ATP 500 Tokyo 1/16-Finals
Giron – Hurkacz: 25.09.2024 07:00 CEST
H2H: 0-2
Marcos Giron has lost four straight matches. The last match he won was over two months ago in Newport, where he won the title on grass. His last win on the hard court was in February. At the US Swing, Giron played terribly, and recorded three first-round exits. With such results, Giron is on the verge of dropping outside the top 50 in the rankings. Last year in Tokyo, Giron reached the semifinals. This will put more pressure on him, because he has a lot of points to defend.
Hubert Hurkacz has won three of his last five matches. The last match he played was at the US Open, where he lost against Thompson in the second round of the tournament. Hubert underwent surgery on 15 July because of his meniscus injury. The doctors advised him to skip the remainder of the 2024 season, but Hurkacz trusts his body, and has come back to Montreal already. Hurkacz played great tennis around this time last year. He won the title in Shanghai, and was the runner-up in Basel. Last year in Tokyo, Hurkacz lost his opening match against Zhang in three tight sets.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Hurkacz is the favorite in this matchup. We are still not sure if he is 100% fit. Hubert has played three times in Tokyo already, and lost his opening match every single time. On the other hand, Giron reached the semifinals here last year. We believe that Giron will keep this match interesting and tight.
That being said, Giron covering the games handicap is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Marcos Giron +2.5 games handicap @2.10 @bet365
Van de Zandschulp – Berrettini: 25.09.2024 05:30 CEST
H2H: 0-3
Botic Van de Zandschulp has won three of his last five matches. This season has been a roller coaster for the Dutchman. Last week in the Davis Cup, Botic won one match, and lost two to the Netherlands. Here in Tokyo, Van de Zandschulp defeated Watanuki in the first qualifying match. Botic played a terrible first set. However, he stepped up his game, and did not lose his serve in the second and third sets. In the final qualifying round, Botic defeated Nardi in straight sets as we predicted. Van de Zandschulp is looking for a solid result here to get closer to the top 50 in the rankings.
Matteo Berrettini has won four of his last five matches. Last week, Matteo represented Italy in the Davis Cup competition. He won all three of his matches, and helped Italy. Considering his injuries, Berrettini did not play many matches this season, but has done a great job in almost every single tournament. Matteo won four championship matches, and lifted three titles this season.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Matteo is the favorite in this matchup. Botic has already played two matches here, and played solid tennis. He loves to play under fast conditions such as this one. We believe that he will keep this match tight.
That being said, Botic covering the games handicap is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Botic Van de Zandschulp +3.5 games handicap @1.73 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
