The WTA French Open women’s qualifying action moves into the second round. The players trying to get into the main draw in Paris next week have made their way through one round of qualifying. Now comes the even bigger pressure of taking the next step to the second major tournament of 2026. Are we going to see players carry their form into this second round of qualifying, or will we see players who won in the first round get really nervous and lose focus? This is why these matches are so interesting. LWOS has our best bets for three matches. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.
WTA French Open qualifying
Kraus – Noha Akugue: Time 12:00 EST
H2H: 0-1
Sinja Kraus faces Noma Noha Akugue. Kraus did not look especially impressive in the first round of qualifying. Going into her match against Celine Naef, she seemed to be the dramatically superior player, but given the way the match turned out, Kraus got a much tougher battle than she might have expected. She had to pull through in three sets. She survived, but it was not a convincing performance. Noma Noha Akugue, on the other hand, looked really good in her straight-set win over Tatiana Prozorova. Noha Akugue is comfortable playing on clay, and she will try to carry her rhythm into this match against Kraus.
Best Bet to Make
We thought Kraus would easily beat Naef in the first round of qualifying, but that match became a lot more complicated than we expected. Noha Akugue won her match more smoothly and is entering this battle with a lot of confidence. Kraus isn’t making it easy to trust her, and Noha Akugue, as we said above, is comfortable playing on clay and is showing she knows what to do. We’re going to go with a moneyline upset pick here.
That being said, betting on Noha Akugue winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Noha Akugue winning @3.08 @Pinnacle
Friedsam – Zidansek: Time 12:00 EST
H2H: 0–1
Anna-Lena Friedsam faces Tamara Zidansek. Friedsam beat Mona Barthel in the first round of qualifying. We told you to go with Friedsam and hope you followed through on that bet. We thought Tamara Zidansek would win convincingly over Ekaterine Gorgodze, but she struggled at times and needed three sets to win that match. It will be really interesting to see if Zidansek, a former French Open semifinalist and a player ranked close to 80 spots higher than Friedsam, can relax and play at a higher level here in the second round of qualifying.
Best Bet to Make
Friedsam met our expectations in the first round of qualifying while Zidansek underperformed, if only slightly. The market prices here have Zidansek established as the clear favorite, which we think might be a case of overpricing the favorite. Therefore, there is value to be found in a bet that goes to the underdog. Friedsam plus 1.5 sets offers decent value. It’s not spectacular, but it’s a reasonable price with a high likelihood of cashing.
That being said, betting on Friedsam +1.5 sets is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Friedsam +1.5 sets @1.61 @Coral
Begu – Lamens: Time 12:00 EST
H2H: 0–0
Irina Begu faces Suzan Lamens. We thought Begu would win her first-round match over Elizara Yaneva in straight sets, but she labored in a very tough, very close three-set win. Suzan Lamens dispatched Lina Gjorcheska in straight sets and looked a lot stronger in her first-round qualifying victory. It will be interesting to see if Begu can improve her form, which she will need to win, and if Lamens can maintain the form she displayed in the first round of qualifying.
Best Bet to Make
Begu defeated Yaneva, a player ranked just outside the top 200, in three sets. Lamens beat Gjorcheska, a player ranked inside the top 200, in straight sets. Lamens clearly displayed better form and more overall comfort in the first round. This match is priced fairly close to a toss-up, so you will get solid value from picking the moneyline winner. Lamens is the pick for us.
That being said, betting on Lamens winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Lamens winning @1.91 @Betfair
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
