The round of 16 begins at WTA Abu Dhabi, and the tournament’s top seven seeds have all advanced. We are splitting up the round of 16 into morning games and night games, so four matches in each column. Let us know whether or not you agree with our picks. Please also share your best bets in the comments section
WTA Abu Dhabi
Samsonova – Tjen: Time 01:00
H2H: 0-0
Liudmila Samsonova will meet Janice Tjen for the first time in her career. Samsonova is 3-3 in 2026, and Tjen is 2-3. All eleven of their matches have been on a hardcourt. Samsonova’s three defeats came against top competition: Laura Siegemund, Marketa Vondrousova, and Jessica Pegula. That’s not to say Tjen was playing awful opponents, but she did lose to the no. 416th player in the World at the Australian Open.
Best Bet to Make
I like the books for this match. The books have Samsonova as a solid favorite, but there’s still value to be had in this match. At 1.69 on Pinnacle, taking Samsonova straight up isn’t a bad deal. You can also grab Samsonova 2:0 for 2.63 on bet365, and this is the line I would take over all others.
That being said, Samsonova winning 2:0 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/the best odds: Samsonova winning 2:0 @2.63 @bet365
Kessler – Fernandez: Time 02:30
H2H: 0-0
McCartney Kessler will take on Leylah Fernandez in a first-time meeting between two of the top 35 players in the World. Kessler is 3-3 in 2026, with two losses to Emiliana Arango and one to Jessica Pegula. Leylah Fernandez has been struggling in 2026. She’s just 1-3 to start the year, and that win was her last match against Chloe Paquet.
Best Bet to Make
This is an instance where I do not agree with the books. Most of the books have Kessler as a .25-point underdog on average. I’m not saying Kessler is playing well, but she’s certainly playing well enough to take down Fernandez. Fernandez has shown some fight, but she’s just not winning when it hits crunch time. I like Kessler straight up at 2.17 on Pinnacle.
That being said, Kessler winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/the best odds: Kessler winning @2.17 @Pinnacle
Baptiste – Navarro: Time 05:00
H2H: 1-3
Hailey Baptiste meets Emma Navarro for the fifth time, with Navarro leading the series 3-1. Baptiste’s only win against Navarro came in 2018 in an ITF tournament. Their last meeting was a second-round match at the 2025 WTA Charleston Open. Baptiste is 3-3 this year, but has yet to find any consistency. Navarro is showing fight; the breaks just aren’t going her way.
Best Bet to Make
The books have Navarro as a solid favorite in this match, and I agree. The line I like the most in this match is the under on 20.5 games for 2.07 on Unibet. These two women have never played more than 19 games in one of their matches. You can almost set you watch to the level of consistency with which they play these games.
That being said, Under 20.5 games is a value bet for sure
Value bet/best odds: Under 20.5 games @2.07 @Unibet
Tauson – Waltert: Time 06:30
H2H: 2-0
Clara Tauson vs Simona Waltert is our featured match. This will be their third career match, with Tauson winning both of their previous matches. The last time they met was in the final at ITF Altenkirchen, which went three sets; the other came in 2020. Waltert is riding a three-match winning streak, and she has won six games so far in 2026.
Best Bet to Make
There are several solid bets for this match. My favorite is taking the under on 20 games played at 2.1 on 10Bet. If you’re not keen on trying to predict a game total, you can grab Tauson 2:0 for 1.87 on 1xBet. If you’re betting Waltert, take her straight up for 3.57 on Pinnacle. It’s the best deal around.
That being said, Tauson winning 2:0 is a value bet for sure
Value bet/best odds: Tauson winning 2:0 @1.87 @1xBet
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin–USA TODAY Sports
