Tennis Betting Advice - January 2024
We've got 33/1 Linda in the semi finals...
Friday 5th January 2024
I always say that price is key.
At the start of the week, with the early markets going up for the first tournaments of the season. We were presented with the choice of backing two of our Ones to Watch in 2024 teenagers.
Mirra Andreeva, just 16 years of age and as such, attracting a lot of attention. Went off at just 12/1. As stated in our pre-season report, the main problem in backing the Russian teenager right now is the hype machine - and the short prices that that inevitably generates.
Instead, we went for 19-year-old Linda Noskova, at a more appealing and exciting 33/1 Each Way. That price actually drifted to 40/1 during the week. But young Linda is still very much standing. She’s now 18/1, with the bookies betting Win Only…
Noskova beat Andreeva, 2-0, in today’s WTA Brisbane quarter finals. I woke up early to follow it. This will surely be the first of many competitive matches between these two. A WTA and Grand Slam rivalry is expected to ensue.
Linda - the older and higher-ranked of these two talented teenagers - played an impressive match. There were a lot of classy rallies. You can watch the three-minute highlight reel on the official WTA Tour website, here.
Noskova was priced up as a 3/1 (4.0) underdog for that encounter, despite it being Mirra Andreeva’s first senior-level quarter final on the tour.
Our player is priced even bigger for tomorrow’s semi final, chalked up as a 7/2 (4.5) match outsider to beat Elena Rybakina. Those odds are more justified though, seeing as Wimbledon 2022 champion Rybakina is currently ranked no.4 in the world, and started the week here in Brisbane as the 9/2 (5.5) second favourite for the title.
Noskova is playing well though, and with four match wins under her belt already this week, confidence will be growing as the standard of opponent rises.
It’s a classic Ones to Watch situation for us: a teenage outsider, taking on an established, big-name favourite. I know which price I’d rather be on…
I’ll be back next week as we continue to build up to the Australian Open.
Enjoy the tennis…
P.S
Did you see my new ‘Notes from the tour’ feature this week? Catch up here.
Best wishes,
Oliver Upstone