The Volvo Cars Open tennis tournament, in Charleston, South Carolina, gets started with the first round and so do our tennis picks. This is a tournament played on clay, but it’s green clay and not the red stuff which will be seen in Europe in the coming months. Who will get off to a solid start in this tour stop, located not too far from the previous stop in Miami?
We’ve already seen some early results come in. This morning, Yulia Putintsteva won in straight sets over Evgeniya Rodina. Rodina managed to win just two games the entire match. We also saw Shuai Zhang take care of Lesley Kerkhove in similar fashion as the latter won just three games. We also saw Daria Kasaktina win in straight sets over Saisai Zheng, and we saw Sam Stosur move on to the second round with a win over Aleksandra Krunic. So far, only one match has gone to three sets and that was Louisa Chirico’s win over Naomi Osaka. With that aside, here are our tennis picks for Tuesday’s action.
Angelique Kerber vs. Lara Veccino Arruabarena
Betting Odds: Kerber -667
Kerber has been one of the big stories on the women’s tennis circuit this season. She first came to light with her big win at the 2016 Australian Open, which was her first Grand Slam victory. She experienced some up and downs after that, which might make you a bit wary if you’re deciding whether or not to lay this type of juice with her for your tennis picks. However, she’s coming off a strong performance at the Miami Open, so it looks like her confidence is at a steady level right now. Beyond that, she’s playing a weak opponent in this spot. She’ll be taking on Lara Arruabarena, who is just the 80th-ranked player in the world. She’s more of a doubles player as evidenced by the fact that she’s got a record of 132-93 in doubles compared to 261-168 in singles. This is a tough ask of her. Kerber has flamed out in the first round in tennis tournaments in the past, but this shouldn’t be one of those spots. Take her with your tennis picks as Kerber should be moving on rather easily in this spot.
Pick: Kerber in straight sets
Lucie Hradecka vs. Monica Puig
This is a matchup which is very tough to call, and the best prediction is one which will expect three sets. Taking the over in an over-under of total games could be the optimal play here. Hradecka is ranked 21 spots lower, at 83 compared to 62 for Puig. Both players won only one main-draw match at the Miami Open on hardcourts. However, Hradecka beat Eugenie Bouchard, while Puig beat CiCi Bellis, a teenager just trying to find what it’s like to compete as a professional tennis player. The difference in those victories is enormous. Hradecka accomplished a lot more than Puig did. It’s only one match, but Hradecka’s lower ranking probably shouldn’t be viewed to obsessively in this case. She’s playing better tennis at the moment and will likely win in three. Take her with your tennis picks.
Pick: Hradecka in three sets
Bethanie Mattek-Sands vs. Teliana Pereira
This is a match which is very complicated to bet on. It’s in the United States, where Mattek-Sands will have an appreciative crowd behind her. On the other hand, it’s on a Tuesday, and on Sunday, Mattek-Sands just got finished winning the Miami Open doubles championship with Lucie Safarova. She could be tired and in position to suffer a real letdown. Yet, it was only doubles and not singles. What about Pereira? She’s ranked No. 49, which is very respectable. She comes from South America, which is a clay court continent. She should be comfortable on this surface. There are good arguments to make for both players, but Pereira gets a slight edge. Take her with your tennis picks.
Pick: Pereira in three sets
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