The WTA French Open competition features the second round on Thursday. The conditions in Paris have stayed very hot, and the action in the women’s tournament has not cooled down, either. Some big upsets have marked the first few days of the women’s event. Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula, both top-five seeds, have lost. Other high seeds have been challenged, and some of the middle or lower-seeded players have lost. Women’s tennis is deep and unpredictable, but it makes for an exciting French Open tournament. LWOS has our best bets for three matches on Thursday. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.
WTA French Open
Kalinskaya – Korneeva: Time 7:00 EST
H2H: 0-0
Anna Kalinskaya faces Alina Korneeva. Kalinskaya looked very solid and fully in control in her first-round match victory over Lois Boisson, who made the French Open semifinals last year. Kalinskaya had no problem playing a French player in France. She handled the situation very well. Alina Korneeva looked sharp in a clear-cut win over Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto. Both players are in form coming into this match, though Kalinskaya is the solid betting favorite as the No. 22 seed in the women’s draw.
Best Bet to Make
The Korneeva win over Cocciaretto was a good performance, but Cocciaretto has been struggling in recent weeks and is not playing quality tennis. Boisson isn’t playing great tennis, either, to be fair, so it’s understandable why someone would think Korneeva +1.5 sets makes sense as a wager on this match. That’s a reasonable play. However, Kalinskaya has more upside, has been playing well of late, and is showing maturity in how she is managing matches and opponents. Kalinskaya might not win in straight sets, but she should ultimately be able to win by enough games to cover a modest spread. A 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 scoreline will be a winner for Kalinskaya.
That being said, betting on Kalinskaya -3.5 games is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Kalinskaya -3.5 games @1.77 @1xBet
Shnaider – Kessler: Time 7:00 EST
H2H: 0–0
Diana Shnaider faces McCartney Kessler. Shnaider is a top-25 player, Kessler just inside the top 50. Shnaider looked really good in the first round, cleanly beating Renata Zarazua in straight sets. The match didn’t have much of any drama. Shnaider took charge and won without any stumbles. McCartney Kessler defeated Hanyu Guo in three sets. She wasn’t as decisive as Shnaider, but she dealt with the hot conditions and earned a hard-fought win that should give her confidence going into the next match.
Best Bet to Make
The form of each player in the first round would point to Shnaider. However, Shnaider hasn’t made many deep runs in big tournaments this year. She is a solid player but not a dominant one. Kessler hasn’t had spectacular results in recent weeks, but one notable match over the past month was a straight-set win over Zarazua, the same player Shnaider just defeated. This feels like a match that will be close. Shnaider moneyline could be part of a parlay, but in terms of a single bet, Kessler winning one set will bring in a very good price. That’s the play to make.
That being said, betting on Kessler +1.5 sets is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Kessler +1.5 sets @2.14 @Unibet
Putintseva – Osorio: Time 7:00 EST
H2H: 0–0
Yulia Putintseva faces Camila Osorio. Putintseva was able to get past Talia Gibson in three sets in the first round. Putintseva goes through ups and downs in a lot of her matches, and this recent match against Gibson was no exception. Putintseva is a tough and feisty player, but her serve is a weakness, and her overall game is inconsistent. Osorio just defeated a top-15 seed, beating Ekaterina Alexandrova (No. 14) in a strong first-round performance. Putintseva is ranked World No. 76, Osorio 86, so there isn’t a large gap in the overall rankings between these players.
Best Bet to Make
Osorio is priced as a moderate favorite, but Putintseva is capable of winning this match outright. This looks and feels like a close match, and there’s enough doubt about the moneyline winner to go with the over 2.5 set bet. Tennis bettors will sometimes tell themselves that a certain match feels like it will go the distance, men or women. Of all the women’s matches on the Thursday card, this feels like a match that will go three sets. The price for a three-set match is always good, but it should be noted that the price for this three-set match is a little worse than normal, which should tell you the markets are leaning toward three sets as well.
That being said, betting on over 2.5 sets is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: over 2.5 sets @2.25 @bet-at-home
Main Photo Credit: Taya Gray-USA TODAY Sports
