Tennis Betting Advice - April 2023
One to Watch in Stuttgart - and my picks for the snooker...
Monday 17th April 2023
Good morning. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I love this time of year...
The lighter evenings come with a spring sporting calendar that always captures the imagination...
The Masters golf, the Boat Race, the Grand National... the London Marathon, the snooker World Championship...
Not to mention of course, the tennis tours moving onto clay for the run-up to the French Open.
I've got three bets to mention this morning, and get our week underway...
After another semi-final heart-breaker last week, with our player beaten from a set up in the semi once again. This time 11/1 shot Jannik Sinner missing out, after 25/1 Kamilla Rakhimova seven days earlier. We continue to knock on the door...
My first price-pick this week is for Qinwen Zheng at WTA Stuttgart, available at 50/1 in general this morning. With William Hill at a standout 66/1.
We've backed Zheng a couple of times over the last year or so. The 20-year-old from China, currently ranked no.25 in the world, is one to watch. She has a great serve, and a big game. There have been some fitness issues so far in her young career. But when the consistency comes, she'll be able to seriously climb the rankings, in my opinion.
And right now, at any given tournament, Qinwen Zheng has the look of a dangerous outsider lurking in the draw...
The big prices this week come with a caveat, in that, should she win her 1st round match today (11am UK time), Zheng will take on world no.1 Iga Swiatek in the 2nd round. However...
Reigning Stuttgart champion Swiatek will be making her 2023 tour debut on clay here. And this will be her first competitive outing since pulling out of Miami last month through injury. We know all about how good Iga is. But any rust here, and Zheng could spring an upset; indeed, the Chinese player has given her a very good match before...
Zheng and Swiatek met twice last year, including on clay at the French Open, where the Chinese player was the only woman to take a set off the Pole in the whole tournament. Qinwen also pushed the no.1 close in a three-setter on hard courts at San Diego.
Swiatek is 5/6 (1.83) in general to defend her Stuttgart crown this week. I'd rather be on the promising 50/1+ outsider in this instance.
Last but not least for this morning, after our profitable outing at the Masters golf over Easter. Another individual sport that I enjoy watching every April. The World Championship snooker...
Two players I like here, looking beyond the favourites at single-figure prices...
In the top half of the Crucible draw, three-time former champ Mark Williams at 22/1. He made the semi finals last year, and could go very deep again. He has the dig-in-and-grind qualities needed for the Sheffield slog. The Welshman is 4-5 down with his 1st round match v Jimmy Robertson resuming this afternoon (it's first to 10 frames). The bookies still make Williams odds-on to win the match. I reckon it's worth taking advantage of the slight price drift that that score-line has caused in the Outright Winner market overnight, with Williams more like 20/1, 18/1 & 16/1 before the opening break at the weekend.
And in the bottom half, a man seeking to win the World Championship for the first time, and in doing so, complete the career Triple Crown - Mark Allen at 16/1. The Northern Irishman looks to have done all the right prep for this year's trip to the Crucible theatre, which is not something that could always be said about Mark in years gone by. In short, it looks like he's got his head straight - getting a sports psychologist onboard, losing weight, and bringing positive energy to the table. Allen is up to a career-best no.3 in the rankings. Perhaps this could be his year...
As ever, my advice is to go Each Way (1/2 odds 1-2 places). The snooker resumes at 10am today and the World Championship Outright market tends to stay up during play. The top prices of 22/1 Williams and 16/1 Allen are both available with Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook, and Betway.
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WTA Stuttgart - Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Outright Winner - Each Way (1/2 odds 1-2 places):
Qinwen Zheng @ 66/1 William Hill, 50/1 Betfred, Bet365, BetVictor, Unibet, Boylesports
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Play starts in Stuttgart from 11am, at which point bookies will take down the Outright market for the day.
P.S
Want to get in touch? Email me at: tom.wilson@oxonpress.co.uk
Enjoy the tennis…
Best wishes,
Tom Wilson