The Volvo Cars Open tennis tournament, in Charleston, South Carolina, progresses into the second round and so do our tennis picks. We didn’t have a very productive start to the tournament on Tuesday as we went 1-2 with our picks. Our lone winner was Angelique Kerber, who squeaked out a win by the slimmest of margins. She needed a third set tiebreak against Lara Arruabarrena to get the win. As for our other two plays, they didn’t work out as planned. Teliana Pereira failed against Bethanie Mattek-Sands. She actually won the first set but then ended up dropping the next two, winning just five games the rest of the way. As for our other selection, we had Lucie Hradecka to beat Monica Puig but that didn’t come to fruition. She lost in straight sets 6-3, 6-2.
This round has some enticing matchups with contrasting styles. The first match has a historical twist which might tempt bettors into a particular decision.
Jana Cepelova vs. Samantha Stosur
Betting Odds: Stosur -263
This is a match in which knowing a lot about history could actually be a disadvantage. It is possible to know too much, and here, knowing too much about Cepelova could lead a bettor to think that the 22-year-old will win this match.
Cepelova, two years ago, shocked everyone in tennis by beating Serena Williams in the early rounds of Charleston. That’s easily the biggest win of her career, and what’s more is that Cepelova didn’t wilt the day after, as so many tennis players do once they’ve pulled off a huge upset. Cepelova avoided a letdown and managed to win her way into the final of that tournament in 2014. Andrea Petkovic beat her in the final, but Cepelova showed that she was capable of doing something fairly special in women’s tennis. With that history in mind, maybe Charleston will be a charmed place again. Cepelova is two years older, after all. However, Cepelova really hasn’t done a whole lot in the intervening period of time.
It’s true that Samantha Stosur hasn’t done a whole lot, either, but Stosur is a veteran who has made the final of the French Open in the past. Her kick serve explodes on clay, and she just defeated another talented youngster, Aleksandra Krunic, in the first round. Cepelova is also a lucky loser here, meaning that she lost in the qualifying rounds but took advantage of a pullout from someone else. This is Stosur’s match to lose, so take her with your tennis picks.
Pick: Stosur in straight sets
Lucie Safarova vs. Louisa Chirico
Betting Odds: Safarova -165
This is a matchup which should be straightforward. It’s true that Safarova has not enjoyed a big season, but the Czech is still the defending French Open runner-up. She should be comfortable on clay, and she is playing an opponent in Chirico who is ranked 126 in the world. This is just not a close enough matchup to recommend picking the underdog. The favorite should definitely be able to take care of business here and move forward in the draw. Safarova might not go deep in the tournament, but she should be able to get out of this specific round. Take Safarova with your tennis picks.
Pick: Safarova in straight sets
Alison Riske vs. Venus Williams
Betting Odds: Williams -323
This is a match which is hard to pick if only because Venus Williams has profoundly struggled this season. Venus has not been able to generate much of any momentum. She has also not been particularly good on clay, even though the green clay of Charleston will be more comfortable than the red clay of Europe. There are plenty of reasons to doubt Venus. However, should Riske be trusted? She’s made some runs at Wimbledon over the years and has a game which translates well to grass. Can she beat Venus on clay? Possibly, but it’s doubtful. Take Venus in an extended match.
Pick: Venus in three sets
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