Aussie Ash Barty enters her first major as the world number 1 after an amazing French Open Championship, but has she been dealt a horror draw? There’s an in-form Czech that I think is due to win her first Grand Slam title.

Best Bet

Karolina Pliskova @ $8

Has already moved in from $10 to $8 off the back of being in the weaker half of the draw. Pliskova has had her struggles across her career, but this year she has been playing amazing tennis. Her lead-up into the French Open had people believing she could win that, despite being a below part clay-courter. But now she’s on the grass, she’s a huge chance to win her first Grand Slam title. Has absolutely romped through a decent field at Eastbourne this week, and despite not having a great record at Wimbledon her game does suit the grass courts. Ostapenko could be a tricky match-up if the Latvian makes the third round, but she should come across players far inferior to her all the way to the Final.

Next Best

Kiki Bertens @ $21

Forget her last match at Eastbourne where Pliskova smashed her, the Dutchwoman was one of the form players on tour going into the French Open before illness struck her down. Despite being in the tough half of the draw, she’s in the friendly quarter which consists of an underdone Petra Kvitova, and an out of form Sloane Stephens. Bertens bucked the trend at Wimbledon last year when she reached the Quarters despite being labeled a clay-courter, and she’s a much better player now coming in as the fourth seed. Nice value here at $21, but it’s the $5 to win her quarter which is a great bet.

Ashleigh Barty @ $6.50

It’s supposed to be easier as the number ranked player in the world, right? Well Barty has been served a horror draw, with her quarter consisting of seven Grand Slam Champions – four of them winners at Wimbledon. She should face 2017 Wimbledon Champion Garbine Muguruza in the third round, and then Belinda Bencic in the fourth round; one of the most in-form players in tour. If she can reach the Quarter Final stage, she’ll face the winner of the 2018 Wimbledon Final rematch between Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber. The way Barty is playing, she’s certainly capable of winning all of these matches and reaching the Quarters, but can she maintain playing at such a high level for the full fortnight? Obviously we’d love to see Barty win Wimbledon, but with this draw and the difficulty of winning back to back majors – the percentages are not in her favour.

Sophia Kenin @ $41

The evenness of women’s tennis has meant we’ve seen little known players going deep in Grand Slams. It was Danielle Collins at the Australian Open, Marketa Vondrousova and Amanda Anisimova at the French Open and it’s Sophia Kenin’s turn her. With Naomi Osaka really struggling lately, this opens up the fourth quarter and Kenin is the player to keep your eye on. She beat Serena Williams at the French Open, and took a set of Ash Barty in the Round of 16. Off the back of that, she won the Mallorca Open defeating the likes of Mertens, Sevastova and Bencic along the way. The 20-year-old comes in as the 27th seed, and can certainly emerge from the fourth quarter – paying $13.

Value Bet

Johanna Konta @ $21

Perfect timing for Johanna Konta to find her form after struggling the last couple of years. Reached the Semi Final at Roland Garros, and had every chance of winning wasting opportunities to win both the first and second set against Vondrousova. Her return game has been extremely strong, especially her backhand, and will be a huge threat playing in front of her home crowd. Will likely face Petra Kvitova in the Round of 16, but the Czech has been struggling with injury for a great opportunity for Konta this year.

Petra Martic @ $51

I was on the Martic-train at Roland Garros where she reached her first Grand Slam Quarter Final, and her clay court forms appears to have translated to grass. She reached the Semi Final at the Birmingham Classic in the lead-up, and as one of the best return of serves on tour she’s always a huge chance of featuring into the second week of a Grand Slam event. A really tricky opening round match against big serving Jennifer Brady, but if she can advance from that she receives a relatively easy run through to the Quarter Final stage here. Not a natural grass court player, but did reach the fourth round here in 2017 as a qualifier.

Draw

Quarter Finals

Barty def Kerber
Bertens def Konta
Pliskova def Martic
Kenin def Halep

Semi Finals

Bertens def Barty
Pliskova def Kenin

Final

Pliskova def Bertens