The WTA Strasbourg women’s tournament semifinals are set for Friday. The WTA 500 event is a valuable prize just before the French Open. These semifinals carry a significant points boost for the winners. These points increases won’t be factored into the French Open since the draw has already taken place and the seed lists have already been established. Still, a big chunk of rankings points will have value going into the rest of the tennis season. LWOS has our best bets for the two semifinal matches. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.
WTA Strasbourg
Navarro – Li: Time 16:30 EST
H2H: 1-0
Emma Navarro faces Ann Li in a battle of two players ranked inside the top 40. Navarro had lost seven of nine matches going into Strasbourg and was having a terrible season, but she has finally found some good form, winning three straight matches to reach the semifinals. She beat Iva Jovic in the Round of 16 and Shuai Zhang in the quarterfinals. This could be the moment when Navarro revives her season, but she will want to win Strasbourg to confirm the point. Ann Li just beat Marie Bouzkova to advance to the semis. Li beat Iga Swiatek in Madrid a few weeks ago and has been having a solid clay season.
Best Bet to Make
This match is priced very close to a toss-up, so it’s a moneyline pick. Navarro is certainly playing well and finding good form, but Li has been having a decent clay season. This match feels like a question of whether you want to bet on the newly hot player, which is Navarro, or the player who has been steadier over a longer period of time, which is Li. We are going to side with Li because Marie Bouzkova is a talented player, and Li’s ability to beat her in the quarterfinals feels like a more impressive win than Navarro over Zhang in the same round.
That being said, betting on Li winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Li winning @2.02 @Pinnacle
Mboko – Cristian: Time 18:30 EST
H2H: 0–0
Victoria Mboko faces Jaqueline Cristian. Mboko entered this Strasbourg tournament having played only one match in roughly eight weeks. There was reason to worry about Mboko being rusty, but she was also physically fresh. Her athleticism has shown up and has helped her win two matches, the most recent one over top-30 player Leylah Fernandez. Jaqueline Cristian is a top-35 player who is putting together a good run at Strasbourg. She just defeated Daria Kasatkina in a tough three-set match.
Best Bet to Make
Cristian is having a good tournament, but before defeating Kasatkina, she beat Clara Tauson, who was rusty after coming back from a back injury. Mboko beat Lois Boisson and then Fernandez, which is a better pair of results than what Cristian has achieved this week in France. Mboko doesn’t look rusty, and she has silenced the doubts about her game. Mboko winning in straight sets brings a great price and has a very good chance of cashing.
That being said, betting on Mboko winning 2:0 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Mboko winning 2:0 @2.08 @Unibet
Main Photo Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports
