Tennis best bets and predictions for Thursday, August 3rd
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 Thursday, August 3rd. 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
Leylah Fernandez vs. Maria Sakkari – Washington
This matchup really just comes down to form for me. I had Fernandez to beat Bernarda Pera on Tuesday, and the Canadian won that match in straight sets. Fernandez’s serve definitely left a lot to be desired in that one, but she was great from the baseline. If she can just do a bit of a better job with the ball on her own racquet, I’d expect her to beat Sakkari.
While Fernandez has now played three matches at this very tournament, Sakkari hasn’t played a hard-court match in months. The Greek star also happens to be in a pretty bad way right now, as she has lost each of the last two matches she has played. Sakkari really seems to be lacking in confidence, and that’s something that can change in a hurry. But she can use some easy opponents to help her get some wins under her belt. Fernandez is not an easy opponent.
I just don’t see much separating these two players at the moment, and I give a slight edge to Fernandez because of her recent activity. So, at plus-money odds, I think the Canadian is a really good value.
Bet: Fernandez ML (+130)
Dominic Thiem vs. Arthur Rinderknech – Austria
It took Thiem a full set to wake up in his win over Zhang Zhizhen last round, but he cruised by him once he got it going. After losing the first set, Thiem was able to pick up a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory to advance to this round. Now, I like the Austrian’s chances of beating Rinderknech and keeping this run going.
Thiem has had trouble stringing together good performances since returning from a wrist injury that really changed the course of his career. But he is starting to find some of his flatter, powerful shots. And I think a run in this tournament just might be what he needs to completely kickstart his comeback.
Thiem is going to have the home crowd in his corner against Rinderknech, and that should help him raise his level here. But I’m not sure how much he’ll even need it. Thiem is better than Rinderknech at pretty much everything, and I think that’ll be on full display here.
Bet: Thiem ML (-135 – 2 units)
Andy Murray vs. Taylor Fritz – Washington
I’m a little surprised that Fritz is such a big favorite over Murray in this match. Murray might not be anywhere near Fritz in the rankings, but I don’t think there’s a whole lot that separates these two. Fritz is probably a bit better on hard courts, but Murray is one of the sturdiest players in the game. He’s going to make Fritz work for absolutely everything, and the American can occasionally get loose with his groundstrokes. He gave Zachary Svajda a lot of break point opportunities on Wednesday, but he wasn’t able to capitalize. Fritz won’t be so lucky against Murray.
This match is probably destined to go to at least one tiebreaker, so the Over is another fully reasonable play. But I actually believe Murray has a reasonable shot at winning this thing outright, and I want to protect myself against the possibility that the Brit somehow comes away with a 7-6, 6-3 win. Regardless, I’m playing Murray to win at least one set in this match for 2 units, and I’m putting a little on the moneyline as well.
Bet: Murray +1.5 Sets (-120 – 2 units + Murray +230 – 0.5 units)
ADDED PLAYS:
Laslo Djere vs. Pedro Cachin Over 21.5 Games (-115) – Austria
Gael Monfils ML (+100) vs. Tallon Griekspoor – Washington
Tommy Paul ML (+130 – 2 units) vs. Alex De Minaur – Los Cabos
Nicolas Jarry +1.5 Sets (+100 – 2 units) vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas – Los Cabos
Nicolas Jarry ML (+260 – 0.5 units) vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas – Los Cabos
