Tennis / Guy McCrea / 09 September 2010 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

Ever since Serena Williams' withdrawal, both defending champion Kim Clijsters and last year's runner-up Caroline Wozniacki have dominated Betfair's U.S. Open winner markets. Guy McCrea assesses who might triumph if the pair meet again on Saturday in New York ...

It is clear to see why both Kim Clijsters and Caroline Wozniacki have and continue to be heavily backed to win the U.S. Open. The top seeded Wozniacki ([2.48] to win the U.S. Open) is on a terrific run, having won eighteen of nineteen hard court matches on tour since her surprising Wimbledon drubbing at the hands of Petra Kvitova in June. The young Dane triumphed on home soil in Copenhagen, and then snared two more titles at the WTA Premier level stops in Montreal and New Haven.

Clijsters (2.7 to defend her title) didn't play as much as Wozniacki before the U.S. Open, but still collected her third WTA Tour title of 2010 in Cincinnati last month, defeating Maria Sharapova in a gripping final. There had been concerns that Clijsters would be unable to defend her U.S. Open crown because of a hip injury which troubled her during August. Thankfully, that problem doesn't seem to have been an issue in New York.

Both Wozniacki and Clijsters have also carried their form into the Open. Remarkably, the Dane dropped just three games in her opening three rounds. Wozniacki then raised the bar to dispatch 2006 U.S. Open champion Sharapova in a hard-fought fourth round clash. Without doubt, it was the biggest win of Wozniacki's young career and demonstrated that she may now possess the maturity to beat the big names when it matters most. The top seed is still to lose a set in the tournament heading into the quarter finals.

Clijsters dropped her first set of the event before overcoming French Open finalist Sam Stosur late on Tuesday. But prior to her quarter final win over Stosur, Clijsters had dropped just 14 games in her opening four matches - none of which lasted longer than an hour. The other remaining women involved just can't match the manner in which these two have carved their way through the draw.

After knocking out Sharapova, Wozniacki should have fewer problems with Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova when they meet in the quarter finals later tonight under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium (Wozniacki [1.09] to win). Cibulkova fully deserved to upset 2004 winner Svetlana Kuznetsova in the previous round - but she will be hard-pressed to reproduce that effort against the Dane. With Kaia Kanepi (Wozniacki leads their head-to-head 2-0) or Vera Zvonareva (who the Dane easily beat just a few weeks ago in the Montreal final), it would be a real surprise if Wozniacki (priced around [1.36] to reach the final) does not reach Saturday's showpiece.

Despite having already reached the semi-finals, Clijsters ([1.47] to reach the final) faces a tougher test in the form of Venus Williams, who won at Flushing Meadows back in 2000 and 2001. The American's experience and big-match temperament mean she can never be completely dismissed But now 30 years of age, Venus hasn't reached a Grand Slam final outside of Wimbledon in seven years. Clijsters beat her en route to winning in New York last year and she also crushed Venus in the Miami final in April. The Belgian (trading around [1.86] to beat Venus in straight sets) should triumph again on Friday and reach another U.S. Open final.

If Wozniacki and Clijsters do come through, the final is likely to be much tighter and of higher quality than last year, when the Belgian's greater experience of the big occasion helped her prevail in straight sets.

Wozniacki is a better player now with more experience of the big stage and has improved her game during the North American hard court season. Her defensive skills are outstanding - in my opinion, the best on the WTA Tour. But the big recent difference has proven to be Wozniacki's forehand. Criticized by many for being too defensive, the world number two has turned it into a weapon, which she hits from inside the baseline much more often than she did at this time last year. It was certainly a key factor behind her fourth round success over Sharapova.

Clearly, the one big question mark over the Dane obviously is that she still hasn't won her maiden major title yet. Indeed, since last year's U.S. Open, Wozniacki has just one Grand Slam quarter final appearance to her name this season, at Roland Garros. It means there is increasing pressure on her to breakthrough and claim a maiden major crown.

In contrast, ignoring her absences in 2004 and 2006-08 - Clijsters remains on a nineteen match winning streak in New York. Put simply, the Belgian has owned the Open, with 24 wins from her last 25 matches at Flushing Meadows. Despite her disappointments this season at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Clijsters loves New York's fast, true hard courts which suit her accurate powerful groundstrokes and consistent returns of serve.

But Clijsters is prone to lapses in focus during matches much more than during the first spell of her career. The Belgian has suffered blips in all her matches - except for an impressive fourth round destruction of a resurgent Ana Ivanovic. Clijsters also had her serve broken seven times during that quarter final victory over Stosur. If her level of performance fluctuates in similar fashion against a confident and hungry Wozniacki, the end result will be different this time around.