ATP Madrid 1/8-Finals
Nadal vs Lehecka: 30.04.2024 21:30 CEST
H2H: first meeting
Rafael Nadal had an amazing performance against de Minaur in the first round. Once again, Rafa showed us why he is the best clay court player of all time. He stayed cool under pressure, and won all the important points. The five-time Madrid champion lost to de Minaur last week in Barcelona. Today, Nadal won against Cachin harder than we predicted. He had a great opening set that he won 6-1. After that, Rafa looked a little bit tired, and lost the second set 6-7. In the third set, Nadal showed his fighting spirit yet again.
Jiri Lehecka has won three of his last five matches. After he was defeated by Popyrin in Miami, Lehecka did not play any competitive matches. The ATP Masters 1000 Madrid is his first clay court tournament of the season. Lehecka won both of his matches in straight sets and showed some solid clay court tennis. Today, Lehecka defeated Monteiro in straight sets after being exactly two hours on the court. He lost his serve only once in those first two matches.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Nadal is just a slight favorite in this meeting. We believe that, unfortunately, his body will not keep up so long in this tournament. He did not look fit against Cachin tonight later in the match. Lehecka is a top 35 player, and he can be very dangerous on the clay. Nadal may win the first set, but we believe that he will be tired by the beginning of the second set.
That being said, Lehecka winning the 2nd set is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Jiri Lehecka winning the 2nd set @+104 @FanDuel
Rublev – Griekspoor: 30.04.2024 11:00 CEST
H2H: 2-0
Andrey Rublev is struggling a lot with his emotions on the court. That was also the main problem why he lost so many matches lately. Before his second round win against Bagnis, here in Madrid, Rublev lost four straight matches. Rublev was very dominant in his first two matches in Madrid. Yesterday, Rublev had to play against Davidovich Fokina and the crowd. Even though he was 0-5 down in the first set tiebreak, Rublev kept his composure and turned things around as we predicted. We believe that he gained his self-confidence back after such a win.
Tallon Griekspoor has won three of his last five matches. Yesterday, Griekspoor played an amazing match, defeating the 11th seed, Holger Rune, in three sets. Reaching the 1/8-Finals in Madrid is his best result at Masters events in 2024. Griekspoor had 25 winners with 14 unforced errors against Rune.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Rublev is a favorite in this matchup. We believe that he is still not in his best form, and that Griekspoor will have a decent chance tomorrow.
That being said, Griekspoor covering the games handicap is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Tallon Griekspoor +2.5 games @1.91 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
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