The WTA Linz tournament moves into the middle of the week. Players not in the top five on the WTA Tour will try to boost their ranking at this smaller event. In addition to getting a potential points pickup, players will try to gain rhythm and confidence before the bigger tournaments later in April. Let’s look at notable matches on the Wednesday card.
WTA Linz
Ostapenko – Eala: Time 13:30
H2H: 0-2
Jelena Ostapenko is the No. 23 player in the World on the WTA Tour. She is the No. 4 seed at this event. That offers some perspective on the field of players gathering in Austria this week. Players good enough to be in the top 30, but not good enough to rise to the very top of the rankings, are playing this tournament. Ostapenko is usually inconsistent, and that is what she has been the past several weeks. Can she get on a roll? It happens, but not regularly. I mentioned this same problem last year, yet here we are again. Maybe she is consistently inconsistent?
Best Bet to Make
The story on Jelena Ostapenko is familiar and not complicated: Ostakpenko is a hit-and-miss player. She can get really hot or really cold, and there’s rarely anything in between. Ostapenko, as a top-four seed, got a bye in the first round, so this is her first match of the week at WTA Linz. Alexandra Eala won her first-round match and looked solid against Julia Grabher. Eala comes in with momentum, while Ostapenko might be a little sluggish.
That being said, Eala keeping this match close is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Eala +1.5 sets @1.67 @10Bet
Andreeva – Stephens: Time 18:00
H2H: 0-1
Mirra Andreeva is the World No. 10 player on the WTA Tour. She’s the No. 1 seed in Linz. Andreeva has not been in good form in recent months. This means she’s not winning large numbers of matches or playing deep into tournaments. That’s why she’s playing Linz. Sloane Stephens is trying to find a spark late in her career. The former U.S. Open champion is ranked No. 552 and has to wonder what she must do to turn things around. I feel like I also mentioned this last year, too.
Best Bet to Make
There is zero question Andreeva will win, but by how much? Stephens played a good match to beat Tatiana Maria in the first round of Linz. Andreeva, as the top seed, had a bye in the first round. Stephens won’t win, but she could at least pick up a few games in each set. As long as it’s not a total blowout, Stephens could cash a ticket.
That being said, Stephens against a large spread is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Stephens +7.5 games @1.73 @Bet365
Galfi – Cirstea: Time 19:30
H2H: 0-1
Dalma Galfi has been struggling in recent weeks. Her first-round match victory in Linz snapped a five-match losing streak. Sorana Cirstea has been the much more in-form player of the two. She reached the Round of 16 in Miami before losing to Coco Gauff, who went to the final at that tournament. These players are not performing at the same level. There is a clear difference between the two.
Best Bet to Make
Cirstea won her first-round match in Linz 3 and 3, a six-game spread. Galfi is not playing particularly well. Cirstea figures to not only win this match, but win it with a reasonable degree of comfort. Cirstea is playing well enough to score a decisive victory, and Galfi certainly does not inspire confidence from a betting standpoint.
That being said, Cirstea covering a moderate game spread is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Cirstea -4.5 games winning @1.97 @Unibet
Ruse – Yastremska: Time 12:00
H2H: 4-0
Dayana Yastremska is a former Australian Open semifinalist. She is talented. However, she can’t seem to put that talent together. She is barely inside the top 50 (World No. 49) and should be better than she is. Yastremska is 4-6 in her last 10 matches. Elena Ruse hasn’t been noticeably better than Yastremska, but at World No. 87, she isn’t expected to do as much on tour. I feel like I’ve also mentioned that Yastremska has real potential before, but I could be conflating that memory with another player.
Best Bet to Make
The head-to-head is 4-0 in favor of Ruse. One of the four matches came earlier this year at the Australian Open, so it’s not as though their matches are in the distant past. Their matches have occurred on different surfaces, too, so it’s not as though Ruse has found a unique surface that suits her in this matchup. She has proved she can beat Yastremska in various conditions.
That being said, Ruse to win straight-up is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Ruse winning @2.10 @Betway
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
