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Zheng vs Potapova Prediction (R16): 2024 WTA Dubai Tennis – ThePicks

Admin — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 04:28:18 +0000

China’s Qinwen Zheng will face Anastasia Potapova at the 2024 WTA Dubai tennis tournament in an upcoming match. Zheng made the Australian Open final earlier this season but went out of the R16 in Doha last week. She will be trying to avoid back-to-back exits in the round with a win over Potapova. This will be a round-of-sixteen match in the tournament, one that is known as the 2024 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. My Zheng vs Potapova prediction is that the latter play will hit for her handicappers.

Order of Play: Right-click/Open in the New Tab to check match times: subject to change

Qinwen Zheng vs Anastasia Potapova Head-to-Head Series

The Zheng vs Potapova h2h is 2-1 in favor of the former player. All of their matches have been played in recent seasons, with two in 2023 and one in 2022. Potapova beat Zheng last season in Miami while Zheng previously won at Adelaide. In 2022, Zheng won a match at the US Open against Potapova. For rankings, this is the No. 7 in Zheng against the No. 35 in Potapova.

On short-term form, Zheng’s resume does not require much review. She lost in the Australian Open final after a weak draw that helped her get to the final. She was good to close the 2023 season as well, so it’s not like she just flicked a light switch on for one tournament. In the first round of Dubai, she beat Nao Hibino two sets to one.

Potapova was quiet for the latter part of the 2023 season. She is in her 5th event of 2024 in Dubai. So far she is 7-4 on the season but she does not have any kind of head-turning result or match-win. At odds of just +175 on her moneyline, bettors should feel a bit disappointed.

The Draw: Right-click/Open in the New Tab for the draw for the 2024 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Zheng vs Potapova Prediction: Potapova +3.5

Zheng has won a lot of matches lately. However, let’s count up all the matches that she has won in straight sets.

So far this season, she has played in 13 matches. She has lost at least one set in nine of those matches. Expressed differently, she has only won in straight sets four times. I have to say that I like the game handicap on Potapova better in this one than bets on Zheng. Potapova is at +3.5 and odds of -120 (bet365). Zheng has lost a lot of sets lately by at least one break. If that happens to Potapova’s benefit then that +3.5 handicap will look huge.

Potapova vs Zheng prediction: Draw at the 2024 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

The winner of this match will be looking at a likely match against Iga Swiatek. It’s not likely that either Potapova or Zheng will slow the World No. 1 down.

Additional reading: All previews for upcoming tennis matches!

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Maria Sakkari vs. Jasmine Paolini odds, tips and betting trends | Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Admin — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 18:57:00 +0000

In the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Round of 16 on Wednesday, No. 11-ranked Maria Sakkari meets No. 26 Jasmine Paolini. Sakkari is the favorite against Paolini, with -200 odds compared to the underdog’s +155.

Sakkari defeated Emma Navarro 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday in the Round of 32 in her most recent match.

Paolini heads into this match following a two-set win against Leylah Annie Fernandez (6-3, 6-4) in her last match on Tuesday in the Round of 32.

Tennis odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Tuesday at 11:46 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Sakkari vs. Paolini match information

Tournament: The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Round: Round of 16
Date: Wednesday, February 21
Venue: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Court Surface: Hard

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Match odds

Maria Sakkari		Jasmine Paolini
-200	Odds to Win Match	+155
+2000	Odds to Win Tournament	+10000

Sakkari stats

Sakkari has played 52 matches over the past year (across all court surfaces), and 21.1 games per match.
In her 36 matches on hard courts over the past year, Sakkari has played an average of 21.2 games.
In terms of serve/return winning percentages over the past 12 months, Sakkari has won 70.6% of her games on serve, and 31.7% on return.
On hard courts over the past 12 months, Sakkari has won 31.1% of her return games and 70% of her service games.
Sakkari has won 72.9% of her service games over her last 10 tournaments, and 28.8% of her return games.
Sakkari is 183rd in break points won on all surfaces over the past 12 months, converting 170 of 411 (41.4%).
Including all surfaces, Sakkari has converted 60 of 148 break points (40.5%) over her last 10 tournaments.

Paolini stats

Paolini has played 54 matches in the past year across all court surfaces, averaging 21.5 games per match and winning 50.0% of those games.
On hard courts, Paolini has played 38 matches and averaged 20.3 games per match and 9.5 games per set.
Including all surfaces, Paolini’s service game winning percentage is 63.1% in the past year, and her return game winning percentage is 35.4%.
Paolini has 228 wins in 364 service games on hard courts (62.6%), and 134 wins in 354 return games (37.9%).
In terms of serve/return winning percentages over her last 10 tournaments, Paolini has won 62.4% of her games on serve, and 39.4% on return.
In the past year, Paolini is 180-for-404 on break points, 44.6%, to rank 170th.
Including all surfaces, Paolini has converted 95 of 202 break points (47.0%) over her last 10 tournaments.

Head-to-head matchups

Sakkari and Paolini played in the French Open Round of 64 on June 3, 2021. Sakkari took it 6-2, 6-3.
Sakkari and Paolini have contested two sets, and Sakkari has won all of them.
Sakkari has won 12 games against Paolini (70.6%) compared to Paolini’s five.
Sakkari and Paolini are averaging 17 games and two sets in their one match against each other.

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Magdalena Frech vs. Petra Martic odds, tips and betting trends | Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Admin — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 18:46:00 +0000

Petra Martic (No. 61) will take on Magdalena Frech (No. 53) in the Round of 32 of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday, February 20. Martic is the favorite (-125) in this matchup, compared to the underdog Frech, who is +100.

In her last match on Sunday, Frech knocked off Ekaterina Alexandrova in two sets, 7-6, 6-3, to advance past the Round of 64.

Martic’s last match on Monday was a two-set win over Caroline Dolehide 6-4, 7-6 in the Round of 64.

Tennis odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Monday at 11:46 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Frech vs. Martic match information

Tournament: The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Round: Round of 32
Date: Tuesday, February 20
Venue: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Court Surface: Hard

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Match odds

Magdalena Frech		Petra Martic
+100	Odds to Win Match	-125
+20000	Odds to Win Tournament	+20000

Frech stats

Frech has played 70 matches over the past year (across all court types), and 21.9 games per match.
Through 48 matches over the past year on hard courts, Frech has played 21.2 games per match and won 51.1% of them.
Frech has won 34.7% of her return games over the past 12 months, and 65.4% of her service games.
Frech has won 63.5% of her service games on hard courts and 34.8% of her return games over the past 12 months.
Over her last 10 tournaments, Frech has won 37.8% of her return games and 66.4% of her service games.
Including all surfaces over the past 12 months, Frech has converted 174 of 400 break points (43.5%).
Over her last 10 tournaments, Frech has converted 90 of 214 (42.1%) break points on all surfaces.

Martic stats

In her 41 matches in the past year across all court surfaces, Martic is averaging 22.9 games per match while winning 49.4% of those games.
Martic is averaging 23 games per match and 9.6 games per set in 23 matches on hard courts in the past year.
Martic has amassed a service game winning percentage of 71.5% on all surfaces (311-for-435 in service games) and a return game winning percentage of 24% (96-for-400 in return games).
Martic has a 71.5% winning percentage in service games while playing on hard courts, and a 22.7% winning percentage in return games.
In terms of serve/return winning percentages over her last 10 tournaments, Martic has won 72.3% of her games on serve, and 22.8% on return.
Martic has won 40.5% of her break points in the past 12 months (111 out of 274, which ranks 227th).
Martic has converted 40.8% of her break-point chances (62 of 152) over her last 10 tournaments.

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Maria Sakkari vs. Emma Navarro odds, tips and betting trends | Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Admin — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 08:46:00 +0000

Emma Navarro (No. 23) will face Maria Sakkari (No. 11) in the Round of 32 of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday, February 20. Against the underdog Sakkari (+105), Navarro is favored (-135) to make it to the Round of 16.

Sakkari last competed on February 13, 2024 at the Qatar Total Open 2021, where she fell to Linda Noskova (6-3, 6-7, 5-7) in the Round of 32.

Navarro won her most recent match on Sunday in the Round of 64 over Katerina Siniakova 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Tennis odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Monday at 11:46 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Sakkari vs. Navarro match information

Tournament: The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Round: Round of 32
Date: Tuesday, February 20
Venue: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Court Surface: Hard

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Match odds

Maria Sakkari		Emma Navarro
+105	Odds to Win Match	-135
+5000	Odds to Win Tournament	+5000

Sakkari stats

Sakkari has played 52 matches over the past 12 months across all court types, and 21.1 games per match.
Through 36 matches over the past year on hard courts, Sakkari has played 21.2 games per match and won 50.7% of them.
Over the past year, Sakkari has won 70.6% of her service games and 31.7% of her return games.
Sakkari has won 70% of her service games on hard courts and 31.1% of her return games over the past year.
Sakkari has won 72.9% of her service games over her last 10 tournaments, and 28.8% of her return games.
Sakkari has converted 41.4% of her break-point chances overall (170 of 411) over the past year.
Sakkari has converted 60 of 148 break points (40.5%) over her last 10 tournaments.

Navarro stats

In her 51 matches in the past year across all court surfaces, Navarro is averaging 21.4 games per match and winning 53.8% of those games.
Navarro is averaging 22.7 games per match and 9 games per set in 35 matches on hard courts in the past 12 months.
Including all surfaces, Navarro’s service game winning percentage is 65% in the past 12 months, and her return game winning percentage is 41.6%.
Navarro has 211 wins in 330 service games on hard courts (63.9%), and 143 wins in 329 return games (43.5%).
Over her last 10 tournaments, Navarro has won 44% of her return games and 65.1% of her service games.
Navarro is 163rd in break point winning percentage in the past year, at 49.6% after going 189-for-381.
Navarro has converted 51.6% of her break-point opportunities (133 of 258) over her last 10 tournaments.

Head-to-head matchups

Sakkari and Navarro played in the San Diego Open quarterfinals on September 14, 2023. Navarro took it 6-4, 0-6, 7-6.
In three total sets against one another, Navarro has won two, compared to Sakkari’s one.
Sakkari and Navarro have played 29 games in all, and Sakkari has won more (16).
Sakkari and Navarro have met one time, and have averaged 29 games and three sets per match.

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Preview and best bets for ATP Tour action in Rio, Doha and Los Cabos.

Admin — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 13:33:46 +0000

Qatar ExxonMobil Open

Doha, Qatar (outdoor hard)

This looks a tricky tournament to call.

For a start, most of the field are moving from the indoor conditions of Europe to outdoor ones in the Middle East, where they also compete in Dubai next week.

Then there’s the variable conditions of Doha to contend with. While the Plexicushion courts aren’t the quickest, the speed isn’t too sluggish in the heat of the day, but they tend to be considerably slower once the temperature drops in the evening.

Scheduling is tough for a punter to second-guess, although it’s fair to say the higher seeds are more likely to play at night with the marquee match usually scheduled third on the order of play.

They include tournament favourite Andrey Rublev, who certainly has the ability to claim this title – he’s the only top-15 player in the field.

A winner here in 2020 – the last time the event was held in its original early-January slot – Rublev is no bigger than 3/1 for a repeat four years on but I’m not particularly enthused.

He was beaten by Alex de Minaur in Rotterdam’s quarter-finals last week and generally isn’t a player I like to back as a favourite.

I don’t think he’s at his best right now and while I wouldn’t be surprised were he to lift the trophy next Saturday, I won’t be too regretful if he does.

There are plenty of other players who have shown some decent form in recent weeks but I’m reluctant to get with several of them.

Alexander Bublik is 8-3 so far in 2024 and won the title in Montpellier earlier this month.

However, the Kazakh has never won back-to-back matches in Doha or Dubai – seven visits in total – and I’d want more than 8/1 to support him this week.

Ugo Humbert is another recent champion – this column backed him at 12/1 when he won in Marseille – but, like Bublik, he’s stepping out of his favoured indoor conditions and the desert winds may well disrupt a serve which was in fine working order in the south of France.

Tallon Griekspoor, our 50/1 pick who made it to the Rotterdam semis, will also have his backers this week at 16/1.

However, last week would have been a hard one mentally, playing in front of his home fans, and it would be no surprise to find the Dutchman a little jaded.

I was tempted by a couple of old-timers, who have strong records in this event.

Roberto Bautista-Agut is a two-time champion (2022, 2019) and also made the final in 2021.

However, after making a decent start to his injury comeback in Hong Kong in the opening week of the season (made QFs), the Spaniard has really struggled for wins and while he’s clearly going to enjoy the conditions, I don’t see enough in his form to warrant backing him at 30/1.

I came close to giving Gael Monfils another chance given he’s 22/1 this week.

The Frenchman is another to have won the title her before, in 2018, and I’ve mentioned already this season about how history shows the best time to back him is in the opening two months of the year when his body is fresh – six of his last eight titles have come during that period of the season.

After beating Denis Shapovalov, he tested Jannik Sinner in Rotterdam last week, eventually going down in three sets, which is a sign he’s picking up after some disappointing early-season defeats.

He’s pretty well drawn – the seeds in his quarter are Humbert and Lorenzo Musetti – but I’ve had a few too many disappointments of late with Monfils so it’s to another 22/1 shot I’m turning.

ALEXANDER SHEVCHENKO is another player who has shown some decent form in the early weeks of the campaign.

The Kazakh has certainly enjoyed the recent indoor swing, making quarter-finals in Montpellier and Rotterdam.

A look into the details is encouraging. It took eventual champion Bublik (in a final set) to stop Shevchenko in Montpellier, while in Rotterdam Holger Rune was beaten before a narrow three-set loss to Grigor Dimitrov.

In between, there was an early exit in Marseille, although losing to top seed Hubert Hurkacz was hardly an awful result.

Maybe something similar will happen here – if he beats Richard Gasquet in round one, Shevchenko will meet Rublev.

However, that looks an awkward opener for the Russian. The pair are yet to meet.

A player on the up, Shevchenko looks ready to start winning some big matches and if he manages to do that against Rublev, the draw would really open up.

It’s not a tournament for big stakes but a small bet on Shevchenko at 22/1 looks worth a try.

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Taylor Fritz vs Tommy Paul Prediction: Bet on the favourite to win

Admin — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 07:14:00 +0000

Prediction for the ATP Delray Beach match which will take place on February 19. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

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Taylor Fritz

Taylor Fritz played three matches in Delray Beach, knocking out Borges, Hijikata and Giron without losing a set. The semi-final against Giron lasted an hour and 50 minutes and Fritz won it 7:6, 6:2. During the game Fritz had 10 aces and one double fault, won 74% of his points on first serve and 42% on second serve.

Tommy Paul

Before coming to Delray Beach, Tommy Paul won a tournament in Dallas, outlasting Giron in three sets in the final. At the current tournament, Paul has knocked off Mickelsen, Thompson and Tiafoe, losing only one set. The match against Tiafoe lasted an hour and 2 minutes, with the score 6:2, 6:2 in Paul’s favour. During the game Paul had 8 aces and one double fault, won 81% of his points on first serve and 73% on second serve.

Expert Betting Tips

We believe that Taylor Fritz will get a victory over Tommy Paul on Monday, so to speak, to take revenge from his compatriot for the defeat in Acapulco last year. Fritz is in great shape, which is evident from the American’s results at the current tournament. Taylor beat Giron in two sets, while Paul had problems against Marcos in the final of the tournament in Dallas. In this pairing we are on the side of the favourite, we believe that Fritz will take revenge in two games.

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Preview and best bets for ABN AMRO Open, Delray Beach Open & IEB+ Argentina Open

Admin — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 15:18:40 +0000

There are three tournaments taking place this week on the ATP Tour and our Andy Schooler has previewed them all, with 50/1 and 66/1 picks among his selections.

Tennis betting tips: ATP Tour

0.5pt e.w. Tallon Griekspoor in the ABN AMRO Open at 50/1 (General)

0.5pt e.w. Marton Fucsovics in the ABN AMRO Open at 66/1 (Coral, Ladbrokes, BoyleSports)

1pt e.w. Marcos Giron in the Delray Beach Open at 20/1 (BoyleSports)

1pt e.w. Alejandro Tabilo in the IEB+ Argentina Open at 30/1 (BetVictor)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

ABN AMRO Open

Rotterdam, Netherlands (indoor hard)

Two weeks on from his Australian Open triumph, Jannik Sinner returns to action in Rotterdam.

Sinner, a pick of this column in Melbourne, fully deserved his maiden Grand Slam triumph, continuing impressive form which stretches back through the second half of last season.

However, I’m surprised to see him at just 13/10 to win this week and certainly have no interest in backing him against what is a strong field, including six of the world’s top 13.

You can never really tell how a player will react mentally to such a major breakthrough and anyone could be forgiven for basking in the glory for a little while to fully appreciate the achievement.

There were certainly celebrations in Rome and while we do know Sinner was practising back home in Monte Carlo (on outdoor hardcourts) last week, his draw alone suggests 5/4 is an overreaction by the layers.

Home hope Botic van de Zandschulp will be determined to put on a good show in front of the Dutch fans in round one, while two-time champion Gael Monfils could follow.

Alexander Bublik, the recent winner in Montpellier, is a potential quarter-final foe, while Hubert Hurkacz or Ugo Humbert – both of whom bedded in well on the indoor hardcourts with deep runs in Marseille over the past week – could await in the last four.

That’s tough and shows the difficulty of these 500-level draws.

In short, there are plenty of alternatives in the top half, although I’m not sure conditions will work for several of them.

Rotterdam’s Proflex courts have proved sluggish in the past while the Dunlop balls used here are the ‘fluffy’ ones which came in for much criticism last season, notably from the man who won here, Daniil Medvedev.

It should certainly play slower than in Marseille, which won’t help the likes of Bublik, Hurkacz and Humbert, for whom the serve is a key shot.

Monfils could handle that and his record here warrants respect. However, his form has been disappointing so far in 2024.

Another player who has proved he can play in these conditions catches the eye at a big price though and that’s Dutchman TALLON GRIEKSPOOR.

He made the semi-finals here 12 months ago, defeating Alex Zverev en route to the last four.

After making two ATP finals during the summer, he added late-season indoor wins over Alex de Minaur and Frances Tiafoe.

More good signs have been shown so far in 2024, Griekspoor beating Roman Safiullin and Arthur Fils at the Australian Open, while he’s already settled into the European indoor swing by notching two victories in helping the Netherlands reach the Davis Cup Finals.

That tie was in Groningen, meaning Grieskpoor has now spent a few weeks in his homeland. He lives close to Rotterdam and such home comforts should help.

The 27-year-old is in the same quarter as Humbert – at time of writing due to contest the final in Marseille – and Hurkacz.

But as already stated, conditions suit both men less here than they did in the south of France and I think that Griekspoor is worth a punt at 50/1.

It is an event which has thrown up the odd surprise – Martin Klizan winning the title in 2016 springs to mind – and while the field is a strong one, there are reasons to take on some of the market leaders.

Examples in the bottom half include Grigor Dimitrov, the other Marseille finalist. He’s now 32 and a three-hour semi-final on Saturday added to his workload and he could well be a bit jaded for this week. There’s no first-round bye either.

Holger Rune is another I’m struggling to trust a lot at present.

While I do expect him to improve, last week he suffered the loss of Boris Becker from his coaching team so things look rather up in the air again for the Dane, who suffered a surprise early loss to Arthur Cazaux at the Australian Open.

He made a quick return in Montpellier where he was last seen retiring from his semi-final due to a problem with his right arm.

A first-round encounter with Roman Safiullin subsequently looks rather tricky.

The Dimitrov/Rune quarter looks ripe for a surprise and the man I’m going to side with is MARTON FUCSOVICS.

The Hungarian is another with a proven track record in Rotterdam, making the final here in 2021. He’s also reached two other quarter-finals, meaning he’s progressed to the last eight on three of his four visits.

Including qualifying, Fucsovics holds an 11-4 win-loss record at the event and that warrants more respect than odds of 66/1 are giving him.

His flat, hard-hitting game has the ability to cut through the sluggish surface and he looks capable of outperforming such quotes.

Fucsovics also played Davis Cup recently, posting an impressive victory over world number 24 Jan-Lennard Struff in his only rubber.

That should set him up nicely for a return to a venue which will provide good memories.

I like his chances in this quarter, although perhaps the problem will come after that with Alex de Minaur and Adrey Rublev both in the bottom quarter.

Both should be OK with the conditions. De Minaur started the season well Down Under, with a victory over Novak Djokovic already on his 2024 CV, while Rublev made the Australian Open quarter-finals and has an excellent record in these ‘500’ events, one which includes a title here in 2021.

Both hold decent claims but I’m going to go with the long-shot punt on Fucsovics to small stakes.

Delray Beach Open

Delray Beach, USA (outdoor hard)

The top four seeds on the Florida coast this week are all from the world’s top 20 but I’m not that keen on backing the market leaders here.

Taylor Fritz is a worthy favourite following his run to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open but he was not without his struggles in Melbourne and didn’t seem to be at the top of his game.

This will be his first run-out since losing to Novak Djokovic but he is the defending champion so does know what it takes to succeed in what are often windy conditions.

The Plexipave court tends to favour the big servers too – another tick in the Fritz box – with Hubert Hurkacz, Reilly Opelka, Sam Querrey and Ivo Karlovic all winners here in the past decade.

However, a price of 5/2 just doesn’t make a great deal of appeal.

Tiafoe is more easily overlooked.

He’s won just five of his last 15 matches and has won back-to-back just once since the US Open.

Tommy Paul looks a better option in the bottom half. He’ll arrive here off the back of a final run in Dallas, where he upset Ben Shelton, but he has never been to back-to-back finals on the ATP Tour, while the last time he achieved that feat at any level was on the Challenger Tour in 2019.

He also in a tricky section which includes Dan Evans and Jordan Thompson, both of whom I considered backing.

Evans (25/1) is a former finalist in Delray Beach but he suffered a calf injury at the end of last season and looked a little rusty in Australia.

With a couple of weeks training behind him, perhaps he can make an impact here but drawing Thompson in round one isn’t ideal.

The Aussie has been a good form so far this season, beating Rafael Nadal en route to the Brisbane semis, while last week he made the last eight in Dallas where he pushed Shelton to a deciding set.

Thompson at 14/1 almost got the nod but a 0-3 record (all in straight sets) against Evans is rather off-putting and so I’m going to put all my eggs into one basket here by backing a player who caught the eye in Dallas and that’s MARCOS GIRON.

At time of writing, the American is due to play in the final in Texas where he’s really impressed on serve, holding onto his own delivery throughout the first four rounds.

While moving outside will present something of a challenge, if Giron is able to continue that serving form here, conditions should allow him to keep on winning.

He’ll open against wild card Emilio Nava which should give him some wiggle room in terms of settling into outdoor conditions, while a rematch with Adrian Mannarino – the other member of those top four seeds – could follow.

Giron crushed the Frenchman for the loss of only four games in Dallas and you have to wonder whether that result could be turned around in such quick time.

Giron could meet Fritz in the last four but the underdog would not be fazed by that match-up.

The pair’s last three meetings have all gone to a deciding set with Fritz winning twice.

However, Giron beat the likes of Holger Rune and Casper Ruud on outdoor hard in 2023 and given his current form, would fancy his chances.

It’s not a bet to get hugely involved with but at a best price of 20/1, I feel Giron has a decent chance this week.

IEB+ Argentina Open

Buenos Aires, Argentina (outdoor clay)

Carlos Alcaraz is the headline act in Buenos Aires this week and it’s no surprise to find the world number two installed as the odds-on favourite.

He won here last year in what was his first claycourt outing of the season and it would shock no-one were he to repeat the trick.

The Spaniard did lose to Alex Zverev in the Australian Open quarter-finals, proving upsets can happen, but you have to wonder who is likely to defeat him on his favourite surface this week, given there’s no-one of Zverev’s quality in the field – the next highest-ranked player is Cam Norrie (19).

The betting approach here is surely to try to find the finalist from the bottom half of the draw.

It’s led by the aforementioned Norrie, the man who lost to Alcaraz in last year’s final.

He’s the second favourite but could find early problems given he’ll be playing on clay for the first time since last year’s French Open and has landed in the same quarter as Federico Coria, Sebastian Baez and Luciano Darderi. The latter is into the final in Cordoba, while the other two lost in the semi-finals there.

Clearly all three are in decent form on the clay, although the thing to remember is that those who played in Cordoba are coming down from an altitude above 400m to play at sea level where conditions are some of the slowest on the tour.

My pick won’t be affected by that change though.

I backed ALEJANDRO TABILO last week in Cordoba but that bet was voided after he didn’t show up following his Davis Cup exploits – Tabilo won two rubbers to help Chile reach September’s Finals group stage.

The official reason given was a back injury but that was almost certainly a case of fatigue and prioritising what is important, and rest won the day.

He’s now won 23 of his last 26 matches at all levels, including a surprise ATP Tour title on the hardcourts of Auckland prior to the Australian Open.

Tabilo also won on clay at sea level in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on the Challenger Tour towards the end of last season and I’m sure he’ll be keen to keep his good form rolling.

He opens against Yannick Hanfmann, a player whose best results have come at a higher altitude, with the winner facing Arthur Fils or Dusan Lajovic.

Fils is a player I seriously considered backing – those who read my season previews will know he’s a player I’m expecting a lot of in 2024 – but facing the wily Lajovic in your opening claycourt match of the season is tricky.

In addition, Fils was beaten by Tabilo during the Chilean’s Auckland title run last month so ultimately I baulked at the 16/1 on offer.

The other seed in this quarter is Francisco Cerundolo. He made the final here three years ago but he’s won just two of his opening seven matches of the season.

The Argentine would have hoped a return to the clay would have helped correct that but instead he’s gone 1-2 on his favourite surface since returning to South America, including a straight-sets loss to world number 278 Timofey Skatov in the Davis Cup.

To me, Tabilo holds decent claims in this section and each-way odds of 30/1 appeal about him, albeit we’re only getting a third of the odds for a place in the final due to Alcaraz’s short price.

Posted at 1550 GMT on 11/02/24

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Jaume Munar vs Facundo Bagnis Prediction: Give Facundo Bagnis a chance!

Admin — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 04:37:11 +0000

Juame Munar and Facuno Bagnis will go head-to-head for a place in the semifinals of the ATP Cordoba tournament this year. Both tennis stars have played against each other 3 times in the past and their most recent meeting was at the ATP Marrakech tournament in Morocco in 2019, with Juame Munar emerging the winner in straight sets.

Jaume Munar have maintained an excellent start to the tournament, winning both games in straight sets, while Facundo Bagnis, who had a longer run since the qualifying round also had maintained an excellent run since then.

Both players will now face each and we can expect a top performance from this game.

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Jaume Munar

Jaume Munar is a Spanish tennis player currently ranked 74th on the ATP ranking. Munar has a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 52 achieved on 20 May 2019. He also has a career-high ATP doubles ranking of No. 149 achieved on 10 February 2020. He won his first ATP Tour match at the 2015 German Open. And he reached his first ATP singles final at the 2021 Andalucia Open in Marbella, Spain.

In the Grand Slam singles, Jaume Munar got to the 2nd round of the Australian Open in 2020 and 2024, and also in the French Open in 2018, 2021 and 2022. He also got into the 2nd round in Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023, and in the US Open in 2018.

And in the Grand Slam doubles, Jaume Munar got to the 2nd round in the Australian Open (2020), French Open (2023), US Open (2022) and to the 3rd round of Wimbledon (2021).

Jaume Munar defeated Daniel Elahi Galan in his first game of the tournament, beating him in straight sets, before beating Francisco Cerundolo in the next game, also in straight sets.

Facundo Bagnis

Facundo Bagnis has been in great form since the qualifying round of the tournament. He is an Argentine player currently ranked 207th on the ATP ranking and he has a career-high singles ranking of World No. 55 reached in November 2016. Facundo Bagnis has won 17 singles Challengers. He also won one ATP doubles title in Stuttgart.

In the singles Grand Slam tournaments, Facundo Bagnis got to the First round of the Australian Open (2017, 2022 & 2023), the 2nd round of the French Open (2014, 2016, 2021) and the 1st round of Wimbledon (2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022). He also got into the 3rd round of the US Open (2021).

And in the doubles Grand Slam tournaments, he got into the first round of the Australian Open (2017, 2022, 2023), French Open (2014,2017), Wimbledon (2021, 2022) and US Open (2021).

In his first game of the tournament, he defeated Juan Manuel Cerundolo in straight sets, before also defeating Roberto Carballes Baena in straight sets in the next round.

Head to Head

Juame Munar and Facundo Bagnis played 3 times against each other throughout their careers. Juame Munar won 2 times at the Challenger Caltanissetta 2018 and Marrakech Morocco 2019. while Facundo Bagnis won their first meeting at Challenger Lima 2017.

Analysis and Predictions

Both players have been clinical so far in the competition, as they have not lost a single set throughout. But that is bound to change when they meet each other in this game. Despite Juame Munar getting the nod, it would be foolish to underestimate Facundo Bagnis who has been in very fine form lately

Jaume Munar Win by (-1.5) Games Handicap at 1.65 Odds
Over 21 Games at 1.66 Odds
Juame Munar to Win First set at 1.66 Odds

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Emma Raducanu vs. Ons Jabeur odds, tips and betting trends | Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open

Admin — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 23:47:00 +0000

No. 296-ranked Emma Raducanu will face No. 6 Ons Jabeur in the Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open Round of 16 on Wednesday, February 7. With -115 odds, Raducanu is the favorite against Jabeur (-110) for this match.

Raducanu heads into the Round of 16 after her two-set win on Monday over Marie Bouzkova (6-4, 6-1) in the Round of 32.

Jabeur heads into this match following a two-set loss to Mirra Andreeva (0-6, 2-6) in her most recent match on January 16, 2024 in the Round of 64 at the Australian Open.

Tennis odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Wednesday at 8:45 AM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Raducanu vs. Jabeur match information

Tournament: The Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open
Round: Round of 16
Date: Wednesday, February 7
Venue: Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre
Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Court Surface: Hard

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Match odds

Emma Raducanu		Ons Jabeur
-115	Odds to Win Match	-110
+900	Odds to Win Tournament	+700

Raducanu stats

Raducanu has played 10 matches over the past 12 months (across all court surfaces), and 23.1 games per match.
In her nine matches on hard courts over the past 12 months, Raducanu has played an average of 24 games.
In terms of serve/return winning percentages over the past 12 months, Raducanu has won 69.8% of her games on serve, and 28.7% on return.
In terms of serve/return winning percentages on hard courts over the past year, Raducanu has won 72.2% of her games on serve and 30.6% on return.
Over her last 10 tournaments, Raducanu has won 33.6% of her return games and 69.4% of her service games.
Including all surfaces over the past year, Raducanu has converted 35.6% of her break-point opportunities (31 of 87).
Including all surfaces, Raducanu has converted 41.3% of her break-point opportunities (71 of 172) over her last 10 tournaments.

Jabeur stats

Jabeur is averaging 20.4 games per match through her 51 matches played in the past 12 months across all court surfaces, winning 54.2% of those games.
On hard courts, Jabeur has played 27 matches and averaged 20.7 games per match and 9.8 games per set.
Jabeur has a 66% service game winning percentage on all surfaces (343 service games won out of 520) and a 42.5% return game winning percentage (221 return games won out of 520).
While playing on hard courts, Jabeur has a 60.6% winning percentage in service games and a 41.1% winning percentage in return games.
Over her last 10 tournaments, Jabeur has won 41.4% of her return games and 66% of her service games.
Jabeur’s 213 break points (won on 444 total break points in the past 12 months — 48.0% winning percentage) rank 157th on tour.
Including all surfaces, Jabeur has converted 128 of 276 break points (46.4%) over her last 10 tournaments.

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Naomi Osaka vs. Danielle Collins odds, tips and betting trends | Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open

Admin — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 08:45:00 +0000

In the Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open Round of 32 on Tuesday, we have a matchup featuring No. 71-ranked Danielle Collins versus Naomi Osaka. In this Round of 32 matchup against Osaka (+122), Collins is favored to win with -155 odds.

Osaka’s most recent action was on January 15, 2024 at the Australian Open, when she fell 4-6, 6-7 to Caroline Garcia in the Round of 128.

Collins’ last match on Sunday was a two-set win over Linda Fruhvirtova 6-4, 6-3 in the qualifying round.

Tennis odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Tuesday at 3:45 AM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Osaka vs. Collins match information

Tournament: The Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open
Round: Round of 32
Date: Tuesday, February 6
Venue: Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre
Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Court Surface: Hard

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Match odds

Naomi Osaka		Danielle Collins
+122	Odds to Win Match	-155
+1500	Odds to Win Tournament	+2500

Osaka stats

Osaka has played three matches over the past year across all court types, and 25.7 games per match.
In her three matches on hard courts over the past year, Osaka has played an average of 25.7 games.
In terms of serve/return winning percentages over the past 12 months, Osaka has won 82.1% of her games on serve, and 18.4% on return.
On hard courts over the past 12 months, Osaka has won 18.4% of her return games and 82.1% of her service games.
Osaka has won 24.1% of her return games over her last 10 tournaments, and 77.1% of her service games.
Osaka has converted 30.0% of her break-point chances overall (six of 20) over the past 12 months.
Osaka has converted 41 of 107 break points (38.3%) over her last 10 tournaments.

Collins stats

Collins is averaging 21.9 games per match in her 36 matches played in the past 12 months across all court types, winning 51.8% of those games.
In 32 matches on hard courts in the past 12 months, Collins has averaged 21.5 games per match and 9.2 games per set, winning 52.6% of those games.
Including all surfaces, Collins’ service game winning percentage is 66.2% in the past year, and her return game winning percentage is 36.1%.
Collins is 210-for-320 in service games on hard courts (65.6%) and 119-for-310 in return games (38.4%).
Collins has won 67.7% of her service games over her last 10 tournaments, and 39% of her return games.
Collins ranks 213th in break point win percentage in the past 12 months, at 47.7% after going 127-for-266.
Over her last 10 tournaments, Collins has converted 85 of 178 (47.8%) break points on all surfaces.

Head-to-head matchups

Osaka and Collins have split 1-1 in two matches. Collins took their most recent clash on August 30, 2022, winning 7-6, 6-3.
Osaka and Collins have each taken two of four sets against the other.
Osaka and Collins have played 37 games in all, and Osaka has won more (21).
In two matches between Osaka and Collins, they are averaging 18.5 games and 2.0 sets per match.

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