Tennis best bets and predictions for Friday, August 4th
The US Open is just about a month away, which means tennis season is really heating up. There will be a lot of big tournaments over the next couple of weeks, so VSiN is here to provide you with tennis best bets as often as possible. With that in mind, keep reading to get my picks for Friday, August 4th. This week, the focus is on the Mubadala Citi DC Open, but I might also sprinkle in some plays for the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo (Los Cabos) and the Generali Open (Austria).
RELATED: Check out our Pro Picks page for more bets from our VSiN analysts
Dominic Thiem vs. Laslo Djere – Austria
Thiem has now won three ATP-level matches in a row for the first time since October, and he has done so in impression fashion. The Austrian did throw a set away against both Zhizhen Zhang and Arthur Rinderknech, but the level he reached in both comeback victories was extraordinary. He has really started to resemble the player he used to be, as he’s ripping his backhand and starting to apply more and more pressure to his opponents. Considering we’ve seen Thiem near his best this week, I like him as a value play as an underdog against Djere.
This is going to be a very difficult matchup for Thiem, as Djere is a very good clay-court player and is in great form coming into this one. But if Thiem can just avoid having a significant lull in this match, he should be in it until the very end. The Austrian is going to have the crowd fully behind him in this match, which is crucial in this specific matchup. Djere can occasionally dip emotionally on the court. We actually saw it in his win over Pedro Cachin, but the Argentine wasn’t able to make him pay for it. Thiem, with this crowd on his side, should be able to do so.
For what it’s worth, Thiem also earned a 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Djere in Israel back in September of 2022. That was a hard-court match, so things aren’t quite the same here. But that was also when Thiem’s game was near a low point. He has come a long way since then, as he’s now back in the Top 100.
Bet: Thiem ML (+130)
Belinda Bencic vs. Coco Gauff – Washington
I put this play up on the VSiN Pro Picks page early this morning, as I knew there was a chance the odds would move significantly. If you were able to get Bencic at +110 odds, good on you. If you weren’t, I’d honestly play her all the way up to -150. There’s really no chance the odds end up moving that significantly, but I genuinely feel the wrong player is favored in this match. And I love Bencic’s chances of beating Gauff, even in an environment in which the fans will be pulling hard for the American.
Bencic beat Gauff when the two met in Adelaide two years ago, and she also comes into this match after having gone 9-3 in her last 12 appearances. Meanwhile, Gauff had lost two matches in a row before earning a 6-1, 6-4 win over Hailey Baptiste in this tournament. Overall, I just don’t think we’ve seen a true top-10 level from Gauff in some time, and I think the American’s forehand is still one of the most exploitable shots in the entire sport. Gauff has reportedly been doing a lot of work to try and address that weakness, but change won’t come overnight.
Look for Bencic, a smart, all-around player, to really target Gauff’s forehand side and try to make her beat her with it. In the end, I have serious doubts over Gauff’s ability to do so. And I think there’s a chance Bencic wins this one somewhat easily.
Bet: Bencic ML (+110 – 2 units)
ADDED PLAYS:
Madison Keys ML (-176 – 2 units) vs. Maria Sakkari – Washington
JJ Wolf ML (-150 – 2 units) vs. Tallon Griekspoor – Washington
Daniel Evans +1.5 Sets (+115 – 2 units) vs. Frances Tiafoe – Washington
Daniel Evans ML (+290) vs. Frances Tiafoe – Washington
Borna Coric +1.5 Sets (-125) vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas – Los Cabos
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