Daily Tennis Tips – Tuesday 31st January
Heather Watson vs Yulia Putintseva
Second seed Yulia Putintseva gets her Thailand Open campaign underway against British veteran Heather Watson, who is looking to inch her way back towards the top 100. Putintseva has won two of her three previous clashes with Watson, including the most recent at the 2018 Australian Open.
Former top-40 player Watson is currently ranked 160th after enduring a lean trot in the wake of her career-best Round of 16 appearance at Wimbledon last year.
The 30-year-old made the quarters of an ITF event Canberra (losing to compatriot Kate Boulter) in early-January and went down to Aliona Bolsova in straight sets in the opening round of the Australian Open.
Three-time grand slam quarter-finalist Putintseva is still striving to push her way into the WTA’s elite bracket, consistently holding a place in the top 50 without yet breaking into the top 25.
Following losses to big guns Belinda Bencic and Iga Swiatek at the United Cup to kick off her 2023 campaign, the 28-year-old reached the Hobart International quarters and came from a set down to beat Sorana Cirstea in her opening Australian Open assignment, before losing to Karolina Pliskova.
The feisty Putintseva has erratic tendencies but a dazzling array of shots and gritty defence. Watson needs to up the aggression to challenge her Kazakhstani opponent, but her recent form doesn’t bode well for an upset.
Bianca Andreescu vs Harriet Dart
Another Brit who has been dealt a tough first-round draw in Hua Hin, world No.104 Harriet Dart faces top seed Bianca Andreescu.
Andreescu, currently ranked 42nd, has been unable to get close to replicating the dizzying heights of her 2019 US Open triumph, producing patchy form after injury ruined her 2020 season. Final appearances at the 2021 Miami Open and 2022 Bad Homburg Open are rare exceptions.
But the Canadian powerhouse is still only 22 and has shown promising glimpses in the early weeks of 2023.
Andreescu beat fellow grand slam winner Garbine Muguruza in Adelaide and bounced 25th seed Marie Bouzkova out of the Australian Open, before losing second-round matches to Veronika Kudermetova and Cristina Bucsa, respectively.
Dart had a win over Aussie Madison Inglis, a three-set loss to Paula Badosa and a heavy defeat to Jessica Pegula at the United Cup, then exited the Australian Open in the first round at the hands of Jil Teichmann.
The 26-year-old achieved some notable milestones in 2022, breaking into the top 100 for the first time and picking up her first top-20 win (versus Elina Svitolina at Indian Wells) and her first top-10 win (versus Daria Kasatkina at the US Open).
Andreescu leads this head-to-head 2-1 but needed three sets to put Dart away in their most recent meeting at the 2021 Canadian Open. There’s no question short favourite Andreescu’s best would be far too good for the plucky Dart…but reliably producing that form is another matter.
Madison Brengle vs Shuai Zhang
In a first-round clash of the over-30s at the Lyon Open, 80th-ranked Madison Brengle is the $2.50 outsider up against second seed and defending champion Shuai Zhang.
The 34-year-old Zhang was a quarter-finalist at the 2016 Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2019, but she has arguably been in career-best form over the past year. Snapping a five-year WTA title drought in Lyon and reaching the Birmingham Classic final, Zhang recently broke into the top 25 for the first time.
Despite disappointing first-round exits in both Adelaide Internationals, Zhang powered impressively into the fourth round of the Australian Open before crashing out to Karolina Pliskova.
Brengle, 32, achieved a career-high ranking of No.35 back in 2015 and returned briefly to the top 50 after snaring consecutive ITF titles in October. The American has started 2023 with three straight loses, however, to Lin Zhu in Auckland, Bernarda Pera in Hobart and Claire Liu at the Australian Open.
With Brengle struggling for confidence and form, it’s hard to see Zhang getting upended here. The Chinese veteran’s serve was outstanding in the early rounds of the Australian Open and is returning to the scene of a momentous tournament victory.
Caroline Garcia vs Tereza Martincova
Comfortably the most accomplished and highest-profile player in the Lyon Open draw, world No.5 Caroline Garcia gets her Lyon Open campaign underway against 87th-ranked Tereza Martincova.
French star Garcia is searching for just her second WTA title on home soil, having won the Internationaux de Strasbourg in 2016. She reached the semis in Lyon last year but went down to Shuai Zhang.
Garcia was in searing form during the second half of 2022, winning four WTA titles – including the WTA Finals – and reaching a grand slam semi for the first time at the US Open.
The 29-year-old hasn’t quite maintained those levels to start 2023, however, losing to Belinda Bencic in the Adelaide International 2 quarters and getting rolled in straight sets by Magda Linnette in the Round of 16 as one of the Australian Open tournament favourites.
Martincova made first-round exits in Auckland and Hobart (after going a set up in both) and had the misfortune to draw Aryna Sabalenka first up at the Australian Open, taking just five games off the eventual champ.
The Czech 28-year-old nudged into the top 40 for the first time last February but has struggled for consistent results. She has won two of her five career matches against Garcia, however, including the most recent at the 2020 Istanbul Cup.
One of the most electrifying, gifted players on the tour, Garcia still has a tendency to drift out of matches. But she still has enough recent form on the board to be supremely confident of putting away Martincova in comfortable fashion.
The post Daily Tennis Tips – Tuesday 31st January appeared first on Ladbrokes Blog.
from Ladbrokes Blog https://www.ladbrokes.com.au/blog/2023/01/31/daily-tennis-tips-tuesday-31st-january/
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