Category: Tennis

TENNIS: Preview of Weekend Event: The Winston-Salem Open

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

The 2024 Winston-Salem Open, an ATP 250 outdoor hard court tournament, is coming to a conclusion this weekend with semi-final matches on Friday and the final Saturday. Sandwiched between back-to-back ATP 1000 events and the US Open, which begins on Monday, the event hasn’t attracted as much talent as it has in years’ past, leaving an unlikely semi-final pairing and a strong chance that someone wins their first ATP title this season.

Let’s take a look back at the early action this week and preview Friday’s semi-final matches.

Past Winston-Salem Winners

2023: Sebastian Baez def. Jiri Lehecka

2022: Adrian Mannarino def. Laslo Djere

2021: Ilya Ivashka def. Mikael Ymer

2019: Hubert Hurkacz def. Benoit Paire

2018: Daniil Medvedev def. Steve Johnson

Early Winston-Salem Recap

The Winston-Salem Open was turned upside down from the start of the competition with each of the top nine seeds losing their first match. Defending champion and top seed Sebastian Baez lost in straight sets in the second round to Borna Coric, while second seed Francisco Cerundolo also lost in straight sets to American Zachary Svajda. Adrian Mannarino, Mariano Navone, Nuno Borges, and Tomas Martin Etcheverry were among the other top seeds eliminated early.

Only two of the top-12 seeds – Lorenzo Sonego and Alex Michelsen – are into the semi-finals. Veterans David Goffin and Pablo Carreno Busta are the other two semi-finalists. Goffin, who hasn’t won on the ATP Tour in two years, beat Rinky Hijikata in the quarter-finals, while Carreno Busta beat qualifier Learner Tien. Michelsen, a 19-year-old American, beat Christopher Eubanks 7-5, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5) in a competitive quarter-final match and Sonego beat Pavel Kotov in straight sets.

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Semi-Final Matches

David Goffin (-145) vs. Lorenzo Sonego (+105)

This is the third meeting between Sonego and Goffin. They split their previous two matches, with Sonego winning on clay earlier this season at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and Goffin winning on indoor hard courts at the Open Sud de France in 2021. Sonego is the higher-ranked player, won the most recent match between the two players, and has been on court almost three hours fewer than Goffin, so it’s somewhat strange to see him as a considerable underdog.

I Like Sonego to win this match for all of those reasons. Goffin is 18-8 on hard courts this season, whereas Sonego is just 8-10, but many of Goffin’s wins have come in Challenger events against lesser opponents.

Alex Michelsen (-115) vs. Pablo Carreno Busta (-115)

Michelsen is a player who is on the verge of breaking through as a legit threat on the ATP Tour. He has two Challenger titles and is ranked a career-best No. 52, whereas Carreno Busta is a clay court specialist whose best days are behind him; the 33-year-old was once a top-10 player but is now ranked No. 299. Carreno Busta is 8-6 this season, while Michelsen is 31-26, including 7-3 in his last 10 matches.

Michelsen is also 19-10 on hard courts. He won his first two matches in straight sets and should have tremendous confidence after his close victory over Eubanks. 

Winston-Salem Final Prediction

Assuming a Sonego-Michelsen final, I like the veteran Sonego to take the title. Michelsen’s time is coming soon, but it seems as though he might have to wait a bit longer. Sonego is a three-time winner on the ATP Tour.

Pick: Lorenzo Sonego def. Alex Michelsen

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TENNIS: Preview of Weekend Event: Cincinnati Open

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

The Cincinnati Open is an ATP 1000 event held on outdoor hardcourts and features the majority of the top players in the world, with the exception of defending champion and 2024 Olympic gold medalist Novak Djokovic. The tournament started late on Tuesday, meaning we’re only into the Round of 16 as of Friday. Here’s a recap of early round action and what to expect this weekend.

Recap of Early Action

There have already been a few upsets in the first two rounds with four of the top-10 seeds already eliminated from contention. Tommy Paul, the 10th seed, lost in the first round to Flavio Cobolli. His compatriot Taylor Fritz, the 11th seed, also lost in the first round against wild card Brandon Nakashima. Daniil Medvedev, Grigor Dimitrov, and Stefanos Tsitsipas are the other top-10 seeds out of the Cincinnati Open.

Medvedev, who was one of the top eight seeds to receive a first-round bye, lost his opening match 6-7 (2), 4-6 against Jiri Lehecka. Dimitrov also lost his first match, losing in three sets in the second round against Fabian Marozsan, while Tsitsipas lost in the second round to Jack Draper after beating Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round.

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Updated Cincinnati Open Odds

Carlos Alcaraz +120

Jannik Sinner +175

Alexander Zverev +550

Holger Rune +1800

Andrey Rublev +2000

Jack Draper +2500

Ben Shelton +2800

Frances Tiafoe +3300

Hubert Hurkacz +3300

Felix Auger-Aliassime +4000

Weekend Matches

Brandon Nakashima (+180) vs. Andrey Rublev (-230)

Rublev is the sixth-ranked player in the world and in the midst of a strong stretch of play that includes reaching the final at the National Bank Open in Canada. He is 49-24 in the last 52 weeks and is 7-3 in his last 10 matches, including a Round of 32 victory over Zhizhen Zhang in straight sets. Nakashima has wins over Arthur Fils and Fritz and typically performs well in hardcourt tournaments in the US.

Nakshima is a good upset pick in this match, with the winner moving on to the quarter-finals to play either Jordan Thompson or world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Rublev beat Nakashima last week in Montreal, so the American is going to be motivated to return the favor.

Frances Tiafoe (-120) vs. Jiri Lehecka (-115)

Lehecka and Frances Tiafoe meet for the second time on the ATP Tour on Friday in Cincinnati. Tiafoe won the first match in straight sets in the BOSS Open in Stuttgart last year and is a strong pick to prevail once again. The American, ranked No. 27 in the world, is 6-4 in his last 10 matches and coming off impressive straight set wins over 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. 

Lehecka, meanwhile, is coming off an upset win over fourth seed Medvedev and is playing for the first time since the Mutua Madrid Open in April. Because of potential injury or fatigue concerns this far into the tournament, I’d be more comfortable backing Tiafoe, who would play the winner of Hubert Hurkacz and Cobolli in the quarter-finals.

Finals Prediction

At such unfavorable odds, it’s hard to back either Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner is also dealing with some rust after missing the Olympics due to tonsilitis and suffering an early round loss in Canada, while Alcaraz isn’t typically as strong on hardcourts. This is shaping up well for a player like Alex Zverev to make a run. The German has a favorable path with Pablo Careno Busta and Ben Shelton/Marozsan in his way of making the semifinals.

Pick: Zverev def. Alcaraz

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National Bank Open

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

The 2024 Canadian Open, or National Bank Open for sponsorship purposes, is an ATP/WTA 1000 tournament taking place in two major Canadian cities. The women’s draw is in Toronto and the men’s draw is in Montreal. It’s one of the oldest tournaments in the world and, as a mandatory 1000 event, has a loaded field with the majority of the world’s top players, minus Olympic gold medal final participants Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. 

There have also been a few delays due to weather, so there are still some Round of 32 matches to be played as of Friday. Here’s a look at what to expect for the remainder of the tournament this weekend.

ATP National Bank Open Outright Odds

Jannik Sinner -138

Alexander Zverev +450

Andrey Rublev +1100

Grigor Dimitrov +1400

Holger Rune +1800

Taylor Fritz +1800

Casper Ruud +2000

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina +2500

Hubert Hurkacz +2800

Nuno Borges +2800

Early Rounds Recap

Defending champion Jannik Sinner made quick work of his second-round opponent Borna Coric, beating him 6-2, 6-4, and now faces Alejandro Tabilo in the third round. Other top seeds like Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, and Andrey Rublev are into the Round of 16, although there have been a few notable upsets already.

Daniil Medvedev, the third seed, lost in three sets to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, while eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas lost in the second round to Kei Nishikori, who used a protected ranking to enter the draw. Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who finished fourth in the Olympics, also lost his opening match in Toronto. Americans Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton are also out.

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Upcoming Matches

Alexander Zverev (-305) vs. Holger Rune (+230)

Holger Rune is a young player who has been on the cusp of winning major tournaments for more than a year now, but hasn’t been able to establish himself on the same level as players like his opponent Alexander Zverev, Sinner, and Alcaraz. There’s a real opportunity for an upset in this match, however, as Zverev has rarely taken time off this season and should start feeling fatigued at some point.

Zverev, however, looked dominant in his 6-1, 6-1 win over Jordan Thompson. Rune survived a first-round scare against Roberto Bautista Agut and followed that up with an impressive 6-1, 6-3 win over Pablo Carreno Busta. Rune is 1-1 in two career matches against Zverev but they have never played on hard courts, where Rune is 12-5 this year after going just 10-10 last year and 8-9 the year prior. 

Brandon Nakashima (+150) vs. Andrey Rublev (-180)

Rublev has had some frustrating moments this year, but he is better than what the odds for this match suggest and should prevail against Brandon Nakashima. The American beat Rublev earlier this season on clay courts, but Rublev beat Nakashima 6-2, 6-1 in their only meeting on hard courts. They’re both 16-6 on hard courts this season, although Rublev has victories over better players. 

Final Prediction

It’s hard to see anyone but Sinner winning in Toronto. He’s the defending champion, has only lost one match this year against players not named Carlos Alcaraz, and has a favorable draw with Rublev/Nakashima as potential quarter-final opponents and one of Davidovich Fokina/Matteo Arnaldi/Nuno Borges/Nishikori in the semis. Rune is a good pick to win the bottom half of the bracket, but he won’t be able to contend with Sinner.

Pick: Sinner def. Rune

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Preview of Weekend Event: Mubadala Citi DC Open

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

While all eyes are on the Olympics tennis tournament, there are other events ongoing this week, including the DC Open in Washington, D.C. The ATP 500 outdoor hard court event usually has a deeper field, but there are still some quality players left as we approach the quarter-finals beginning Friday. Five of the top-10 seeds, including top-ranked Andrey Rublev, are playing for the title.

ATP Citi Open Outrights

Andrey Rublev +300

Ben Shelton +350

Sebastian Korda +400

Frances Tiafoe +550

Denis Shapovalov +700

Alex Michelsen +700

Jordan Thompson +1100

Flavio Cobolli +1400

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Quarter-Final Matches

Flavio Cobolli (+165) vs. Alex Michelsen (-195)

Alex Michelsen, the second-lowest seed in the quarter-finals, has played great tennis through two matches in DC and is my pick to advance to the semis. He has consecutive straight set victories, whereas Flavio Cobolli has had to play two difficult matches to earn a spot in the semis. Cobolli beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 1-6, 7-6 (0), 7-6 (7) in the third round, prior to which he beat David Goffin 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Denis Shapovalov (+113) vs. Ben Shelton (-139)

Denis Shapovalov and Ben Shelton will meet in a rematch of the third round at this past Wimbledon, when Shelton won in a competitive five-set match. Shelton, the world No. 14, is 11-7 on hard courts this year whereas Shapovalov is just 6-6 on the surface. Shapovalov has battled injuries and inconsistent play in the last few years, while Shelton is a fast-rising player who is likely to break into the top-10 in the near future. He’s a good bet to win and improve to 2-0 against the Canadian.

Sebastian Korda (-195) vs. Jordan Thompson (+165)

This is the first meeting between Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson and, because of that, I like the underdog Thompson to prevail. The Aussie has consecutive straight set victories, beating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-5, 6-4 and Reilly Opelka 6-4, 6-3. Korda needed three sets to beat Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis in the third round and previously beat Cristian Garin in two sets. Thompson is 8-2 in his last 10 matches and ranked No. 33 in the world, one spot below his career-best ranking.

Andrey Rublev (-185) vs. Frances Tiafoe (+150)

Expect another upset here with Frances Tiafoe becoming the third American into the semi-finals. Rublev had lost five of his last seven matches coming into the tournament and is 1-2 in his career against Tiafoe. The American typically performs well in the US as well – Tiafoe’s best results this year were a finals appearance in Houston, semi-final in Delray Beach, and quarter-final in Dallas and Atlanta.

Finals Prediction

Tiafoe is a player who is due for success this season. The four-time ATP Tour winner doesn’t have a title this season, but has come close in US-based tournaments. If he can upset Rublev, he would play the winner of Korda and Thompson and both of those are favorable matches. He’s the most experienced player in the draw and that should serve him well, potentially in an all-American final against Shelton.

Pick: Tiafoe def. Shelton

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Olympics Tennis Set to Begin

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

There will be some great tennis action taking place throughout the world this weekend, but all eyes will be on Paris. Tennis is set to be played at the Summer Olympics, and there will be many different formats of tennis that will be played. 

When looking for the best tennis odds this weekend, checking out the men’s and women’s single title odds will be the best way to go. There will be some great odds out there for each sport, and a couple of big names stand out right away. 

Here is a look at both the men’s and women’s side of things that are set for the great Olympics action. 

Men’s Tennis Odds

There are some big names in the sport of men’s tennis, and all of the biggest names are going to be getting ready to play in Paris. When it comes to the men’s tennis odds, Carlos Alcaraz is the current betting favorite at -149 to come away with a win this weekend. 

Novak Djokovic continues to be one of the best players in this sport, and he is sitting at +280 to come away with a win at the Summer Olympics. There is a big gap in the odds at the Paris Olympics, but Alexander Zverev is sitting at +560 to win the gold medal.

Those are really going to be the three top names to watch, but there could always be some upsets that take place. Every athlete will be pushing their hardest to win a medal of some kind, and none of the players will want to suffer a defeat early in this competition. 

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Women’s Tennis Odds

There is an even bigger betting favorite on the women’s side of things as Iga Swiatek is coming into this event at -202 to get the win. She is a big name in the sport of women’s tennis, but she hasn’t always had a ton of success this season. 

American Coco Gauff is another name to watch as she is one of the top athletes from the United States. Gauff is coming into this match with odds set at +600 to win the gold medal, and she is good enough to get it done in Paris. 

Naomi Osaka currently has odds set at +1600, and she is another athlete that has proven that she can win some big tennis tournaments. There aren’t a ton of other names to watch in Paris, but that could always change as the action unfolds. 

Players to Back

The medals at the Paris Olympics won’t be handed out until the end of the event, but the tennis action is going to get going this weekend. Now is the perfect time to start making those wagers as this is when you can really cash in on the odds that are set. 

Alcaraz might be the betting favorite to win the gold at the Paris Olympics, but it will be Novak Djokovic that gets it done on the men’s side of things. The betting favorite will win the women’s gold medal as Iga Swiatek is going to avoid upsets throughout this event.

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TENNIS: Preview of Weekend Event: Infosys Hall of Fame Open

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

The Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island is one of four ATP 250 events taking place this week. There is more than $650,000 in prize money up for grabs in the grass court tournament, which began with only one player ranked inside the top-25, Adrian Mannarino, the defending champion. One semi-final is set and the other will be decided on Friday afternoon. Here’s a look at the upcoming matches.

Earl Rounds Recap

Mannarino, as the top seed and defending champion, had a bye into the second round, but lost his match against Reilly Opelka, who is now into the semi-finals and has the second-shortest odds to win the tournament. Opelka beat Mannarino 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. He followed that up with a three-set win against MacKenzie McDonald to earn a spot in the semi-finals against fellow American Alex Michelsen. 

Four players – two Americans and two Aussies – are vying for the final two spots in the semis. Aleksander Vukic, the sixth seed, has consecutive straight set wins as does qualifier Alex Bolt. Marcos Giron and Christopher Eubanks were the second and fourth seeds, respectively, and only had to win one match to get to the semis. 

ATP Newport Outright Odds

Alex Michelsen +225

Reilly Opelka +333

Aleksander Vukic +400

Marcos Giron +400

Alex Bolt +700

Christopher Eubanks +700

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Quarter-Final Matches

Christopher Eubanks (+161) vs. Aleksander Vukic (-186)

It hasn’t been a great season for Eubanks, who notably surprised the tennis world last year with his unexpected quarter-final run at Wimbledon. He is just 6-17 this season, although he is 3-4 on grass courts. Still, Vukic is 5-2 in his career against Eubanks, 10-6 this season on grass, and has been the more consistent player this season. He also has consecutive straight-set victories and should be feeling good about his game ahead of Friday’s quarter-final.

Marcos Giron (-174) vs. Alex Bolt (+154)

It’s probably best to once again take the favorite in this matchup. Giron is a top-50 ranked player who is 2-1 in his career against Bolt, a player ranked well outside of the top-200. Giron is 17-18 this season, including 6-4 on grass, while Bolt is 40-14, including 21-3 on grass. Those stats are incredibly deceiving, however, as Bolt has primarily been playing in Challenger events. He has four finals appearances.

Semi-Final

Reilly Opelka (+115) vs. Alex Michelsen (-160)

Surprisingly, Opelka and Michelsen have never played each other. They’ll meet for the first time on Saturday in the semi-finals. Michelsen is an up-and-coming 19-year-old American who is 22-22 this season, while Opelka is a former top-20 player now ranked outside of the top-500 in large part due to injuries. He played just once last year and three matches this season. Interestingly, he has won each of those matches, including three on grass. He has a strong service game that could give Michelsen fits. I like Opelka in a slight upset here.

Finals Prediction

Assuming he wins his quarter-final, Vukic is a good bet to win the tournament. He has been the best player through his first two matches and is a strong grass court player.

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Preview of Weekend Event: Wimbledon Final

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

The 2024 Wimbledon Championships have been anything but predictable. Top seeds in the men’s and women’s draws, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, were eliminated by the quarter-finals. It has still been a good tournament for Italy, however, as seventh seed Jasmine Paolini is into her second consecutive grand slam final and 22-year-old Lorenzeo Musetti is up against Novak Djokovic in the men’s semi-finals. Let’s take a look at the three remaining matches in the tournament.

ATP Wimbledon Semi-Finals

Daniil Medvedev (+260) vs. Carlos Alcaraz (-360)

Daniil Medvedev is looking to reach his second grand slam final this season, but he faces a tough task against world No. 3 and defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz. Medvedev was runner-up at the Australian Open, losing to Sinner in five sets after taking a 2-0 lead, and got his revenge over the world No. 1 in the Wimbledon quarter-finals. Alcaraz has had to grind for his wins over the last two weeks, most notably against Frances Tiafoe, who took him to five sets in the third round. 

Medvedev is 2-4 in his career against Alcaraz and 1-1 at Wimbledon. Both of their matches at the All England Club were decided in straight sets, but I wouldn’t expect a repeat performance on Friday. They’ve both played multiple four and five set matches already and Medvedev should be playing free and loose now that he finally beat Sinner, to whom he had lost five consecutive matches beforehand. 

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Novak Djokovic (-952) vs. Lorenzo Musetti (+540)

Musetti is a major underdog against Novak Djokovic, but he does have a victory over the former world No. 1 and eight-time Wimbledon winner. Djokovic hadn’t played in a month prior to the start of the tournament and had concerns about his health due to a torn meniscus in his right knee. He hasn’t had any issues and should be well rested after getting a walkover win in the quarters against Alex de Minaur. 

This has potential to be Djokovic’s easiest path to a grand slam final, especially since Musetti had never been past the fourth round at any grand slam before this week. However, the Italian beat Djokovic in three sets at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and has twice taken him to five sets at the French Open. 

WTA Wimbledon Final

Barbora Krejcikova (-140) vs. Jasmine Paolini (+120)

In an unlikely women’s final, world No. 32 Barbora Krejcikova takes on seventh-ranked Paolini, who is the first Italian woman to play in a final at the All England Club. Krejcikova is a former world No. 2 and one-time grand slam winner who has dealt with a debilitating back injury this year but has looked great at Wimbledon, recently earning a three-set win over Elena Rybakina. Paolini beat Donna Vekic in the semis.

There’s good upset potential here as Paolini is being undervalued. She is 30-12 this season and is into her second straight grand slam final, while Krejcikova was just 7-9 coming into Wimbledon.

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TENNIS: Preview of Weekend Event: Wimbledon

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

Wimbledon, the oldest tennis tournament in the world, takes center stage this weekend with plenty of intriguing matches ahead. The 137th edition of the tournament is shaping up to be a memorable one with plenty of intriguing storylines. Novak Djokovic is seeking his 25th career grand slam title and first of the season, but is coming off a knee injury and hasn’t been at his best this season. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who won the first two grand slams this season, are looking to stake their claim as the next great player in the sport.

First Week Recap

The top five seeds in the men’s draw at Wimbledon are still in contention, but there has been a few notable upsets. Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz, and Casper Ruud are the three top-10 seeds already eliminated from contention. Eleventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas is also out of the tournament after losing 6-7 (6), 6-7 (10), 6-3, 3-6 to Emil Ruusuvuori. Other top-20 players out of contention include Felix Auger-Aliassime and Sebastian Korda.

There have been a number of competitive matches thus far as well. Ben Shelton booked a spot in the third round via 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (7) win over Lloyd Harris in the second round. His third-round opponent, Denis Shapovalov, beat Daniel Altmaier in five sets in the second round. Tenth seed Grigor Dimitrov also needed five sets to beat Juncheng Shang, rallying from down 2-0 to win 5-7, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. 

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ATP Wimbledon Outright Odds

Jannik Sinner +160

Carlos Alcaraz +175

Novak Djokovic +333

Alexander Zverev +1000

Alex de Minaur +1600

Taylor Fritz +2200

Holger Rune +2800

Daniil Medvedev +3300

Tommy Paul +4000

Grigor Dimitrov +4000

Weekend Previews

Alex Zverev (-650) vs. Cameron Norrie (+400)

Alex Zverev is a good outright pick to win Wimbledon and, as such, should have little trouble beating Cameron Norrie in the third round on Saturday. Zverev, the 2020 Olympic champion, was runner-up at Roland Garros and appears to be on the cusp of grand slam greatness. He had a 2-1 set lead over Alcaraz before losing in the final of the French Open and has seemingly used that as motivation at the All England Club. 

Alcaraz beat Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in the first round and followed that up with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 win over Marcos Giron. He’s 4-2 in his career against Norrie.

Arthur Fils (-160) vs. Roman Safiullin (+125)

Arthur Fils, a 20-year-old rising star on the ATP Tour, earned the biggest win of his young career in the second round, beating Hubert Hurkacz, the seventh seed, in four sets. Hurkacz technically retired, but he did so while facing match point in the fourth round as he was unable to continue due to a knee injury. Roman Safiullin, meanwhile, scored upset wins over Francisco Cerundolo and Tomas Machac. 

Fils is the pick here as he is 2-0 in his career against Safiullin and looked like a player ready to take the next step in his match against Hurkacz. Expect big things from him going forward.

Alexei Popyrin (+500) vs. Novak Djokovic (-900)

This should be an interesting match as Djokovic has really yet to be tested through his first two matches. He won his first two matches, but both opponents were ranked outside of the top-100. His second-round opponent, Jacob Fearnley, ranked No. 271 in the world, even took a set off the 24-time grand slam champion. Popyrin, meanwhile, is into the third round at Wimbledon for the first time in his career after a five-set win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Djokovic beat Popyrin in four sets at the Australian Open earlier this season.

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Preview of Weekend Event: Rothesay International 

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

The Rothesay International, an ATP Tour 250 series grass court event, wraps up this weekend in Eastbourne, United Kingdom. What started as an exclusive WTA event has been part of the ATP Tour since 2009 and crowned champions like Novak Djokovic (2017), Alex de Minaur (2022), and Francisco Cerundolo (2023). The 2024 Rothesay International began with eight of the top-35 players in the world and has featured plenty of upsets as we head into what should be an exciting weekend of action.

Early Round Recap

American Taylor Fritz, the top seed and two-time champion at Eastbourne, is the only of the top eight seeds to advance to the semi-finals. He beat Thiago Seyboth Wild in straight sets in the second round and followed that up with a victory over Chinese qualifier Shang Juncheng in the second round. He’ll face lucky loser Aleksander Vukic in the semi-final. Vukic scored three straight upsets over Fabian Marozsan, third seed Alexander Bublik, and Yoshihito Nishioka. 

Second seed Tommy Paul withdrew from the event after winning last week’s Cinch Championships. Cerundolo, the fifth seed and defending champion, was upset in the first round by Marcos Giron, who then lost to Nishioka. His Argentinian compatriot Sebastian Baez was upset by Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round. 

The biggest surprise in Eastbourne has been Billy Harris. The veteran Brit won only his second and third career ATP matches a week ago at the Cinch Championships and is now into the semi-finals in Eastbourne after a favorable draw that saw him beat fellow wildcard Jacob Fearnley, lucky loser Charles Broom, and Flavio Cobolli. 

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Semi-Final Betting Previews

Max Purcell (-175) vs. Billy Harris (+125)

This is an incredibly tough matchup to predict given both players were unlikely to be in this position at the start of the tournament. Harris is on a great run right now and playing incredible in front of the home crowd, but he hasn’t faced tough opponents thus far in Eastbourne. Purcell, meanwhile, is ranked inside the top-100 and has beaten Kecmanovic, Lorenzo Sonego, and Laslo Djere. He won his last two matches in straight sets. Interestingly, Harris is 1-0 in his career against Purcell, beating him in a Challenger event. At this point, I’d keep backing Harris, who will be a major crowd favorite.

Taylor Fritz (-425) vs. Aleksander Vukic (+270)

Fritz is having an incredible year with a record of 28-12, including 4-1 on grass courts. He won a title in Delray Beach and has reached at least the quarter-finals in six other tournaments, including this one. He’s 1-0 in his career against Vukic and I’d expect he won’t have much problem beating the Aussie in the semi-finals.

Rothesay Final Pick

Assuming a Fritz and Harris final, that would arguably be best case from an entertainment perspective. The underdog Briton who has been grinding in Challenger events against one of the top American players. Harris winning would be a great story, but the best pick for an outright winner – or in a Harris-Fritz final – is Fritz. He is more talented and experienced than either Harris or Vukic and is going to be highly motivated to build some momentum heading into Wimbledon.

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TENNIS: Preview of Weekend Event: The End of the Cinch Championships

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

The Cinch Championships, also known as the Queen’s Club Championship, is one of two ATP 500 grass court tournaments taking place this week and one of the few grass court events leading up to Wimbledon, which begins on July 1. The tournament began with three of the top-10 ranked players in the world, including Carlos Alcaraz, but all three were ousted by the third round. Here’s a quick recap of the action thus far and a look ahead to this weekend’s potential betting matchups.

Early Round Recap

Alcaraz, the top seed in the tournament and recent winner of the French Open, won his opening match against Francisco Cerundolo, but then was upset 7-6 (3), 6-3 by Jack Draper in what was one of the biggest upsets of the year in the second round. Draper is now into the quarter-finals on Friday and will play fifth seed Tommy Paul, who has wins over Sebastian Baez and Alejandro Tabilo. 

Alex de Minaur, the second seed in the tournament, lost his opening round match in three sets to Lorenzo Musetti, who is also into the quarter-finals after beating Brandon Nakashima in the second round. Grigor Dimitrov lost his second-round match against Sebastian Korda, which set up a wild and unexpected quarter-final.

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Quarter-Final Rundown

Jordan Thompson and Taylor Fritz met early Friday in the first of four quarter-finals with the winner advancing to play the winner of Musetti and wildcard Billy Harris who, along with Draper, is one of two Brits left in the tournament. Harris, 29, is in his first career ATP quarter-final and had just one career victory on the ATP Tour before this week. He also has a wildcard for Wimbledon.

Draper and Tommy Paul play in the third quarter-final on Friday and the winner will advance to the semi-finals to meet the winner of Korda and Aussie qualifier Rinky Hijikata, who has upset wins over Frances Tiafoe and Matteo Arnaldi. 

Finals Predictions

This tournament has been littered with upsets, so it wouldn’t be surprising if that trend continues into the weekend. The most unlikely outcome would be a final between Harris, the 156th-ranked player in the world, and Hijikata, who earned one of four qualifying spots in the event. However, if betting the outright markets, Fritz is probably your best bet – assuming he wins his early quarter-final match on Friday.

Fritz was 2-0 in his prior two matches against Thompson and is having one of the best seasons of his career at 26-11. He won his eighth career title at Delray Beach earlier this season and has a very favorable path to the final. This could be an all-American final too as both Paul and Korda are on the other side of the bracket. Paul and Fritz met in the final in Delray Beach earlier this season. 

Finals Pick: Fritz def. Paul in three sets

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