WTA Tokyo is entering the quarterfinals, and the remaining participants are extremely talented. We have several matches between younger players and some established names, as well. Here are my picks for them. Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
WTA Tokyo Quarterfinals
Kalinskaya – Noskova: Time 03:30
H2H: 0-1
Anna Kalinskaya vs Linda Noskova is a meeting of two Top 40 players. Noskova took their only other match, a 2023 qualifying match for WTA Adelaide. That match went all three sets, and Noskova needed a third-set tiebreak, and a long one, to eventually take home the win. Both players had their moments in that match, and it truly could have gone either way at so many different points. Given their level of talent and the success they’ve enjoyed since, we can expect this match to be just as contested. Neither woman has a title this year, so the winner will find herself in a prime position to bring home their first title.
Best Bet to Make
The books favor Noskova, and for this being a meeting of two top players, they favor her considerably. The average sits at 2.25 to 1.67 on many books, with 2.2 being the absolute lowest for Kalinskaya and 2.37 the highest. Noskova’s lowest is 1.6, and the highest is 1.67, so there’s still good money to be made taking the favorite. I do think that Noskova ought to be the favorite, but more on the back of her hardcourt play and recent results than because of their last match. I like Noskova straight up.
That being said, Noskova winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/the best odds: Noskova winning @1.67 @WilliamHill
Mboko – Rybakina: Time 05:00
H2H: 1-1
Victoria Mboko vs Elena Rybakina is our featured match of the day, and for good reason. Both are Top 25 in the World, and both have a victory over the other this year. In fact, their only two meetings took place this year, and pretty every set was hard fought. Mboko’s 6-1 set win in the first of three sets at their last meeting at WTA Montreal is the outlier for the series. Every other match was at least 6-3, and three sets were at least 7-5. The WTA Montreal match was a semifinal, and the WTA Washington match was in the round of 16.
Best Bet to Make
I think I’ve already spelled out your best bet. I’m going to avoid taking a winner in this match because I’m a Dutch coward. Instead, I think you should definitely bet the over on 20.5 games. That’s about the furthest I feel comfortable pushing the games total, but I think they’ve established that they’re going to trade wins.
That being said, Over 20.5 games is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/the best odds: Over 20.5 games @1.88 @bet-at-home
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
