The Billie Jean King Cup qualifying rounds take place this weekend. The international women’s tennis tournament will continue during the middle third of the year and end in late September with the finals in Shenzhen, China. The first day of the weekend’s various two-day competitions was Friday, setting up a decisive Saturday in which nations will try to get three matches and win these best-of-five battles.
WTA Billie Jean King Cup
Zidansek – Romero: Time 14:00
H2H: 1-0
Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia faces Gormaz Leyre Romero of Spain in Slovenia on Saturday. This tie is 1-1 going into Saturday, so this is a high-leverage match. Both players are outside the top 120, with Zidansek at 128 and Romero at 175. This is not a battle of star players, so the outcome could be decided not by which player plays great, but which player stumbles.
Best Bet to Make
These players have indeed met only once, but it was this year. Several 1-0 or 2-0 head-to-heads will include matches from three to six years ago. A 2026 meeting will give us more information. Zidansek won that match in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5. With Zidansek playing in front of a home crowd in Slovenia, it is reasonable to think she can straightforwardly win this match. I’ve been burned by this thought process earlier this year, but I’m giving it another chance because it’s the logical thought here.
That being said, taking Zidansek -1.5 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Zidansek -1.5 sets @2.38 @Unibet
Bencic – Noskova: Time 14:30
H2H: 1-0
Belinda Bencic of Switzerland faces Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic in a high-level match featuring two players both ranked in the WTA Top 15. Adding to the stakes of the match: Switzerland and the Czech Republic are tied 1-1. The outcome of this match could easily swing the tie in the winner’s favor. Bencic and Noskova have met only once, and this will easily be a more intense encounter than their last. It’s a hard match to bet on, and I loathe these matches for this reason.
Best Bet to Make
A match is hard to bet on, but the natural place to go in such a situation is betting on a close match. Bencic might win, but Noskova – who recently made the semifinals at Indian Wells – is a solid player unlikely to be unceremoniously dismissed. Even if Bencic wins, Noskova is probably going to make her work for it. Using that logic, I like Noskova +3.5 at 1.7 on Interwetten.
That being said, Noskova +3.5 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Noskova +3.5 games winning @1.70 @Interwetten
Mertens – Jovic: Time 15:30
H2H: 0-0
Elise Mertens of Belgium plays Iva Jovic of the United States, with Belgium leading 2-0 in this tie. Mertens can clinch it for the hosts. Both players are ranked in the WTA Top 20, but neither has been in great form in recent weeks. Mertens, though, won her opening match in the BJK Cup on Friday, while Jovic lost. Will players carry their form into Saturday or reverse course?
Best Bet to Make
Mertens is priced as a slight favorite. How much of a favorite? Anywhere from .1 to .25 points, on average. She is playing at home against an opponent who endured a very tough loss on Friday. The match being in Belgium makes a Mertens moneyline bet an obvious play at a reasonable price. You can grab Mertens straight up for 1.84 on several sites.
That being said, Mertens winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Mertens winning @1.84 @Pinnacle
Golubic–Bouzkova: Time 16:00
H2H: 3-3
Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland plays Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic, with the Swiss and Czechs tied at one all going into Saturday. The Belinda Bencic-Linda Noskova match precedes this one, so one of Golubic or Bouzkova will know that she has to win to keep the tie going into a deciding fifth. The other player will know she has a chance to win the tie and avoid a deciding fifth match. If you think Bencic or Noskova will win the earlier match, that might affect how you view this match.
Best Bet to Make
These two players know each other well. They have met six times, so they have a clear idea of what to expect. Will that help Bouzkova, the higher-ranked player, or will it give Golubic a greater sense of calm and confidence? The match is in Switzerland; the Swiss are hosting the event. Golubic might therefore get a bit of a boost in adrenaline, which will help her keep the match close. Taking Golubic + 4.5
That being said, Golubic +4.5 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Golubic +4.5 games @1.80 @bet-at-home
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
