The Prague Open tennis tournament steams forward into the second round and so do our tennis picks. We saw a number of battles take place on Tuesday with six matches ending in straight sets and three of them going the distance. Lucie Hradecka, Karolina Pliskova, Marketa Vondrousova, Monica Puig, Barbora Krejcikova and Barbora Strycova all won in straight sets. The biggest surprise of the bunch was Krejcikova topping Dominika Cibulkova in straight sets. Cibulkova is the No. 38 player in the world and shouldn’t be faltering in the first rounds, but that’s exactly what happened on Tuesday when she only won four games. In terms of the three-setters, we saw Camila Giorgi, Virginie Razzano and Lucie Safarova need the full allotment of sets to get the job done.
On Wednesday, players are trying to get some work in before the next two really big weeks of action in Madrid and then Rome. Can the attempt to stay active translate into something even more important, such as wins and rankings points?
Katerina Siniakova vs. Karolina Pliskova
Betting Odds: Pliskova -385
Siniakova should not be taken too lightly. She dismissed Alize Cornet – who is an accomplished player and a threat to some of the higher-ranked competitors on the tour – in the first round. After a strong performance in that match against Cornet, Siniakova should be able to play relatively well and at the very least make a match of this against Pliskova, the number three seed in the tournament. However, Pliskova has a forceful serve. She can take the racquet out of Siniakova’s hand at times. Pliskova’s power game, if reasonably accurate and effective, can blunt what Siniakova does well. Pliskova has a level of potency which Cornet – a defense-oriented player – can’t quite provide. Siniakova could very well grab a set in this match, but she won’t get two. Pliskova is in the driver’s seat here and should be able to get through eventually. Take Pliskova with your tennis picks in this match.
Pick: Pliskova in three sets
Jana Cepelova vs. Barbora Strycova
Betting Odds: Strycova -222
This is a matchup of players who punch in different weight classes. It’s true that Cepelova defeated Serena Williams a few years ago in Charleston, South Carolina, but that’s an event which has remained the exception in Cepelova’s career and not a sure-fire indication of other successes to come. Cepelova has not been able to build on that moment. Her career has been marked by limited progress. Strycova, on the other hand, has been able to move forward in the later years of her career. She made the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2014, and earlier this year, she defeated Garbine Muguruza in the third round of the Australian Open. She’s not a top-10-level player, but she’s in or close to that next tier. She can get locked into a groove, and if she controls her temper, she can be extremely effective. Cepelova doesn’t have nearly the game to withstand Strycova. Strycova is the better choice for your tennis picks in this situation.
Pick: Strycova in straight sets
Samantha Stosur vs. Marketa Vondrousova
Betting Odds: Stosur -417
This is a match which could easily go awry for Stosur, a player who can hit so many shots and with a variety of speeds, but who so often loses confidence when she takes the court. Stosur has lost to a lot of relatively anonymous players in her career, so the idea that she is vulnerable to an upset is hardly out of line. It could very well happen here, if only because it happens in many places. Nevertheless, Stosur should be able to steady herself long enough to be able to outlast Vondrousova. This might not be an entirely straightforward match, but it’s easier from a betting standpoint to trust a more known entity against a player such as Stosur. This might be more of a bet against Vondrousova than a bet for Stosur. Sometimes, that’s how winning bets are arrived at. Go with Stosur with your tennis picks in this spot.
Pick: Stosur in three sets
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