The U.S. Open women’s singles draw has thrown up some interesting first-round matches — not least an eye-catching Serena Williams vs. Maria Sharapova showdown.

Naomi Osaka will defend her title, with a surge of in-form players heading to New York desperate to topple the No. 1 seed.

The U.S. Open is split into eight sections, with four brackets eventually deciding the quarter-finalists. And sportsbooks have reacted to the draw by shifting their prices on a number of stars.

Here, we'll look at those four quarters in the US Open women’s singles draw, and where you could take advantage of the odds.

Quarter 1 - Gauff Faces Osaka Prospect

Wimbledon sensation Cori Gauff has a wildcard for the U.S. Open and is set to capture the nation’s imagination in New York. The 15-year-old beat Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon and will be looking to stun more opponents here. Gauff will play 18-year-old Russian Anastasia Potapova in the first round. And there is a very real chance of the American coming up against World No. 1 and defending champion Naomi Osaka in the third round.

There's nothing finer than @usopen prep in Carolina!@CocoGauff edged past Ashleigh Barty in an exhibition match at the @WSOpen --> https://t.co/JDbXWEJ5Hc pic.twitter.com/g9cgw31kJW

— WTA (@WTA) August 22, 2019

Kiki Bertens is also in the top quarter bracket of the women’s singles draw, and this has caused some concern among bookmakers. Osaka’s U.S. Open title odds have risen to +1100, with bookies seeing Gauff (+5000) and Bertens (+4000) as viable obstacles for Osaka to overcome.

Quarter 2 - Halep’s worrying draw

Simona Halep is the +800 second-favorite with bookmakers William Hill to win the U.S. Open title — but her price has already widened since the draw. Halep, seeded fourth, should have no problem in the early rounds but could face Caroline Wozniacki or Bianca Andreescu in the fourth. Even more worrying for Halep is the fact 11th seed Sloane Stephens or sixth seed Petra Kvitova could emerge in the quarters.

Now, Halep has a winning record over Kvitova (4-1) and Stephens (7-2) but a losing one with Wozniacki (5-2). The worry is Halep might not even reach the quarters, even though she won Wimbledon just two months ago.

Halep has not exactly impressed on the hard courts since that triumph on London and her widening odds expose doubts some tennis betting fans have in her going all the way here.

Andreescu, meanwhile, won the Canadian Open earlier this August and is on top form right now. Her draw - and the fact she comes into the U.S. Open as a recent hard-court title-holder - has seen her odds drop to +1200 with William Hill.

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Quarter 3 - Tough For Pliskova

Third seed Karolina Pliskova has arguably the toughest opening draw of the top seeds at Flushing Meadows. The Czech star is on a collision course with Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia, with whom she shares a 3-3 record. Pliskova and Garcia could meet in the third round, after which Jo Konta, Marketa Vondrousova or wildcard Sam Stosur could emerge in the fourth.

Good hit with the legend John McEnroe, still in great shape ??? pic.twitter.com/AmNHOlw1hf

— Karolina Pliskova (@KaPliskova) August 20, 2019

The women’s U.S. Open is expected to be competitive this year and Pliskova could well feel the brunt of that. Were she to escape her bracket, the 27-year-old could meet fifth seed Elina Svitolina or America’s in-form star Madison Keys in the quarters.

Pliskova has never won a Grand Slam and reached the US Open final back in 2016, where she lost to Angelique Kerber. At +1400 her odds have not moved since the draw, suggesting very few punters are looking at her.

Since winning the Eastbourne title Pliskova has not reached the quarter-final of a competition. It’s hard to see where she picks up winning form here in New York, especially considering the prospective opponents ahead of her.

Quarter 4 - Serena vs Sharapova Dominates

All eyes are on one first-round match in the seventh bracket of the US Open: Serena vs Sharapova. The pair hold a deep-set rivalry that has endured it’s tense and fractious moments over the years. Now both in the autumn of their careers, this may be the last time Williams and Sharapova meet on a Grand Slam court.

The rivalry intensified around the start of the decade when Sharapova simply could not beat Williams. Indeed, the record starts today at 19-3 in Williams’ favor — and one of those Sharapova victories was a walkover.

Sharapova has not beaten Williams since the WTA Championships in 2004. That was the same year the Russian won Wimbledon - in the final against Williams - as a 17-year-old.

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Bookmakers have opened up the market for Williams vs Sharapova, with 888Sport pricing the American at -300 to claim victory. Williams’ U.S. Open winning price also fell to +450 favorite once the draw was announced.

Elsewhere in the final quarter, second seed Ashleigh Barty will quietly get on with things knowing a potential fourth-round date with Angelique Kerber awaits. Now, Kerber is seeded 14th and has won just one match since reaching the Eastbourne final back in June. But the German’s talent remains despite her bad form — and she is a real threat to Barty’s chances here.

Welcome back to our 2016 champ!

? @AngeliqueKerber ? pic.twitter.com/0GPamhdr80

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 21, 2019

Kerber is better than her seeding suggests and her odds of +2500 to win the U.S. Open are very tempting indeed. Kerber endured ankle injuries earlier in the season but should be 100 percent fit for Flushing Meadows.

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