The first round is underway at WTA Austin. While the tennis world spent much of today talking about Serena Williams’ comeback, it is her sister, Venus, who is on court in action against Ajla Tomljanovic. There is also a meeting between two top-100 players. LWOS tried to pick bets from some of the more exciting matches. Please share your thoughts on our choices in the comments section.
WTA Austin
Marcinko – Birrell: Time 11:30
H2H: 0-0
Petra Marcinko meets Kimberly Birrell in a meeting of two top-80 players. This is the first time the two of them have played, though. Marcinko is playing in Austin for the first time, while Birrell made the round of 16 last year. Marcinko is off to a rough start in 2026 at 3-5 overall. Birrell is 7-5 overall, but she’s also much more experienced on a hardcourt than Marcinko. Marcinko did win five titles in 2025, but four of them were ITF. Even still, her WTA Rome 2 title is still more than Birrell’s lone ITF title.
Best Bet to Make
According to the books, Birrell is the favorite in this match. I absolutely agree with this. Many of Marcinko’s titles last year came at the Championship level. Birrell is not too far away from winning one or two WTA titles a year. She just needs one or two breaks to go her way. She was in one semifinal this year already. Marcinko hasn’t won more than a single game in any tournament this year. I think Birrell is going to handle Marcinko fairly efficiently.
That being said, Birrell winning 2:0 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/the best odds: Birrell winning 2:0 @2.63 @bet365
Krueger – McNally: Time 11:30
H2H: 0-2
Ashlyn Krueger will meet Caty McNally for the third time in her career, having lost the last two matches. McNally has never needed more than two sets to take care of Krueger, but they last played in 2023 at this very event. It was also in the first round at Austin. McNally made the round of 16 that year. Ashlyn Krueger is looking for her first tournament title since 2023. She’s only won a single match this year, which came in the first round of the WTA Australian Open against Sara Bejlek.
Best Bet to Make
The average odds for this match are 1.63-2.24 in favor of McNally. I see no reason to disagree with them. McNally definitely seems to be the better player of the two. Krueger’s last great season was 2023, and it’s been going downhill since then. She’s only 21 years old, meaning she has plenty of time to grow and mature her game. Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem to be doing any of that just yet. Maybe she needs another hard year to teach her a lesson? McNally 2:0 is only 2.5 on bet365. I would do that instead of McNally straight for 1.68 on Pinnacle.
That being said, McNally winning 2:0 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/the best odds: McNally winning 2:0 @2.5 @bet365
Williams – Tomljanovic: Time 10:30
H2H: 0-0
Venus Williams vs Ajla Tomljanovic is our featured match. Williams might not be the player she once was, but she’s still a big draw, and fans request coverage of her matches. This is the first time these individuals have had a match in Williams’ illustrious career. Even though Williams has played over 600 matches on a hardcourt, none have been against Tomljanovic. Williams is 0-3 this year, and Tomljanovic is 3-3. She was also a semifinalist here at WTA Austin last year.
Best Bet to Make
On average, the books see the odds at 1.28-3.62 in favor of Tomljanovic. You can grab Venus as high as 4.0, but I don’t know why you would unless it’s a flier. Tomljanovic is likely to win this match, and I think it will be quick. In fact, I would bet Tomljanovic 2:0 at 1.81 on 1xBet, and call it a day. There’s not enough to be made taking Tomljanovic straight up, and Williams is long past her best tennis.
That being said, Tomljanovic winning 2:0 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/the best odds: Tomljanovic winning 2:0 @1.81 @1xBet
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke–USA TODAY Sports
