Tennis Betting Advice - September 2023

WTA Tokyo: Ones to Watch at 10/1 and 50/1...

Monday 25th September 2023

The tours are in Asia this month, including the ATP and WTA heading to China for the first time since before the pandemic…

That period of hiatus means there’s not much tournament-specific form to work off. But if we go with a combination of current momentum and youthful promise, respectively – then Maria Sakkari and Linda Noskova are two to follow in Tokyo this week…

Ones to Watch in Tokyo…

In recent months, Maria Sakkari has been one to avoid rather than one to follow. But things can change fast in sport. And as a massive ‘confidence’ player, this could be a good time to get behind the Greek. After waiting over four years for her second career WTA title, we might see London-bus syndrome play out here in the Japanese capital. You wait four years for a trophy – and then two come along at once…?

Sakkari won the high-ranking WTA 1000 title in Guadalajara, Mexico last week, without dropping a single set. The biggest result of her career. I said recently that for a Top 10 player, Maria hasn’t got enough silverware in the cabinet. There’s still time to put that right.

The 28-year-old, world no.6 can be backed as a general 7/1 shot to win WTA Tokyo this week, with Unibet going 10/1. Looking at the drawsheet, I can see the muscley right-hander getting through to the quarter finals, semis – and beyond. With last week’s WTA 1000 triumph a most welcome shot in the arm for a player who has openly stated that she has struggled with the pressures of being a high-profile sportsperson.

This Tokyo 500 draw has already seen three of the Top 8 Seeds pull out (Elena Rybakina, Marketa Vondrousova, and Barbora Krejcikova). Maria’s moment might be right now.

In the opposite side of the Tokyo draw, our teenage Ones to Watch pick Linda Noskova can continue to build on the hard-court promise that saw us take the plunge and back the 18-year-old Czech at massive odds for next January’s Australian Open – read more here.

Young Linda has made two WTA finals on hard courts this year, and we can expect more to come. Yet to taste full title-winning glory on the senior tour, let’s continue to back young Linda at big prices, while we still can. The teenager is a general 33/1 shot this week, with Unibet 40/1 – and Betfred a standout 50/1.

Tuesday’s play in Tokyo starts from 3am, UK time. Get your bets down this afternoon or this evening if you can…

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Ones to Watch picks:

WTA Tokyo Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis

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

Other bookies still to price-up as I write: Skybet, Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook.

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The WTA Tokyo, Toray Pan Pacific Open is being shown live on Amazon Prime Video.

Enjoy the tennis…

Best wishes,

Tom Wilson

Oliver Upstone

Ones to Watch