The WTA Rome tournament continues on Wednesday. The first-round main draw began on Tuesday. Wednesday will fill out the rest of the Round of 96 before the top seeds begin their tournament on Thursday and Friday in the Round of 64. Players in the back end of the top 100 and in the lower 100s will try to make crucial gains in rankings points with the French Open not that far away. The qualifying rounds are over; it’s an exciting time for tennis fans as the main draw begins to create some very interesting stories. LWOS has our best bets for three matches. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.
WTA Rome
Sierra – Korpatsch: Time 8:00 EST
H2H: 0-0
This is a very interesting match between two players who are in good form. Solana Sierra made the Round of 16 in Madrid by beating Dayana Yastremska and Zeynep Sonmez, in addition to Magdalena Frech. Those are some quality wins in the main draw of an important tournament. Tamara Korpatsch has won six of her last seven matches and just won two Rome qualifying matches. Which player will continue her run in Rome, and which player will suffer a difficult loss just before the French Open? It’s a very important match for both.
Best Bet to Make
Korpatsch has been stacking wins and has the benefit of having already played a few matches in Rome. She is comfortable with this surface, and we can’t be entirely sure the same applies to Sierra. However, Sierra has beaten better opponents than Korpatsch has. Her Madrid run was extremely impressive. She handled some very talented players. We’re going to give Sierra the lean here because of the caliber of opposition she has faced.
That being said, betting on Sierra winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Sierra winning @1.91 @Bet365
Siegemund – Bejlek: Time 8:00 EST
H2H: 0-0
Laura Siegemund is ranked No. 46, Sara Bejlek No. 37. This would seem to be a very even match, with prices which reflect as much. No. Bejlek is priced as a very solid favorite at 1.55, while Siegemund is a clear underdog at 2.60. Bejlek did win the Abu Dhabi championship earlier this year, but that was back in February. Siegemund has not been especially impressive, but she hasn’t been terrible, either. Siegemund won a main-draw match in both Stuttgart and Madrid. She lost to Iga Swiatek in Stuttgart and Jasmine Paolini in Madrid. She is losing to good players.
Best Bet to Make
This match is mispriced, in our view. This match should be close, and because Bejlek is such a heavy favorite, you can get Siegemund +1.5 sets at 1.60, which is a reasonable bet to make. However, we think you can get even more value on Siegemund to win outright. Bejlek might be the better player, but she has played just three matches since February 17, none since April 2. Siegemund played in Madrid a few weeks ago and won’t be as rusty. Bejlek seems to be getting far too much love from the markets. You can capitalize if you are not sold on Bejlek here.
That being said, betting on Siegemund winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Siegemund winning @2.60 @Betfair
Stearns – Tjen: Time 8:00 EST
H2H: 0-0
Peyton Stearns and Janice Tjen are both ranked in the top 50, but neither player inspires a lot of confidence right now. Stearns is 2-4 in her last six matches, and one of the two wins was against Lois Boisson, who hadn’t played a match in over six months. Tjen has won a bunch of matches in the past month, but most of those were at the Billie Jean King Cup against relatively mediocre opponents. This is an important match just before the French Open. Can either player make a run in Rome and change her season in a positive way?
Best Bet to Make
Stearns being 2-4 in her last six matches doesn’t mean she will lose to Tjen, but it does mean it’s hard to trust her to win this match in straight sets. The price on Tjen to win at least one set is decent. Stearns has to prove she can raise her game. Both players made the second round of Madrid, so it’s not as though Stearns is entering this match in better form or with obviously superior results. Tjen should be able to keep the match close.
That being said, betting on Tjen +1.5 sets is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Tjen +1.5 sets @1.73 @10Bet
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
