ATP 250 Hangzhou quarterfinals
Cilic – Uchiyama: 22.09.2024 09:00 CEST
H2H: 1-0
Marin Cilic has won four of his last five matches. He is still coming back from an injury, so he still needs some time to find his best level of tennis. Two weeks ago, Marin played a challenger tournament in Cassis where he reached the quarterfinals. Here in Hangzhou, Marin defeated Svajda in the opening round in straight sets as we predicted. Today, Marin defeated Nishioka in straight sets as we predicted. The former US Open champion showed glimpses of his best form. However, he barely played in 2023, so he still needs time to get back to the best level of competitive tennis.
Yasutaka Uchiyama has won four of his last five matches. Here in Hangzhou, Uchiyama won both of his qualifying matches in straight sets. After that, Uchiyama had a favorable first round draw. He defeated McCabe in straight sets, a player who is outside the top 300 in the rankings. Uchiyama was great under pressure, saving all three break points. Today, Uchiyama upset Holger Rune in straight sets. It was one of his biggest wins this season. Earlier this month, Yasutaka won the challenger title in Zhangjiagang, winning against Lajal in the final. Uchiyama is hoping for a solid result this week, to get closer to the top 100 in the rankings.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Cilic is the slight favorite in this matchup. We believe that he is finally playing pain-free. His on-court movement and his ground strokes are looking great yet again. We believe that he will win this match easily.
That being said, Cilic winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Marin Cilic winning @1.50 @bet365
Kukushkin – Bu: 22.09.2024 10:30 CEST
H2H: first meeting
Mikhail Kukushkin has won four of his last five matches. Last week in Guangzhou, Mikhail reached the semifinals, where he lost against O’Connell in straight sets. This was a solid preparation tournament for Mikhail, to get ready for the upcoming Asian swing. So far this season, Kukushkin has not have many remarkable results. His biggest results were at the challenger tour level. With such performances, Mikhail dropped out of the top 100 in the rankings. Here in Hangzhou, Mikhail won his first two matches in straight sets.
Yunchaokete Bu has won three of his last five matches. Bu was granted a Wild Card in Hangzhou. Bu is looking for a solid result this week, to get his ranking closer to the top 100. In his opening round match, Bu defeated Gaston in straight sets as we predicted. After that, in the second round, Yunchaokete upset Khachanov in three tight sets as we predicted. So far this season, Bu has spent a lot of time playing at the challenger tour level. He has already won three challenger titles this season on the hard courts, and played two finals as well. The young Chinese is one of the biggest Chinese talents right now.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Bu is the slight favorite in this matchup. He has played great tennis so far here in China. The crowd definitely helped him so far. We believe that he will win against Kukushkin, and continue his winning streak.
That being said, Bu winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Yunchaokete Bu winning @1.53 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
