Events / Sean Calvert / 15 September 2008 /

Sean Calvert finds flaws in the title credentials of Ivanovic, Kuznetsova and Jankovic and thinks the mercurial Dinara Safina may be the one to back this week.

The next stop on the WTA Tour after the excitement and theatre of the US Open is Tokyo for the Pan Pacific Open and a strong field has assembled for the most lucrative event of the month.

This Tier I tournament has been dominated in recent years by Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport, who between them have won nine of the last 11 titles here.

Both are now out of the picture of course and this year's number one seed and current [4.6] favourite is US Open finalist Jelena Jankovic who looks to have a tough route to the final.

Standing in her way in the top half of the draw are Svetlana Kuznetsova ([16.0]), Elena Dementieva ([6.8]), Li Na ([24.0]), Caroline Wozniacki ([23]) and Daniela Hantuchova ([30]) and this seems one reason to oppose the Serbian.

Another is the poor record of US Open winners and finalists in Tokyo and given Jankovic's tendency to acquire pulls, strains, tweaks and knocks, it's certainly worth giving her a swerve at that sort of price.

Dementieva has a good record here and she is a strong contender for the title this time, having reached the semi finals in New York and the world number four will be looking to put the disappointment of her poor loss to Jankovic behind her with a good run in Tokyo.

Kuznetsova is in decent touch right now having just helped Russia to another Fed Cup success in the final against Spain and her early loss in New York will mean she is fresh to have a decent tilt at the crown.

Sveta is a decent price at ([16.0]), but she is vulnerable early in events and her first round opponent is China's Li Na, who is not someone you would want to draw first up, so it is worth looking at the bottom half of the field for better value bets.

The two that stand out at first glance are Ana Ivanovic ([6.6]) and Dinara Safina ([6.2]) and both have been given an outstanding chance here by the draw, but the number two seed is certainly worth opposing.

Ivanovic was desperately poor at Flushing Meadows and she looks woefully short of form and match practice right now.

The thumb injury that has been troubling her for a while has apparently cleared up, but the fact that she's trying a new and apparently slightly lighter racquet out at this event suggests that her hopes aren't high.

The Serbian has a first round bye before facing probably Nadia Petrova ([26.0]) in round two and then most likely Agnieska Radwanska ([20.0]) in the quarters - all players she should be beating if she were at her peak.

On current form it's impossible to back Ivanovic though and indeed Radwanska is definitely a better bet at the prices and on the form book.

The young Pole has had a consistent year and despite being thrashed on Ashe by Venus Williams in New York, she has the right credentials to come through the bottom quarter at Ivanovic's expense.

Whether Radwanska will be able to take out Safina is another matter of course - the two are yet to meet on tour.

Safina has a bye before meeting the winner of a fading Amelie Mauresmo and Dominika Cibulkova, then only the likes of an off-form Anna Chakvetadze ([26.0]); home hope Ai Sugiyama ([70.0]); French player Virginie Razzano ([100.0]0; and qualifier Kaia Kanepi ([150.0]) are in her quarter before a potential semi with Radwanska.

Providing her US Open efforts, where she made it to the semis before coming up short in the wind against champ Serena Williams, haven't taken too much out of her, Safina has a great chance of adding to her three titles of 2008.

Radwanska also has three titles this year and I would suggest that the Pole and the Russian are the value wagers for the 2008 Pan Pacific Open.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: