The Citi Open tennis tournament finishes the second round after cleaning up the backlog from the first round earlier in the week. That’s where we’ll pick up our tennis picks. Going back two days (since the matches were delayed), we went 1-1 with our remaining second round picks. Kristina Mladenovic won but Shelby Rogers fell. Yesterday, we went 2-1 with our tennis picks, which means we’re now 4-2 for the tournament. We picked against Caroline Wozniacki and she did end up losing to Sam Stosur. Woz retired in the second set while trailing and also losing the first. We also got a hard-fought win with Yulia Putinsteva. She needed the full three sets but she managed to survive. Lastly, our lone loss on the day came from Christina McHale. She was competitive in the first set versus Jessica Pegula, losing 7-5, but that seemed to take the wind out of her sails. She wasn’t competitive in the second set, winning just two games.
Looking ahead to Thursday, a few players have made their way to the quarterfinals, but much of the field has to catch up on Thursday to set up Friday’s round of eight in Washington, D.C. Here are our tennis picks for Thursday.
Monica Puig vs. Lauren Davis
In this match, bettors might be somewhat concerned by the backdrop which has led up to the encounter. Shelby Rogers was a French Open quarterfinalist, but Lauren Davis took care of her in three sets. Could Davis be on the upswing, playing in her home country, to the point that she can knock off Puig, who hails from Puerto Rico? It’s certainly possible. Davis – after a satisfying win over a good player – could build confidence and momentum and carry it into this next contest. However, she did need three long and fairly involved sets to win that match. She might be tired. Puig, it has to be said, moved steadily through her first-round match and did not exactly increase doubts about her performance and capabilities after a disappointing Wimbledon. The fact that Puig took care of business in her previous match is probably enough to overcome any thoughts that Davis might be able to pull off a second straight upset. Go with Puig here. She’s the better option for your tennis picks in this matchup.
Pick: Puig in straight sets
Naomi Broady vs. Risa Ozaki
This is a match which appears to be a mystery. Neither one of these players is very prominent in the bigger tournaments you see during the tennis season – not at the Grand Slams, and not even at the Premier Mandatory or Premier 5 events in women’s tennis. These are both relatively obscure players, so what can a bettor rely on coming in? That makes this a tricky match to handicap for betting purposes. Ozaki blasted Sloane Stephens – who was the defending champion at this Washington, D.C. tournament – 6-2 and 6-1. The win over a big-name adversary is something in itself, but being able to win that quickly and decisively means Ozaki did not tire herself out on court. She was efficient, and she hit lots of clean shots. She should be rested for this match, and she is in good form. That’s probably more to offer than what Broady can bring to the table. Go with Ozaki here for your tennis picks.
Pick: Ozaki in three sets
Tamira Paszek vs. Camila Giorgi
This is a match which features two talented players who are very inconsistent. The hot conditions, though, in Washington, D.C., probably mean that the hardcourt surface is going to play faster as opposed to slower. That means the bigger hitter should be able to drive the ball through the court and keep the opponent off balance. In this matchup, the bigger hitter is Giorgi, so that should be the pick in this match. Paszek has done well on grass in her career, but she has not been able to become as productive on other surfaces, further making the case that Giorgi is the one who will win and move to the quarterfinals. Take her with your tennis picks in this spot.
Pick: Giorgi in three sets
