ATP 250 Hangzhou 1/8-Finals
Cilic – Nishioka: 21.09.2024 07:30 CEST
H2H: 1-0
Marin Cilic has won three of his last five matches. He is still coming back from an injury, so he still needs some time to find his best level of tennis. Two weeks ago, Marin played a challenger tournament in Cassis where he reached the quarterfinals. Here in Hangzhou, Marin defeated Svajda in the opening round in straight sets as we predicted. The former US Open champion showed glimpses of his best form. However, he barely played in 2023, so he still needs time to get back to the best level of competitive tennis.
Yoshihito Nishioka has won three of his last five matches. Last week in the Davis Cup, Nishioka won both of his matches in easy straight sets. Here in Hangzhou, Yoshihito defeated Marterer in straight sets in the opening round as we predicted. Nishioka was not consistent at all this season, which led to him being outside the top 50. His biggest result was in Atlanta, where he won the title, winning against Thompson in the final. Besides that, Nishioka did not have any remarkable results. Last year around this time, Nishioka reached the final in Zhuhai, where he lost against Khachanov in straight sets.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Nishioka is the slight favorite in this matchup. Cilic showed great tennis in his opening match against Svajda. We believe if he could repeat that performance, Marin should be a favorite in this matchup.
That being said, Cilic covering the games handicap is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Marin CIlic +2.5 games handicap @1.83 @bet365
Carballes Baena – Krueger: 21.09.2024 09:00 CEST
H2H: 1-0
Roberto Carballes Baena has won six straight matches. Last week in Spain, Roberto won the challenger title in Seville on clay. This may not have been the best decision, considering that he played on clay, right before the Asian swing where the courts are very fast. However, Carballes Baena won his opening round match against Moutet in straight sets. Baena did not have any remarkable results this season on the hard courts.
Mitchell Krueger has won three of his last five matches. Here in Hangzhou, Krueger failed to qualify for the main-draw tournament. He lost his final qualifying match against Uchiyama in straight sets. Luckily for him, Krueger entered the main-draw as a lucky loser. So far in his career, Krueger has not had any main-draw wins outside the United States. His biggest results were in the States, where he played on the fast courts.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Carballes Baena is the slight favorite in this matchup. We believe that his experience will prevail in this match, and that he will win this match. Krueger had his biggest results at the challenger tour level, so we believe that he will fumble under pressure.
That being said, Baena winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Roberto Carballes Baena winning @1.62 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
