WTA Charleston: Follow this in-form Russian at 20/1…

Wednesday 3rd April 2024

In yesterday’s email we got two hometown picks down for WTA Charleston…

After former Charleston champ – and this week’s 8th seed – Madison Keys was knocked out in a three-setter last night. This morning’s revised Outright Winner market for the Credit One Charleston Open has seen the price of our 125/1 & 100/1 outsider, Shelby Rogers, cut to 66/1 in general. With William Hill now a standout 80/1 as I write, while 888 Sport are as short as 50s.

Our other Each Way pick, Emma Navarro, is still available at the advised 14/1 with Bet365, Hills, and BetVictor.

Follow this in-form Russian at 20/1…

Rogers and Navarro are both in the bottom half of the Charleston draw. In the top half, there’s one name I want to add today at 20/1, and that’s the big-hitting EKATERINA ALEXANDROVA…

The 29-year-old Russian is up to a new highest ranking of no.15 in the world. On the back of some strong showings in recent months, including two semi finals and a final so far in 2024.

Alexandrova has won four full-level WTA titles in her career – two on outdoor hard courts in Asia, and two on grass in the Netherlands. Ekaterina’s last clay-court singles silverware came 10 years ago in Germany, on the lower-tier ITF circuit. However…

As we discussed yesterday, the ‘green clay’ at this LTP Daniel Island venue doesn’t play like normal clay. And big servers and heavy ball strikers have done well here before, regardless of career clay success elsewhere on the tour…

Alexandrova’s record here in Charleston speaks to that. The clean-hitting right-hander reached the quarter finals here last season – and the semi finals the year before…

I’ve spoken before about Ekaterina’s game being hit or miss (double faults usually being a telltale sign during matches). She beat world no.1 Iga Swiatek just the other day though, and that’s got to be good for your confidence. Alexandrova holds a 2-0 head-to-head record against tonight’s opponent, Taylor Townsend of the USA.

Before leaving the tour to become a mother, Townsend lifted trophies here in Charleston three times, at the lower-tier ITF event staged in this same location. Taylor will also have the home crowd rooting for her this evening. And while the American has lost two out of two previous meetings with Alexandrova, both have gone the full distance to three sets…

Which leads me to my next point…

Three-set scraps in store…

Ones to Watch reader Peter J wrote in last month saying he enjoyed the 2-1 Set Betting picks at Indian Wells – and asking for more…

With this week’s Charleston event already serving up the longest WTA match of the season to date, and tournament favourite Jessica Pegula also pushed all the way to a deciding-set tiebreak last night. This event does look ripe for going after some more three-sets scraps…

My selections in the Set Betting market here, with play starting in these matches from 5.30pm (note: the Outright Winner betting will go down from 4pm)…

Three 2-1 picks, with the advice being to play small stakes for big odds… splitting a stake four ways across a Trixie, which is three doubles and the treble.

All major bookies offer the Set Betting markets. William Hill have the best prices for these three today. With 16/5 (4.2) apiece, and the treble coming out at 73/1. Any two pays just over 16/1 for a double…

Set Betting:

• Ekaterina Alexandrova to win 2-1 v Taylor Townsend – as discussed, the head-to-head is 2-0 to the Russian, but both have gone to 3 Sets…

• Elina Svitolina to win 2-1 v Daria Saville – a long-standing rivalry here, with the career head-to-head 7-3 to the favourite, Svitolina (although they haven’t played each other since 2019…). As with Alexandrova today, this is Elina’s first clay-court match of the season, against an opponent who has already been out and won on this track. In other words, I could see the Ukrainian taking time to adjust, before rallying to get the win in the full number of sets…

• Beatriz Haddad Maia to win 2-1 v Caroline Dolehide – Haddad Maia has long been on our list for 2-1 Set Betting picks. The Brazilian has been responsible for some of the longest and most gruelling three-set battles on the tour in recent seasons. America’s Dolehide has gone to 3 Sets in 5 of her last 6 matches…

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Ones to Watch picks:

See above for full details

WTA Charleston – Credit One Charleston Open

Outright Winner – Each Way (1/2 odds 1-2 places):

• Ekaterina Alexandrova @ 20/1 William Hill, Bet365, BetVictor, Ladbrokes, Coral, 888 Sport, Boylesports, LiveScoreBet, Betway

Set Betting – matches as listed above:

• TRIXIE. Alexandrova 2-1, Svitolina 2-1, Haddad Maia 2-1 – best odds William Hill (73/1 the treble)

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You can watch the Credit One Charleston Open live on Sky Sports, and with bookies such as Bet365.

Next week we’ll be off to Monte Carlo for the glamourous Rolex Masters…

P.S
Want to get in touch? Email me at:

oliver.upstone@oxonpress.co.uk

Enjoy the tennis…

Best wishes,

Oliver Upstone

Ones to Watch