The Copa Claro Colsanitas tennis tournament continues with the second round in Bogota and so do our tennis picks. The top two seeds are out of the tournament, and the number six seed was also picked off on Wednesday, creating even more intrigue for Thursday as the field narrows.
The action on Wednesday saw a number of interesting results, which included three of the seven matches going the distance of three sets. Lara Arruabarrena won rather easily over Anne Schaefer (6-1, 6-0), Catalina Pella did the same over Elitsa Kostova (6-3, 6-2), Paula Cristina Gonclaves upset Tatjana Maria (6-4, 6-3) and Irina Falconi also won in straight sets over Sherazad Benamar (6-3, 7-6). Three matches went the full distance in terms of sets as Amra Sadikovic needed three sets to outlast Mariana Duque, Lourdes Dominguez needed three sets to topple Patricia Maria Tig, and Alexandra Panova needed three sets to defeat Elina Svitolina. Svitolina was the top seed in the tournament, so it is surprising to see her go home early.
At any rate, it’s on to our tennis picks for Thursday.
Alexandra Panova vs. Conny Perrin
In this matchup, it’s not as though either player is highly ranked – neither is in the top 150. However, Panova holds a few important advantages. She is not the qualifier Perrin is, so she’s not going to be overtaxed. She did play on consecutive days, but not full matches on both days. She had her match against top-seeded Elina Svitolina suspended. She battled back to win in three sets against one of the favorites to win the tournament. She basically got to play on consecutive days, but without having to play long stretches of tennis on either day. She should strike the right balance between being match-tested and not overly worn down. She should also be confident after pulling off one of several notable upsets at this tournament. Perrin faces a tall order here. If Panova had not beaten such a good opponent in the previous round, it would be easier to pick her. As it stands, Panova is the better choice for your tennis picks.
Pick: Panova in straight sets
Silvia Soler-Espinosa vs. Anna Tatishvili
This is a tricky match. Soler-Espinosa is from Spain and – like other Spaniards – feels relatively comfortable in clay and in a Latin American country. Several Spanish players were in this tournament field to begin with, and as many as three could make the quarterfinals, Soler-Espinosa being one possibility. Tatishvili is the number eight seed in this tournament. Like Soler-Espinosa, she won her previous match in straight sets and has set herself up well for this round of 16 collision. This might be a situation in which on most days, you’d pick Tatishvili as the higher seed and the higher ranked player, but Soler-Espinosa might be in an environment where she’s going to be more comfortable than her American opponent. This feels like a three-setter. Give Soler-Espinosa the slightest edge in your tennis picks.
Pick: Soler-Espinosa in three sets
Lourdes Dominguez Lino vs. Sachia Vickery
This is a match in which a lot of comparisons come into play. On one hand, Vickery won her previous match more easily, in straights compared to three sets for Dominguez Lino. However, on the other hand, Dominguez Lino played a direct entrant into the tournament, whereas Vickery played and beat a wild card player from Colombia, the host nation. It is often the case that a host-nation tournament gives wild cards to its own players, trying to give them an opportunity to show their stuff. Yet, that approach often blows up in the faces of the tournament directors. The home-nation players aren’t ready for prime time, and that could have been the case with Vickery’s opponent. It seems a little safer – though not by much – to pick Dominguez Lino, the seventh seed. This tournament has a wide-open feel, but wild cards in draws can create misleading impressions. Take Dominguez Lino with your tennis picks.
Pick: Dominguez Lino in three sets
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