WTA Berlin first-round action takes place on Monday. The WTA Tour 500-point tournament moves into the main draw with Wimbledon just around the corner. The pre-Wimbledon grass calendar has just three weeks. One is done, and there are only two left. Players need match play and the chance to develop some rhythm before going to Wimbledon. They want the ranking points and the prize money, but match play matters the most, because these athletes want to be confident in their movement on grass. They want to know they can handle the trickier parts of a surface they just don’t play on very much. LWOS has our best bets for two matches. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.
WTA Berlin
Alexandrova – Potapova: Time 7:30 EST
H2H: 1-1
Ekaterina Alexandrova faces Anastasia Potapova. The grass season is a time when players who have been struggling on clay have an opportunity to start over and regain some momentum and confidence. Ekaterina Alexandrova is in a position where she needs to regroup. She has lost seven of her last eight matches and eight of her last 10. She has been going through a terrible 2026 season and has to find a way to turn things around. Anastasia Potapova was outside the top 50 several weeks ago, but she put together a great spring clay season and shot into the top 30. Now she has to find a way to succeed on grass. It’s a transition, but Potapova has been playing good tennis. She will try to maintain momentum in a different environment.
Best Bet to Make
This is a straightforward match in Berlin. Alexandrova has been so bad so consistently that the play here is to fade Alexandrova. Even if you are unsure that Potapova will carry her strong clay season into grass, or even if you think Potapova’s ranking is a little inflated because of two good months on one surface, Alexandrova simply doesn’t justify any trust from a betting standpoint. The price for Potapova moneyline is decent and is definitely worth the wager. The price easily could have been a lot worse than what it is.
That being said, betting on Potapova winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Potapova winning @1.83 @Pinnacle
Mertens – Samsonova: Time 11:30 EST
H2H: 0–2
Elise Mertens faces Liudmila Samsonova at Berlin. Both players are struggling going into this match. Mertens was surprisingly defeated very easily last week by Elena-Gabriela Ruse, 6-3, 6-3. It was a decisive loss to an opponent who is not that good on grass. Mertens’ grass season got off to a horrible start, and she will try to change her fortunes this week in Berlin. Samsonova has lost each of her last four matches. She hasn’t won a match since May 8. She has lost her first match in her last three tournaments. She needs to find a spark this week, but Mertens is not an easy matchup, even though Samsonova is 2-0 head-to-head.
Best Bet to Make
This is a situation in which Samsonova, with a 2-0 head-to-head record, should be confident she can play a good, competitive match against the opponent on the other side of the net. Given that Mertens is struggling and is coming off a bad loss to Ruse last week, it’s very hard to trust that Mertens will be able to win this match in straight sets. Samsonova winning at least one set is the play. The price is not spectacular, but it is totally reasonable.
That being said, betting on Samsonova +1.5 sets is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Samsonova +1.5 sets @1.70 @10Bet
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
