ATP 250 Montpellier 1/8-Finals
Bu – Lestienne: 29.01.2025 15:30 CEST
H2H: first meeting
Yunchaokete Bu has lost four of his last five matches. So far this season, Bu has played three tournaments and lost in the opening round every time. Bu had a favorable first-round draw at the Australian Open two weeks ago in Melbourne. However, he was upset by Habib in straight sets. In Montpellier, Bu won his opening round match against Altmaier in straight sets, as we had predicted. He offered and saved two breakpoints. But had his biggest results last season on the Challenger Tour-level hard courts. This is his first appearance here in Montpellier.
Corentin Lestienne has won four of his last five matches. Last week in Quimper, he lost in the second round of the Challenger tournament against Moller in straight sets. In Montpellier, Corentin successfully qualified for the main draw tournament. He won both of his qualifying matches against his compatriots in straight sets. In the final qualifying round, Lestienne defeated Atmane in straight sets. Today, Corentin defeated Coric in straight sets in the opening main draw round. Last year in Montpellier, Lestienne lost in the second round against Cobolli in straight sets.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Bu is the slight favorite in this matchup, and we agree. But he is one of the biggest upcoming talents. He was in bad form for the last couple of weeks, but we expect him to become a top-50 player soon enough. He had a solid first-round match against Altmaier. He is a better hard-court player than Lestienne, and we expect him to win tomorrow.
That being said, Bu winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Yunchaokete Bu winning @1.67 @bet365
Rublev – Eubanks: 30.01.2025 Time TBA
H2H: 1-0
Andrey Rublev has lost five straight matches. His last official win was almost three months ago in Metz. At the beginning of the season, Rublev was upset by Marozsan in the opening round of the ATP Hong Kong against Marozsan in three tight sets. Two weeks ago in Melbourne, Rublev lost in the opening round of the Australian Open against Fonseca as we predicted. This is his second appearance in Montpellier. His last appearance here was in 2018, losing against Tsonga in the quarterfinals.
Christopher Eubanks has won three of his last five matches. Last week in Oeiras, Eubanks lost in the opening round of the Challenger tournament in straight sets. Before that, Chris failed to qualify for the main draw tournament of the Australian Open. Today, in the opening round, Eubanks defeated Kachmazov in straight sets. He trailed 2-5 in the opening set but successfully turned it around. This is his first appearance in Montpellier. Around this time last year, Eubanks played in Dallas, losing in the second round against Duckworth in straight sets.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Rublev is the favorite in this matchup, and we agree. Even though he is out of form, Andrey is still a better player than Eubanks. Christopher has been struggling with his form for a while. We expect Andrey to play without any pressure and get into the quarterfinals without any problems.
That being said, Rublev winning in straight sets is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Andrey Rublev winning 2-0 @1.73 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
