The action during the opening rounds of the WTA Montreal has been thoroughly entertaining. Today’s best bets segment includes a mix of matches from the first and second round of action. Now firmly back among the Top-75 in the world’s ranking, Marketa Vondrousova takes on Marta Kostyuk in our featured match. Let me know in the comment section if you agree with my picks.
WTA Montreal Open
Kostyuk – Vondrousova: Time 18:30
H2H: 1-1
Marta Kostyuk and Marketa Vondrousova have a brief but respectful rivalry. While we were never privy to what led Vondrousova to pull out of their match at Indian Wells, it left their rivalry at 1-1 since the match was a walkover. The last time they met was in 2024 in Stuttgart, where Kostyuk won their semifinal match in straight sets, though she needed a tiebreak to win the first set. These two couldn’t possibly be playing more different tennis entering this match if they were trying to accomplish the feat.
Best Bet to Make
Vondrousova is the favorite in this match for a solid reason, and that reason is Kostyuk’s form lately. Kostyuk is currently riding a six-match losing streak, and is 3-7 in her last ten matches. It would be unfair to Kostyuk if I didn’t highlight the fact that she’s been playing a murderer’s row of players in those matches: Emma Raducanu, Emma Navarro (x2), and Aryna Sabalenka (x2) are among her six losses. That doesn’t even account for the losses to Veronika Erjavic and Sara Bejlek, both ITF players. Expect Vondrousova to handle this one quickly.
That being said, Vondrousova winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Vondrousova winning @1.62 @Bet365
Krueger – Bouzas Maneiro: Time 20:00
H2H: 0-0
Ashlyn Krueger vs Jessica Bouzas-Maneiro has enormous potential for an early-round match. Bouzas-Maneiro enters the match with more confidence and the better form. She’s 4-1 in her last five matches, but it’s worth noting that her last match before Montreal was Wimbledon. Krueger enters the match at 4-6 in her last ten matches, and 2-3 in her last five. It’s unclear what’s wrong with her in 2025, she just hasn’t had any real consistency since 2023.
Best Bet to Make
Krueger enters the match as a fair favorite, but I am taking Bouzas-Maneiro in the upset. Krueger cannot seem to close things out and struggles at times to keep up with more athletic competition. Bouzas-Maneiro seems to be growing into the expectations many have for her, given her young age. The Spaniard is immensely talented and has every possibility to become one of the best in the world one day. That said, she needs to win tournaments before that talk begins, and Montreal is a great opportunity.
That being said, Bouzas-Maneiro winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Bouzas-Maneiro winning @2.27 @Betfair
Ruzic – Potapova: Time 02:55
H2H: 0-0
Anastasia Potapova vs Antonia Ruzic wraps up our match predictions. Potapova is 5-6 on hardcourts this year, which is only slightly better than her opponent’s record of 1-2 on the same surface. That said, Ruzic enters the match in better form. She’s 7-3 in her last ten matches. Potapova is 4-6, and seems to be struggling lately. Ruzic is coming off a semifinal loss to Elisabetta Cocciaretto in Bastad, and Potapova was eliminated in the qualifying rounds of her last tournament in Berlin.
Best Bet to Make
This is another match where I’m taking the underdog. It’s entirely possible that Potapova turns the corner and it starts in Montreal. It seems more likely that Ruzic continues her winning ways. This is her first hardcourt tournament of the year, but she seems more than up for the task based on her 74-24 overall record on a hardcourt. Potapova is very nearly a .500 player on hardcourt at 103-91, throw in her recent form, and Ruzic looks pretty good, doesn’t she?
That being said, Ruzic winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Ruzic winning @2.15 @Unibet
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
