ATP Barcelona quarterfinals
Norrie – Etcheverry: 19.04.2024 12:30 CEST
H2H: 1-0
Cameron Norrie got sort of lucky as Mayot had to retire mid-match in the second round. Today, Norrie dominated against Bautista-Agut, winning in straight sets 6-4 6-3. This was also his 200th career win. Norrie is considered to be a great hard-court player. However, he had some clay court success as well. This season, Norrie has already reached the semifinals in Rio de Janeiro, where he lost against Navone in straight sets. Last year, Norrie won the title in Rio de Janeiro, winning against Alcaraz in the final. His massive forehand topspin makes a big difference on the clay courts.
Tomas Etcheverry won today against Nakashima as we predicted. He struggled more than we expected. He was on the verge of losing the match in the second set tiebreak. Etcheverry was 3-5 down in the tiebreak, but played a couple of great points and came back to win the match after over three hours. Etcheverry had some conditioning problems this season, and he does not seem 100% ready. Last week in Monte Carlo, Etcheverry was demolished by Tsitsipas. He lost 1-6 0-6, and just looked terrible in that match.
Best Bet to Make
Cameron Norrie played great tennis today. Etcheverry will probably be exhausted after such a long and exhausting match against Nakashima. We believe that Norrie will get another win and prolong his winning streak.
That being said, Norrie winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Norrie winning @1.73 @bet365
Fils – Lajovic: 19.04.2024 17:30 CEST
H2H: 1-1
Arthur Fils won three of his last five matches. Last week in Monte Carlo, Fils was stopped by Musetti in straight sets. He has played 10 matches already on the clay this season, and has an even 5-5 record. Today, Fils won as a big underdog against de Minaur in straight sets. Alex de Minaur won earlier against Rafael Nadal, and now has failed against Fils. Last year, Fils won his first clay court title in Lyon. He played at home, in Lyon, against Cerundolo in the final and won convincingly 2-0.
In the first round, Lajovic won against Schwartzman 6-1 6-2. Schwartzman just looked helpless against him. After that, Lajovic won another match in straight sets against Humbert. Today, Lajovic won against Davidovich Fokina in three sets as we predicted. Dusan loves to play on the clay courts. He needs a lot of time for his backhand preparation, something similar to Tsitsipas. Lajovic had his biggest results on clay. Last year, he won the ATP Banja Luka, winning against Djokovic in the quarterfinals and Rublev in the final.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Lajovic is the underdog in this matchup. We can not agree with that. Lajovic showed great tennis, and on clay, he can be a threat against anyone. Last time they played was this year in Buenos Aires, also on clay. Lajovic won easily in straight sets.
That being said, Lajovic to cover games handicap is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Lajovic +2.5 games handicap @2.00 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
