Tennis expert, Ace, is back with some more tennis previews on Thursday for the WTA Tour events in Ningbo and Osaka. The first match we look at is in Ningbo where Haddad Maia is set to take on Boulter, before we head to Osaka where Mertens will face Birrell. You can check out his free previews and best bets below!
WTA Ningbo
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Katie Boulter
Although Katie Boulter leads the head to head for this year 2-0, I will in fact be siding with Beatriz Haddad Maia in this match-up in Ningbo today.
Although her loss to Magdalena Frech last week was somewhat of a surprise, I do think the overall level of Haddad Maia has certainly improved in recent months. Form and fitness issues plagued the start of her season, however since the week before the US Open she has produced a 15-4 record, with losses to Frech, Keys, Kessler and Muchova. The list of opponents she has defeated in that run is also solid, doing more to justify her current ranking as a top 10 player.
Haddad Maia’s game was nowhere near its best when these two met in both San Diego and Miami earlier in the year, and you could argue it was at a time in the season where Boulter was peaking. There has been a dip in form in the back end of the season from Boulter, highlighted by her loss to Tsurenko last week, and her 3-5 record through her last 8 matches, with wins coming against Errani, Sasnovich and Townsend.
On form, I was expecting the game handicap to be -4.5 games in this one, so I am happy to make a play on the Brazilian at the -3.5 games currently available.
Haddad Maia -3.5 Games
$2.02 (1.5 Units)
