Tennis best bets for Wimbledon – Friday, July 7th
Wimbledon is the third major of the tennis season and it’s arguably the most prestigious of the four. The All England Club in London, England is one of the most beautiful venues that the sport has to offer, and the exclusive nature of grass-court tennis gives it a different feel than the rest. I’m hoping to continue dishing out winners over the next two weeks, so make sure you keep reading for my tennis best bets for Friday, July 7th.
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Christopher Eubanks vs. Cameron Norrie
It feels weird to write this, but nobody is hotter on grass than Eubanks. The American won a title in Mallorca before arriving in London, earning solid wins over guys like Ben Shelton and Adrian Mannarino in the process. Eubanks is now 11-3 on grass on the year and the big server has gained valuable experience on the surface and is going to be a tough player to blow off the court because of his ability to win service games in a hurry.
Norrie isn’t going to be an easy player for Eubanks to compete with, as the Brit is just so good from the baseline. But Norrie’s serve has gotten away from him at times throughout the season, and I think he’s going to give Eubanks some openings to break. It’s also hard not to favor Eubanks in any tiebreaker scenarios. His serve is that good.
I’m also interested in seeing the impact that nerves have on Norrie here. It can be hard playing as a favorite in your home country, and that’s especially true when playing in England. If Norrie isn’t completely dialed in, Eubanks has the potential to take him the distance and potentially win this match. That’s why I like backing the American to win at least two sets at plus-money odds.
Bet: Eubanks +1.5 Sets (+125)
Quentin Halys vs. Jannik Sinner
Sinner is one of the legitimate favorites to win this event, but I still think he’s a bit shaky when playing in majors. Until he breaks through and finds a way to live up to the expectations, I think he’s a guy that is worth fading. And that doesn’t always have to mean picking his opponent outright. He’s a player that can let his opponents hang around, and that’s enough for me to want to back Halys to win a set here.
After beating Daniel Evans in a four-set match in the opening round, Halys earned a straight-set win over Aleksandar Vukic in the second round. The Frenchman is now 3-0 on grass this season and looks very comfortable playing on the surface. Halys’ 89.4% hold percentage makes him a player that can be very tough to crack on faster courts. He hasn’t faced much resistance at all with the ball on his racquet, and he also has a solid game at the net. An effective serve-and-volley game is very impactful on grass.
I’m not sure Halys actually finds a way to beat Sinner here, but I would be shocked if he doesn’t win at least a set. I can see there being multiple tiebreakers in this match, and Halys should find a way to grab at least one. Sinner is also dealing with the pressure of people saying that his draw is very easy the rest of the way. People expect a deep run from him at this tournament, and that isn’t easy to manage emotionally.
Bet: Halys + 2.5 Sets (-110)
Sofia Kenin vs. Elina Svitolina
It wasn’t that long ago that both players were near the top of the women’s game. And it appears likely that they’ll find their way back there soon. Svitolina has been great since returning from maternity leave, while Kenin is playing her best tennis in years. The American has won five matches in a row coming into this one, and her most recent wins came over Coco Gauff and Xinyu Wang. Those are two strong opponents and that is why I like Kenin to come through here.
There just aren’t many players that possess Kenin’s ability to hit for power and utilize the slice. That combination is very potent on grass, which is why we’re seeing Kenin looking like an elite player again. She can get opponents off balance with her spin shots and then power it by them with flatter ones. Svitolina has the power to hit with Kenin, but does she have the variety? I don’t think she does. Svitolina has also been a player that has struggled in big moments at majors in the past. Meanwhile, Kenin has won a Grand Slam before and that experience is big.
Bet: Kenin ML (-125)
