Tennis best bets and predictions for Tuesday, August 1st
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 Tuesday, August 1st. 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
Aleksandar Vukic vs. Brandon Nakashima
Vukic is coming off a run to the finals at the Atlanta Open, where he lost 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-4 against Taylor Fritz. Overall, it was a very impressive showing from the Australian, who earned wins over Ugo Humbert, Christopher Eubanks and Yoshihito Nishioka on his way to the finals. Now, the 27-year-old will be hoping to do some damage in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately for Vukic, a tough matchup with Brandon Nakashima awaits. But this one could play into the hands of bettors.
This match really should end up being something of a lengthy one. Even if Vukic loses, which is to be expected given the lopsided odds, it’s hard to see him going down without forcing a tiebreaker or a third set. When these two met in Eastbourne last month, Vukic beat Nakashima in a three-set match that saw the two play three tiebreakers. Vukic emerged with two of those ‘breakers, and he might not be as lucky this time around. But these two had a lot of trouble reading each other’s serves, and I don’t see that going away on a hard-court surface. With that said, I’m playing the Over. And I’m paying up a little to make it 21.5 instead of 22.5, because I’d hate to lose in a 7-6, 6-3 match — that outcome seems very possible.
Bet: Over 21.5 Games (-160)
Leylah Fernandez vs. Bernarda Pera
Not only has Pera lost five of her last seven matches, but the American hasn’t played a hard-court match since the Miami Open. That was all the way back in March, and Pera is also just 4-6 in her last 10 matches on the surface. That is a little hard to ignore here, as she’s lacking in form and will be rusty transitioning over from grass. Meanwhile, Fernandez had to go through qualifying in order to get into this event, and she won both of her matches in straight sets. The Canadian also happened to face solid competition in those matches.
It just isn’t hard to see a scenario in which Fernandez is a lot more comfortable than her opponent in this one. Fernandez is also at her best on this surface, while Pera is just 33-52 on hard courts in her career. Pera is also just 9-12 on this surface over the last 52 weeks, so it’s not like she has completely turned things around recently.
It’s also a little hard to get over the fact that Pera is 2-10 against lefties in her career, and 0-4 in the last 52 weeks. Perhaps playing fellow southpaws takes away the advantage of being a unique player. This is another juicy play, but I think it’s worth taking.
Bet: Fernandez ML (-160)
Zachary Svajda vs. Max Purcell
Svajda made it through qualifying by defeating Ryan Harrison and Brandon Holt (who retired after falling behind 3-0 in the second set). The American hasn’t won a tour-level match since 2021 and is just 1-6 at the ATP level in his career. But he has made some real improvements to his serve this year, with his hold percentage being up at 82.5% at the Challenger level. That could make a big difference for his professional future, as he has a killer game from the baseline. And I think he’ll pick up another ATP victory on Tuesday.
Purcell is playing some awful tennis coming into this match, as he has lost five in a row and seven of his last eight. With him in a bad way right now, this just seems like a golden opportunity for Svajda to pick up one of the biggest wins of his career. And I don’t see much getting in the way of him doing it. Purcell isn’t very good when serving and he isn’t a strong returner. He won’t have many advantages over Svajda, who also happens to be extremely athletic.
Bet: Svajda ML (+115)
