WTA Coupe Rogers 2014 Betting: In-form Ivanovic one to watch in Montreal

Ivanovic will fancy her chances in Montreal

The build-up to the US Open 2014 continues this week as Abelson Info focus on matters in Montreal with the Rogers Cup...

With such a competitive field, it promises to be a thrilling week of tennis action as the top stars in the ladies' game continue their preparations for New York.

However, world number two Li Na is absent from the draw as she announced this week that she would miss the US Open in order to rest her ailing knee, and the Chinese ace is undoubtedly a loss to the tournament.

Nevertheless, there are still so many big names on display and despite the fact that Serena Williams unsurprisingly comes into the tournament as favourite, recent slip-ups would suggest that she may not be as dominant as in previous years.

That theory will be tested given the fact that she will likely face Sam Stosur in the second round, and with the likes of Caroline Wozniacki, Eugenie Bouchard and Maria Sharapova all potentially standing in her way, it is entirely possible that an earlier than expected exit may be on the cards.

At the time of writing, Williams is going strong in Stanford after reaching the semi-finals, but as Ana Ivanovic proved in their clash on Friday, an inspired performance could have the world number one rocking.

However, perhaps the most exciting aspect of the tournament is the homecoming of Bouchard, who will undoubtedly have the backing of a noisy Montreal crowd behind her as she looks to continue a memorable run of form.

Although she was left disappointed at Wimbledon, the 20-year-old will be determined to bounce back as soon as possible, and where better to do so than in her hometown.

Meanwhile, the bottom half of the draw is even more open, with SW19 champion Petra Kvitova ranked the highest seed in a half containing the likes of Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska and Jelena Jankovic.

Kvitova broke Serena's dominance here back in 2012, and as a result the Czech ace will be up for the challenge as switches her attention to the hard court.

While she looks well placed to make a deep run at the tournament, it remains to be seen what Azarenka can produce after she fell short of reaching the quarter-finals in Stanford with a straight sets defeat to Venus Williams.

The American veteran conceded that Azarenka still has a champion's mentality, but ultimately given the lack of tennis she has played in recent months, she is still making uncharacteristic mistakes and trying to find her range.

Whether or not the Belarusian can correct those problems in Canada remains to be seen, but her odds reflect the fact that she isn't back to her best just yet.

The fairytale story in Montreal would be undoubtedly be a tournament triumph for Bouchard, but her path looks difficult.

As a result, look out for an in-form Ivanovic to emerge from the bottom half of the draw, with the Serbian ace having a winning record against likely opponents Zhang, Jankovic and Kvitova who all stand in her immediate way.

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