The WTA Madrid first round continues on Wednesday. The opening round began on Tuesday with former Major champion Venus Williams losing. Many of the matches on the order of play were straight-set wipeouts. Some players looked fully prepared for this tournament, while others were rusty or simply caught off guard. Let’s see if there are more three-set matches and more overall competitive balance as the tournament continues in Spain. We will look at three matches on the Wednesday card.
WTA Madrid
Ruse – Ruzic: Time 5:00 EST
H2H: 2-0
Elena Gabriela Ruse is ranked 12 spots lower than Antonia Ruzic. Ruse is No. 71, Ruzic is No. 59. Yet, recent results would not tell you that Ruzic is the better player. Ruse has a better record in her last six matches than Ruzic. Also, Ruse has been playing higher-quality competition. She beat former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in recent weeks. She also beat former Australian Open semifinalist Dayana Yastremska. It is up to Ruzic to show she can raise her level of play to match what Ruse is doing right now.
Best Bet to Make
Ruse is priced as the clear favorite, but Ruse to merely win the match will not give you a great return. You have to do something more to bet on Ruse if you want a good return on a winning ticket. Straight sets look like the play to make. You will get a price you can enjoy. Ruse is playing noticeably better, so you shouldn’t worry about Ruzic making this a close match. If Ruse plays the way she has been playing recently, Ruzic won’t bother her.
That being said, Ruse -1.5 sets is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Ruse -1.5 sets @1.97 @Unibet
Sonmez – Martinez Cirez: Time 5:00 EST
H2H: 0-0
Zeynep Sonmez is playing solid tennis. Ranked just inside the top 70, Sonmez is competing well against higher-ranked players. She beat Jasmine Paolini last week in Stuttgart. Then she came within a few points of beating top-30 player Leylah Fernandez, losing a third-set tiebreaker. Sonmez looks like a player who will be tough to beat. She isn’t a top player, but she is improving and puts up a fight. Carlota Martinez Cirez has been playing on the ITF circuit, while Sonmez plays on the regular WTA Tour. She has been inconsistent and came to Madrid looking for a spark.
Best Bet to Make
Sonmez is a massive favorite here. Picking her to win in straight sets won’t get you a quality return, or even a modest one. You have to bet on the game spread. Sonmez should be able to win this match very comfortably, maybe even in a blowout. Sonmez seems capable of winning this match 6-2, 6-3, or more. You can go with a medium-to-large game spread. I like Sonmez -6.5 at 1.77 on 1xBet. Go big or go home, right?
That being said, Sonmez -6.5 games is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Sonmez -6.5 games @1.77 @1xbet
Yastremska – Sierra: Time 8:00 EST
H2H: 0-0
Dayana Yastremska made a major semifinal at the WTA Australian Open a few years ago. She has not been able to maintain that level of performance and has nearly fallen out of the top 50. She is currently No. 49. She is looking to restart her career, and a 1,000-point tournament in Madrid would be a good place to start. Yastremska faces Solana Sierra, who is ranked 88th but is playing worse than that. Sierra has to find a way to halt her recent losing streak, but this is going to be a tough match for that.
Best Bet to Make
This match seems pretty clear-cut. Yastremska has not been great in her last eight matches, going 4-4, but Sierra is a woeful 1-7 in hers. It’s not that Yastremska is playing well, but Sierra is playing poorly. There is no reason to bet on Sierra doing anything well in this match. You could be aggressive and go with a game spread bet, but the straight-set price is reasonable and looks like a very likely win.
That being said, Yastremska -1.5 sets is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Yastremska -1.5 sets @1.78 @Unibet
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
