The Citi Open tennis tournament moves into Friday’s round of eight in Washington, D.C., and so do our tennis picks. Looking back to Thursday, we had an even day, going 1-1-1 with our tennis picks. Technically speaking, we did get a win with Camila Giorgi as she did advance, but she walked over Tamira Paszek, who wasn’t even able to start the match. Our other win on the day came via Risa Ozaki, who ousted Naomi Brady in a back-and-forth match. Ozaki won the first set 6-1 and looked like she’d cruise, but she lost the second set before taking the third set 6-4. Lastly, we lost with Monica Puig. Puig didn’t do much against Lauren Davis, winning just six games in total. It’s the second time this tournament we’ve bet against Davis and she’s burned us.
On Friday, the quarterfinals will pare down this tournament to its foremost contenders. Some surprising developments have taken place on the road to this stage. We’ll see if the unexpected risers in America’s capital city can continue their momentum. Only two of the top five seeds have managed to get to the quarterfinals, so more chaos could be in store for this tournament. Here are our tennis picks for Friday.
Samantha Stosur vs. Jessica Pegula
In this match, Stosur is the No. 1 seed, but Pegula might have pulled off the more impressive win in a comparison between the two players in the first two rounds of this tournament. Pegula stopped Christina McHale in straight sets. McHale is not a highly-ranked player, but she is very talented, as shown in her narrow three-set loss to Serena Williams at Wimbledon a few weeks ago. Being able to thrash McHale shows that Pegula is hitting a very clean ball and could get on a magic carpet ride kind of hot streak, en route to the title. It’s very realistic to pick Pegula here. However, Stosur is having a solid season by her standards. She’s not losing early in tournaments quite as much as she did in previous years. She’s finding a little more consistency and confidence. Moreover, she’s doing well on multiple surfaces. Stosur has a big game with a strong kick serve and a powerful forehand. If she plays reasonably well, it’s going to be hard for Pegula to steer this match in a different direction. Stosur is probably stable enough to dictate the terms of this match and bring home the win. Take her with your tennis picks here.
Pick: Stosur in three sets
Yulia Putintseva vs. Risa Ozaki
This is a match which has all sorts of potential. Ozaki is coming on strong, having started her tournament in Washington by knocking out the defending champion, Sloane Stephens, in a blowout. Putintseva, though, is no slouch. She made the French Open quarterfinals and gave Serena a very tough time in the round of eight in Paris. She’s a relentless and intense competitor who isn’t likely to give ground. This feels like an extended battle, and that probably favors the player who has accomplished more on tour to date. That’s Putintseva. Take her with your tennis picks as she should get the job done in three.
Pick: Putintseva in three sets
Lauren Davis vs. Camila Giorgi
This is a match which is hard to figure out. Davis is the hotter player – that’s clear. She blitzed Monica Puig and is playing excellent ball. She earlier beat Shelby Rogers in this tournament. Both Rogers and Puig have done some good things this year, so the ability to cool off successful opponents bodes well for Davis’ cause.
Giorgi received the benefit of a walkover in her match with Tamira Paszek. This could disrupt Giorgi’s rhythm and leave her sluggish in this match against Davis, but the other interpretation is that in a week when it’s very humid in Washington, players appreciate a day to rest and recharge. Giorgi could flop, but the more likely scenario is that she’ll use her rest and come out blazing. Take Giorgi in a close match. She’s the better choice for your tennis picks.
Pick: Giorgi in three sets
