There have been thrills and spills galore at this year’s US Open and there is huge excitement and anticipation surrounding this weekend’s two finals, albeit for very different reasons.
History awaits in the women’s event with 18-year-old Briton Emma Raducanu locking horns with Canadian Leylah Fernandez, who is just two months her elder, in what can be considered one of the unlikeliest Grand Slam singles finals of all time.
Qualifier Raducanu, who is making only her second Grand Slam appearance, has reached Saturday’s US Open final without dropping a set and is 4/7 for a breakthrough victory while her challenger Fernandez is a 6/4 chance.
Sunday’s titanic tussle features the top two ranked players in the men’s game, with world number one Novak Djokovic hoping to maintain his superiority against second seed Daniil Medvedev.
The Serb is bidding to become the first player in 33 years to win all four Grand Slam titles in a calendar year and is 20/51 to complete the task. Medvedev is 2/1 to upstage the champ.
Talented Teenagers to Serve up a Thriller
Raducanu hinted that she was a star for the future when reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon on her Grand Slam debut in July, but few could have expected her time to come around so quickly.
Just two months on from impressing at the All England Club, Raducanu is one win away from becoming the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles crown in 44 years.
The 18-year-old barely broke sweat in three qualifying matches, while in the main draw she breezed past Stefanie Voegele, Shuai Zhang, Sara Sorribes Tormo, Shelby Rogers, Belinda Bencic and Maria Sakkari in straight sets.
The problem is, however, the stakes are now much higher and her opponent has shown her grit and determination throughout the competition.
Fernandez has had a far tougher route to the final, with her scalps including defending champion Naomi Osaka, former world number one Angelique Kerber, fifth seed Elina Svitolina and big-hitting world number two Aryna Sabalenka.
The Canadian won all four of those matches against first-class opponents in three sets and is also capable of taking this clash the distance.
Raducanu’s temperament stands her in good stead and she is the most likely victor, but Fernandez has shown she won’t go down without a fight. Punters are advised to take over 2.5 sets at 8/5.
Medvedev May Upstage Super Serb
Djokovic has won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon this season and hopes to complete the quartet with victory over Medvedev in New York.
The Serb is rightly favourite to do so, but there are reasons to believe he is operating below his best and any weaknesses should be exposed by his in-form Russian opponent.
Djokovic has dropped sets in five of his six matches at Flushing Meadows and he needed to come through an epic five-set battle with Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.
Medvedev, on the other hand, has barely been tested with only one dropped set across his six wins, while he has won three of his last five showdowns with the world number one.
The Russian was swatted aside by Djokovic in the Australian Open final this year but the Serb isn’t performing to that level currently and this promises to be a more closely-fought encounter. With history on the line, pressure may also play its part.
Backing the match to go over 38.5 games makes some appeal at 20/23, but the 2/1 on offer about Medvedev springing the upset is where the value truly lies.
*All odds correct at time of writing.
