Williams Sisters to Rule in Doha

Sony Ericsson Championships - Doha
November 4th-9th 2008

The end-of-season WTA championships take place in Doha this week, and I reckon that there are only two likely winners. More due to the indifferent form of most of the other competitors, the formidable pair of Venus and Serena Williams should prosper in a field of players who they should find to be meat and drink. Motivation is the only issue for the Williams sisters, but considering the state of their opponents, the prices on offer simply don't add up in my opinion.

Jelena Jankovic heads the betting, but this seems to be an over-reaction to her relatively kind draw. 'JJ' heads the White Group, with compatriot Ana Ivanovic and Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva. The Russians have been indifferent all year long to say the least, but with the relatively poor quality of womens' tennis outside the top 10-20 players, they have still managed to pick up enough cheap wins to boost their rankings this year and reach this tournament. Ivanovic has had a mixed year - after capturing her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, she has suffered from a huge drop in form and confidence, although she still remains a threat, as shown by capturing a title in Linz in her last outing.
Jankovic and Ivanovic to go through.
The Maroon Group could be said to be the 'Group of Death', with the two most destructive players on tour in the Williams sisters, along with Russians Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina. The Russians have both had stellar years, both courtesy of an incredible improvement in mental strength and stamina. However, although both players have proved adept at taking care of all comers this year, facing the Williams sisters on hard court is a totally different proposition. Although Dementieva defeated Serena at the Beijing Olympics, it should be noted that conditions in Doha are likely to find both Russians struggling, with the wind likely to pick up to 20kmph during matches. It should be noted that Dementieva performed exceptionally well to win the title in Dubai earlier in the season under similar conditions, but it is likely that any adjustments to her serve against the Williams sisters could find her severely struggling. As for Safina, I fancy that she is running on empty after a phenomenal season that has seen her play almost week-in, week-out. The freshness of Venus and Serena is likely to see them past Safina, although Dementieva and Jankovic will pose the biggest threats.
Venus and Serena to go through.

Given the tournament format - the two group winners face the two group runners-up in the semi-finals - it is quite possible that we will see a Serena vs Venus final, and this is why dutching the two as outright winners has so much appeal, with the potential for a bumper each-way payout if this should happen.

NJ's Bets

Venus Williams to win Sony Ericsson Championship - 2pts @ 6.5 E/W (1,2, 1/3) (Bluesq)

Serena to win Sony Ericsson Championship - 2.5pts @ 5.0 E/W (1,2, 1/3) (Coral)

Nishant Joshi