The WTA French Open competition moves into the second round on Wednesday. The weather in Paris has been very hot and is expected to stay that way for the next few days. Players will need to manage matches well. They will need to be efficient and take advantage of opportunities when they can. The second round contains a field of 64 players. By the time the second round ends late Thursday night, the field will be down to 32 for the coming weekend. LWOS has our best bets for three matches on Wednesday. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.
WTA French Open
Bejlek – Swiatek: Time 6:00 EST
H2H: 0-0
Sara Bejlek faces Iga Swiatek. Bejlek scored a strong, convincing win over former US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the first round. Bejlek looked in rhythm and will now try to carry that rhythm into her next match. This will be a huge challenge for the underdog. She has to deal with Iga Swiatek, who has won this tournament four times. Swiatek looked solid in the first round, beating Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-2. The top-four player with big ambitions will try to take another step toward reclaiming her Roland-Garros title.
Best Bet to Make
The price on Swiatek winning in straight sets is very small, so you have to go with the game spread here. Swiatek covered an 8.5-game spread in the first round. She should be able to cover a 7.5-game spread here, and if she does, you will be rewarded with a great price. Swiatek was convincing enough in the first round to merit trust from tennis bettors in this second-round situation.
That being said, betting on Swiatek -7.5 games is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Swiatek -7.5 games @2.02 @1xBet
Ostapenko – Linette: Time 6:30 EST
H2H: 2–1
Jelena Ostapenko faces Magda Linette. Ostapenko wobbled in the second set of her first-round match against Ella Seidel, but she was able to rally and win that match in straight sets. Ostapenko’s matches almost always involve at least one or two stumbles, but in this match, she overcame them and avoided a third set, which should make her feel good. Magda Linette beat Tereza Valentova in three sets in the first round. We will see if she can build on that performance when she plays Ostapenko.
Best Bet to Make
The reality of Ostapenko matches is that they normally involve some degree of volatility, so bettors always need to take that into account. However, we did tell you to take Ostapenko in straight sets against Seidel, and the bet did cash. We’re going to trust Ostapenko one more time for a simple reason: Magda Linette hasn’t played all that well in recent weeks. She did beat Valentova in the first round, but she is still 2-4 in her last six matches. Ostapenko, on the other hand, is 5-1 in her last six. We don’t think one win over Tereza Valentova is enough to suggest that Magda Linette will play a good match here. She still has more to prove. Ostapenko to win in straights is once again the play to make.
That being said, betting on Ostapenko winning 2:0 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Ostapenko winning 2:0 @1.81 @1xBet
Starodubtseva – Rybakina: Time 7:00 EST
H2H: 0–0
Yulia Starodubtseva faces Elena Rybakina. Starodubtseva played really well in her first-round French Open match, beating Anna Blinkova in straight sets. Now Starodubtseva faces a much bigger test when she goes up against World No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the second round. Rybakina very smoothly moved through her first-round match against Veronika Erjavec. Rybakina remarked after the match on how hot the conditions were. Rybakina played well in those conditions, clearly motivated by the desire to get off the court as quickly as possible. Now we will see if she can do something similar in her next match.
Best Bet to Make
Rybakina really did look focused in the first round, as though she wanted to get off the court right away and not waste any time. When a betting favorite has that kind of mindset, it’s good to bet on that player. It’s possible that Rybakina will be impatient in this match against Starodubtseva, but since she played so well in the first round, it seems more likely that Rybakina will play with rhythm and flow. Rybakina winning in straight sets won’t offer any price worth betting on, so you should go with the game spread. Rybakina should have no problem covering a medium-sized spread.
That being said, betting on Rybakina -5.5 games is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Rybakina -5.5 games @1.63 @Betsson
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
