Maia Challenger 1/16-Finals
Blancaneaux – Coria: Time TBA
H2H: 0-1
Geoffrey Blancaneaux has lost three of his last five matches. Last week in Rovereto, he reached the quarterfinals, where he lost against Landaluce in straight sets. Blancaneaux spent most of this season playing at the Challenger Tour level. He is looking for a solid result this week to get closer to the top 200 in the rankings. His biggest result this season was winning the Challenger title in New Delhi, defeating Wong in the final.
Federico Coria has won three of his last five matches. Last week in Montevideo, Coria reached the semifinals, where Delien stopped him in straight sets. Coria seeks a solid result this week to cement his top 100 status. Being an Argentine, Federico spent most of his career playing on the clay courts. However, he has not succeeded on the indoor clay courts, which are faster than the outside clay courts. Coria used to compete at the highest level. However, he is currently playing only on the challenger tour level.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Blancaneaux is the underdog in this matchup. Coria would have been a big favorite if they had played on the typical clay court. However, on the indoor clay court, Federico will struggle against Blancaneaux. We expect Geoffrey to keep this match tight.
That being said, Blancaneaux covering the games handicap is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Geoffrey Blancaneaux +3.5 games handicap @1.91 @bet365
Ferreira Silva – Dzumhur: Time TBA
H2H: 2-0
Frederico Ferreira Silva has won four of his last five matches. Today, Frederico played in the final of the ITF tournament in Portugal on the hard court, losing against Onclin in straight sets. Just a week before that, Ferreira Silva also won the ITF title in Portugal. The Portuguese has spent most of his time playing in Portugal at the ITF level. He used to play at the challenger tournaments, but with his current ranking, Frederico is trying to transition back to the challenger tournaments by playing at the ITF level. He was granted a wild card here in Maia.
Damir Dzumhur has lost four of his last five matches. Last week in Montemar, he lost in the 1/8-finals against Shelbayh in straight sets. Dzumhur had a decent season at the Challenger Tour level, where he already won a couple of titles. Right now, Damir is looking to get back in the top 100 in the rankings. His last solid result was in Istanbul, where he won the Challenger title, winning against Medjedovic in the final.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Damir is the slight favorite in this matchup, and we agree. Frederico played today on the hard court in Portugal, and now he has little time to transition to the clay court. We believe that Dzumhur will be a better player in this meeting and will win this match easily.
That being said, Dzumhur winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Damir Dzumhur winning @1.50 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
