The WTA Eastbourne qualifying concludes on Sunday. This is the last week of tour play before Wimbledon starts on Monday, June 29. It’s a final chance for players to get used to grass, feel comfortable on the surface, and execute the kinds of shots that are effective on this surface and less so on clay or hardcourt. This is a WTA 250 event, whereas the 500-point tournament is being held in Bad Homburg. The field here won’t be as overwhelming as in Bad Homburg, and that means the players playing here have an even better opportunity to win matches and prepare themselves for Wimbledon. The prize money and ranking points aren’t as large, but the goal is mostly getting used to grass and entering the All-England Club in good shape for lawn tennis next week. LWOS has our best bets for three matches. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.
WTA Eastbourne
Tomljanovic – Erjavec: Time 6:00 EST
H2H: 0-0
Ajla Tomljanovic faces Veronika Erjavec at Eastbourne. Ajla Tomljanovic really struggled on clay this past spring, but she is doing well on grass. Tomljanovic has won four grass matches in six outings this month. Erjavec, who won her first qualifying match in Eastbourne, has played only one grass match this season. She had not played on grass in the two weeks before she came to Eastbourne. Tomljanovic is 4-1 in her last five matches, which have all been on grass. Erjavec is 2-3 in her last five matches. Both players are ranked between 85 and 100, so there is not a huge gap between the two players strictly in terms of where they stand on the WTA Tour.
Best Bet to Make
The improvement in Ajla Tomljanovic’s game on grass has been noticeable. She did not perform well on clay but has picked up her level of form since coming to the lawns a few weeks ago. Erjavec lost three straight matches before finally getting a qualifying-round win on Saturday. She is not playing well enough to recommend her in any bet of any kind. Tomljanovic moneyline won’t give you much of a price, since she is listed as a heavy favorite. The play here is Tomljanovic in straight sets. You’ll get a reasonable price for that.
That being said, betting on Tomljanovic winning 2:0 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Tomljanovic winning 2:0 @1.72 @1xBet
Sonmez – Jacquemot: Time 7:00 EST
H2H: 1-0
Zeynep Sonmez faces Elsa Jacquemot. Sonmez has six grass match wins this season, but three of those six match wins have been in the qualifying rounds of tournaments, so she is not beating the best of the best. She also endured a tough loss in the Nottingham Round of 16 to Viktorija Golubic. She was up a break in all three sets and led 3-1 in the third, and she still lost the match. Her serve is inconsistent, and she doesn’t always play well under pressure. Yet, she very nearly made her debut in the top 50 of the WTA world rankings. She is winning matches but not quite fulfilling all of her potential. Elsa Jacquemot just snapped a three-match losing streak with a win in Eastbourne qualifying over Mimi Xu. Jacquemot will try to build on that win and develop real momentum this week.
Best Bet to Make
The big concern about Zeynep Sonmez is that she will sometimes lose matches she should win. She can get very nervous under pressure and isn’t always a fully steady player. However, Sonmez has more talent than Jacquemot. She is the better player with more upside. The average moneyline price on Sonmez is below our threshold for a value bet, but there is one Sonmez moneyline price, at Betway, which offers just enough value for us to recommend the wager to you. You could go for Sonmez in straight sets for an even better price, but her inconsistency makes us want to settle for the simple moneyline wager.
That being said, betting on Sonmez winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Sonmez winning @1.60 @Betway
Stearns – Birrell: Time 7:30 EST
H2H: 2-0
Concluding our Eastbourne coverage is Peyton Stearns versus Kimberly Birrell. Stearns is ranked World No. 64, Birrell 73, so these are evenly-matched players as far as the rankings are concerned. Stearns has played just one grass match this season, in the qualifying round of Eastbourne on Saturday. Birrell has played five grass matches this season, so she has more experience on this playing surface in 2026, but she has won just two of those five matches. It brings up the point that experience isn’t necessarily valuable if the results or quality aren’t there. This is a really hard match to call, which informs the bet we will recommend.
Best Bet to Make
There are good reasons for taking either player. Stearns hasn’t played as much, but that could make her fresher both physically and mentally. Birrell has played more, which could give her just enough rhythm and fluidity to provide a real advantage in this match. You could go back and forth with these players in a match where the moneyline prices are close to even. It’s almost a toss-up. Ultimately, the fact that Birrell has played five grass matches this season, whereas Stearns has played only one, points to a Birrell bet. Stearns is less likely to be the sharper player. Birrell, even when she does lose, plays competitive tennis. She lost her most recent match to Ann Li in three sets. We are going to lean to Birrell here for a great price.
That being said, betting on Birrell winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Birrell winning @1.95 @Betway
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
