The top tennis picks for today are here again, and this time the stakes have reached a record high, where America’s Coco Gauff will square off against Argentina’s Solana Sierra in the round of 32 at the Italian Open, while the round of 64 will see Ben Shelton and Nikoloz Basilashvili battle it out for the top.
The round of 32 is scheduled for a continuous flow of thrill and excitement as Qinwen Zheng will go up against Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, while an All-American clash between Taylor Townsend and Iva Jovic is set to make the atmosphere more intense. Here are our top five picks of the stars that are expected to shine the brightest by the end of this week’s round.
Top Tennis Picks and Best Bets
Coco Gauff vs Solana Sierra (Gauff -110)
Coco Gauff is set to face Solana Sierra in their second meeting after Gauff slammed the Argentine during their first clash at the United Cup 1-0. Gauff comes in as a former Rome finalist and has kicked off the tournament with a dominant straight-sets win over Tereza Valentova with a 6-3, 6-4 score.
Despite Gauff being the favorite to win, Sierra has shown a considerable amount of improvement in her red clay endurance by advancing through the rounds without dropping many sets. While the newfound endurance does hold an upset possibility, Gauff’s prowess on her baseline and backhand consistency are expected to prove expensive for Sierra to keep up with and will help Gauff bag a win in 2 sets.
Ben Shelton vs Nikoloz Basilashvili (Shelton -140)
The round of 64 is set to witness a gigantic clash between America’s Ben Shelton, who is scheduled to face Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili in their first-ever meeting. Shelton had previously made an exit during the round of 64 of the Madrid Open after falling to world No. 34 Jan-Lennard Struff, while Basilashvili earned his spot by beating Daniel Merida Aguilar 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
After a well-earned rest, Shelton is expected to come strong during the early rounds and go right on attacking Basilashvili’s masterful baseline game with his aggressive defensive positions. Expect Shelton to win strongly in 3 sets.
Qinwen Zheng vs Jelena Ostapenko (Zheng -210)
China’s Qinwen Zheng is set for her first on-clay clash with Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko after Zheng dominated their previous indoor meets with a perfect 3–0 record. The two are renowned for their aggressive baseline game, where Ostapenko thrives on raw power rallies from the start, while Zheng often gives it back during later rounds with an aggressive serve and defensive consistency of her own.
Despite coming off an injury, Zheng has been a consistent star on the red clay throughout her career and has yet again proven the same via her recent dominance over Cristina Bucsa 7–6, 6–2.
Ostapenko has earlier shown her clay prowess and does hold a reasonable advantage over Zheng’s injury by trying to wear her down during the first few sets. However, Zheng’s defensive dominance and serve consistency have made her a favorite to win the contest in 3.
Taylor Townsend vs Iva Jovic (Jovic -145)
An All-American clash is set between Taylor Townsend and Iva Jovic as they meet for the second time, where Jovic looks to avenge her previous Indian Wells loss against Townsend, 6-1, 6-2. While Jovic is known for clinical finishes, Townsend is renowned for her adaptability to structural changes by proving her dominance in both singles and doubles.
Townsend has proven her singles capability with a dominant Round of 64 win over Marie Bouzkova and is expected to make it difficult for the young Jovic to keep up with her rhythmic baseline game. Expect Townsend to win in 3 sets.
Hamad Medjedovic vs Joao Fonseca (Fonseca -180)
The Serbian tennis star Hamad Medjedovic is set to meet Brazil’s Joao Fonseca for their first clash at the Round of 64 at the Super Tennis Arena. Medjedovic came from a tight round of 128 clash against Valentine Royer and almost gave up during the early set with a lost serve but gained control quickly and bagged a win 6-4, 6-3.
Fonseca, too, looks forward to making a statement this year after his first-round loss last year during his Rome debut. Now having earned a comfortable under-World 30 ranking, Fonseca is expected to come out strong with an aggressive serve and a tactical baseline game that will test Medjedovic’s endurance on clay. Despite the Serbian having a strong powerhouse game plan, Fonseca is expected to engage Medjedovic in a series of intense rallies and is expected to win in 3 sets.
All bets and wagers sourced from BetMGM
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