ATP Barcelona 1/16-Finals
Khachanov – Bautista-Agut: 17.04.2024 Time TBA
H2H: 4-7
Karen Khachanov lost his last match against Tsitsipas in Monte Carlo as we predicted. However, Khachanov had three solid wins throughout the tournament and showed us that he can play on the clay as well. En route to the quarterfinals, Khachanov won against Medvedev. Before Monte Carlo, Khachanov lost in the 1/8-Finals of ATP Masters Miami. He has already won one title this season in Doha. Khachanov is currently in the top 20, and he needs to keep winning if he wants to stay up there. He is in great form, and we believe that he can go far this week in Barcelona.
Roberto Bautista-Agut won his first round match in Barcelona against Safiullin as we predicted. It was a little bit harder than we expected, but he came through. Before that, Bautista-Agut reached the 1/16-Finals in Monte Carlo where he lost against Hurkacz in two tight sets. We all know how good he is on the clay, but given his age, Agut is not the fastest on the court anymore. His ranking is declining, and he might be out of the top 100 this season if he does not start winning more matches.
Best Bet to Make
Khachanov had almost one week’s rest, so he should be well rested for tomorrow. He showed great tennis last week, and we believe that he should be a big favorite in this matchup. Bautista-Agut played exactly two hours in the first round. He played solid, but Safiullin was just making too many unforced errors and practically threw out the match.
That being said, Khachanov winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Khachanov to win @1.50 @bet365
Muller – Ruud: 17.04.2024 Time TBA
H2H: 0-1
Alexandre Muller has won two out of his last five matches. He won in the first round against Ramos in straight sets, here in Barcelona. Muller struggled in the first set a little bit. After he won the first set in the tiebreak, the match was pretty much over. Muller has not had any remarkable results this season so far. He is out of the top 100 and is trying hard to come back. He has played four matches on clay this season so far and has an even 2-2 record.
Casper Ruud has won four out of his last five matches. He played last week in the final at the Monte Carlo Masters against Tsitsipas. He lost in straight sets, but had an amazing tournament. Ruud also got his first top 3 win last week against Djokovic. Before Monte Carlo, Ruud played a semifinal in Estoril, also on clay. He is in great form, and his biggest results were on the clay.
Best Bet to Make
Casper Ruud is one of the best clay court players at the moment. He had an amazing last week, and we believe that he will continue winning, here in Barcelona. Alexandre Muller is a challenger tour level player, and we believe that he will have no chance against Ruud.
That being said, Ruud winning in straight sets is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Ruud to win 2-0 @1.53 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
