Tennis Betting Advice - August 2021
Bagel opportunity at 6/1...
Wednesday 25th August 2021
In Ones to Watch today:
We’re sticking in Cleveland for our pre-US Open tennis today. We’ve got two women through to the quarter finals there at the ‘Tennis in the Land’ event. And I’ve identified a match with a couple of score-line based betting opportunities this afternoon – see below for that one.
More withdrawals…
In this week’s ATP & WTA tournaments, with the US Open just days away, we’ve been noting the number of player withdrawals and injury retirements. As of yesterday morning, I’d jotted down 14.
After Tuesday’s action and news, I make it three more names to add to the list of missing players this week. Including one withdrawal going our way in Cleveland. Russian veteran, 36-year-old Vera Zvonareva has pulled out of her 2nd round match against Sara Sorribes Tormo. Granting our 12/1+ pick free passage through to tomorrow’s quarter finals.
In the top half of the WTA Cleveland draw, our other 12/1+ Outright Winner pick is also through to the last eight. Magda Linette looks to be slowly playing herself into some form. The Pole hasn’t been at her best against two low-ranked opponents so far, but has managed to squeeze through both in straight sets.
Yesterday’s 7-6, 6-4 victory over Linda Fruhvirtova was a better result against a player ranked no.376 than it might first look. The 16-year-old Fruhvirtova is very much one to watch for the future. Linette kept her cool to come through that test.
Siniakova to dominate today…
Staying in Cleveland, where the remaining quarter-final places are up for grabs today. There’s a betting opportunity for us in this afternoon’s encounter between Katerina Siniakova and Nagi Hanatani (4.30pm UK time).
We’ve been following Siniakova’s form this summer, as the world’s no.1-ranked Doubles player looks to make progress on the Singles stage. She won her 1st-round match here in Cleveland this week, beating world no.42 Shelby Rogers, 7-5, 6-1.
Today’s assignment presents a really, really strong chance for the Czech to reach another WTA Singles quarter final. Rankings of world no.53 v no.402 make this something of a mismatch…
Japan’s Nagi Hanatani is pretty fortunate to have got to this stage of the main draw proper. She actually lost in qualifying over the weekend. But was handed a place in the 1st round as a Lucky Loser, benefitting from one of those player withdrawals that we’ve been talking about.
And things got even sweeter for the 26-year-old, who has never been higher than no.356 in the WTA rankings. With her opponent Anna Blinkova also pulling out injured, after just one game of the first set of their 1st-round match.
With that backdrop, it’s no wonder the bookies have Siniakova priced up as an overwhelming favourite today. Katerina is an extremely short odds-on Match Winner bet, at just 1/25 (1.04). A £10 stake would win you 40 pence.
It’s not much better in the Set Betting market, with the favourite at 1/6 (1.17) to win in straight sets, 2-0.
For a better return for our money, we can look to profit from Siniakova putting together a professional performance – and reeling off a dominant score-line…
And remember – most if not all of Siniakova’s matches in that time have been against players competing much higher in the rankings, and on the full WTA Tour. While Hanatani mainly plies her trade on the lower-tier ITF circuit.
I reckon there’s a decent chance that we’ll see a ‘bagel’ 6-0 on the scoreboard in this match. Several bookies have got the 6-0 option in the 1st Set Correct Score market. And a couple also offer that 6-0 score for the 2nd Set. At odds of around 13/2 (7.5), I like the prices and I’m covering both.
For shorter odds, but covering more bases – you might also like Siniakova -7.5 Games Handicap at Evens+ (2.0+), which pays out if the favourite wins the match by a combined score of 8+ games. For example, 6-2, 6-2. Or 6-3, 6-1.
Skybet also have a few specials available. For example, in their ‘Match Dominance’ market, ‘Siniakova to win every set 6-0, 6-1 or 6-2’ is an 11/5 shot (3.2).
Ones to Watch
Katerina Siniakova v Nagi Hanatani
WTA Cleveland – Tennis in the Land
4.30pm UK time – Amazon Prime Video
Note: if you happen to be betting in-play, several bookies will offer the 6-0 Set Correct Scores, during the match.
I’ll be back soon with more. Our daily coverage of the US Open starts on Monday.
Enjoy the tennis…
Best wishes,
Tom Wilson