Here we are with our finest tennis picks and best bets for the day from the Masters 1000 event in Madrid, as well as two ATP Challenger events in Aix-en-Provence, France, and Cagliari, Italy. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner continues his quest for a fifth straight Masters title on tour as he takes on Barcelona Open champion Arthur Fils in the SF today.
Alexander Zverev will also be in action as he takes on a resurgent Alexander Blockx, in hopes of finally breaking the SF curse this season and reaching his maiden tournament final of the year. In addition to these two mouthwatering contests, we will also cover one game from each of the two aforementioned Challenger events.
Top Tennis Picks and Best Bets Today
Zizou Bergs vs. Rinky Hijikata: Set Spread, Bergs -1.5 (-110)
This will be the first meeting on tour between Zizou Bergs and Rinky Hijikata. Both players have struggled to be consistent this season and have had mixed results on clay. While Bergs reached the round of 16 at both Monte Carlo and Munich, Hijikata reached the round of 16 in Houston but was then ousted in the qualifiers in Madrid.
The 25-year-old Australian has been struggling on clay, which is why we believe Bergs should dominate the proceedings today. Take the Belgian, who is moving better on clay and has better groundstrokes, to win the match and cover the spread.
Matteo Berrettini vs. Hubert Hurkacz: Set Spread, Hurkacz -1.5 (+180)
This will be the fourth meeting on tour between Matteo Berrettini and Hubert Hurkacz, and the first on clay. Both players are having subpar seasons, which is uncharacteristic of their past achievements. They both exited the Madrid Open at an early stage and immediately shifted focus to the challenger event in Cagliari.
So far in Italy, the Pole hasn’t dropped a set and is looking in decent touch while the homeboy has jost dropped one set to Patrick Kypson in the opening round. We expect a feisty match between the two former World No. 6s today, but we are leaning towards the Pole for the win, given his style of play on clay. Take Hurkacz to cover the spread.
Jannik Sinner vs. Arthur Fils: Total Games Under 21.5 (-120)
This will be the second professional tour match between Sinner and Fils. The Italian leads their ATP head-to-head 1-0. Although Fils has had impressive runs in major tournaments this season, including winning the ATP 500 in Barcelona, we doubt he can alter the outcome today, as Sinner is in exceptional form, dominating everyone recently.
Both men are undefeated on clay so far this season, and while Fils may challenge Sinner initially, that challenge is likely to fade as the match goes on, with Sinner expected to win in straight sets and the total games staying under 21.
Alexander Blockx vs. Alexander Zverev: Set Spread, Blockx +1.5 (+100)
This will be the first encounter on the tour between the two Alexanders of men’s tennis. Zverev and Blockx are both performing exceptionally well in Madrid, with the latter defeating several top players en route to the semifinals of the Masters event.
Both have dropped only two sets so far in the tournament, with the Belgian beating Ruud, Auger-Aliassime, and Cerundolo. Blockx’s record in this tournament is impressive, so we expect the young rising star to win at least one set against the formidable German today.
However, our overall prediction favors Zverev to win and reach his first ATP final of the season. Still, consider betting on Blockx to cover the spread to boost your winnings.
*All bets and wagers sourced from BetMGM
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