin also sure to be attracting plenty of support in the capital. 2016 Olympic champion Monica Puig will be looking for form on her favoured surface whilst the likes of Iga Swiatek and Lesia Tsurenko will fancy their chances in what looks to be a very open draw in 2019. Longer shots include in-form Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic and former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard.
Women’s Outright Winner Odds:-
The continual unpredictability of the WTA Tour makes plucking a winner a difficult task at every event but here are our picks at the 2019 Citi Open.
Here are some of our favourites for the Citi Open title:-
Sloane Stephens – 9/2 (Bet-at-Home) –
Home favourite Sloane Stephens will be the woman to beat at the Citi Open as she looks to win a title she last won in 2015. The powerful American has always enjoyed this time of the season and looks well placed to enjoy a good run through the US Open hard court swing once more.
Madison Keys – 5/1 (Ladbrokes) –
Fellow American Madison Keys will also be looking for ranking points and form following another solid season on the tour thus far. Currently ranked at number 17 in the world, Keys will be looking to kick on here and pick up a trophy before the US Open kicks off next month.
Su-Wei Hsieh – 17/2 (Guts) –
Taiwanese doubles specialist Su-Wei Hsieh continues to develop as a singles player and at the age of 33 has climbed back into the world’s top 32. With her all court game sure to be a good fit for the hard courts in Washington, she is very much one to look out for here.
Sofia Kenin – 12/1 (Betfred) –
World number 28 Sofia Kenin continues to blaze a trail on the WTA Tour and looks to have the world at her feet at the age of 20. The former Orange Bowl winner will be willed on by passionate home support in Washington and she’ll be keen to make a name for herself on the big stage here.
Lesia Tsurenko – 25/1 (888sport) –
Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko will be relishing the return to hardcourt tennis after enduring a difficult grass-court season. She has climbed to number 36 in the world following a solid season on the WTA Tour and with a seeding of 5 here in Washington; she looks overpriced in an open field.
Iga Swiatek – 25/1 (William Hill) –
Polish teenager Iga Swiatek is one of the hottest properties in world tennis right now and looks to be riding the crest of a wave following her run to the last 16 at the French Open. She’ll be eager to put a disappointing grass court showing behind her and will fancy her chances here in the capital.
Kristina Mladenovic– 25/1 (888sport) –
Former top 10 player Kristina Mladenovic has recovered well from injury in 2019 and looks set to climb the rankings once more. The Frenchwoman is back inside the world’s top 50 and will be keen to build on strong performances in Birmingham and Rome in recent times.
Monica Puig– 28/1 (888sport) –
2016 Olympic Champion Monica Puig will be another player looking forward to getting her hard court season started following a quiet grass court run. A lengthy injury lay-off and subsequent loss of form halted her progress over the past couple of seasons but she is now inside the world’s top 50 once more and will be a threat here.
