The Malaysian Open tennis tournament proceeds to a batch of quarterfinal matches in Kuala Lumpur as we look at our Friday tennis picks. The previous round matchups were broken up with only three bouts happening on Thursday. In those showdowns, we saw Lin Zhu beat Zarina Diyas in straight sets. We also saw Cagla Buyukakcay take her match in straight sets over Kai-Chen Chang. The lone matchup that wasn’t a straight sets result was Elina Svitolina topping Risa Ozaki in an odd matchup. Svitolina won the first set 6-1 very easily but then lost the second set 3-6 before cruising in the third set 6-0. Ozaki clearly forgot to show up for two of the three sets, which is why she was eliminated.
Three seeded players remain, and two of them are part of this three-match card. Will we see some more upsets, or will this tournament produce matchups among the top players heading into the weekend’s semifinals?
Cagla Buyukakcay vs. Eugenie Bouchard
Odds: Bouchard -357
This is a match in which both players are surging. Buyukakcay was ranked outside the top 125 entering this tournament, but she had won a few main-draw matches in the Middle East before coming to Malaysia. She had already begun to develop momentum, and she has sustained it here. She won her second-round match in straight sets and was able to preserve a reasonable amount of energy for the next round. This would ordinarily put a player in a very good spot. However, Bouchard is playing even better than her opponent right now. The sixth-seeded Bouchard rolled through Kurumi Nara, 6-1, 6-2, to make the quarterfinals. Bouchard has to love the fact that everything worked for her on the court. It’s true that all matches aren’t going to be that easy, but the bigger point for Bouchard is that for someone who struggled so much with her game in 2015, it’s important to have a day when everything works well. That kind of experience might not be commonplace, but tasting success like that can really free up a player and get her to go for her shots more. Bouchard is showing signs of getting closer to the player she was in 2014, when she made multiple Grand Slam semifinals and the Wimbledon final. Bouchard has a long way to go to get back to that level, but she is headed there. She should be able to keep things moving along in this quarterfinal, so take her with your tennis picks.
Pick: Bouchard in three sets
Sabine Lisicki vs. Naomi Broady
Odds: Lisicki -167
This is a match in which the basic comparison of players should suggest that Lisicki, the third seed, should win. Lisicki has a more powerful serve and a lot more touch with her drop shots. Lisicki can belt the ball, but she can change pace quickly and without notice. She reached a Wimbledon final, which is much more than Broady can possibly claim on her resume. Lisicki should be the favorite. However, Lisicki is notorious for losing to players she shouldn’t lose to. She is inconsistent, and while she’s very talented, her focus can waver. This is basically a match in which you should bet on Lisicki, but not bet too much money, at least not any more than you absolutely have to. Take Lisicki with your tennis picks.
Pick: Lisicki in three sets
Lin Zhu vs. Qiang Wang
Odds: Wang -345
This is a match in which Zhu has served notice that she’ll be a force. She calmly blitzed Zarina Diyas in the previous round and is completely unbothered at the moment. Wang won in straight sets in her own right in the second round over Ying-Ying Duan. She will put up a good fight. However, this feels like Zhu’s match to lose. She was more impressive in the round of 16 and should carry her form a little more fully into this match. Take her with your tennis picks.
Pick: Zhu in three sets
Want to give your comments about this article? You can either leave them here or you can join us on the Get More Sports Forum and talk about this article and many more! Brag about your favorite team, argue about an athlete’s performance or tell us about a game you saw. Join a new community of sports fans who live and breathe sports and sports entertainment. It’s free! Join now!
