Hi! A ton of great tennis in this third round. About half the women's matches are here, and I'll edit in the rest in about 20 minutes. Thanks to those of you that have participated in our picking contest AO CONTEST DOT TURTLE DOT COMNo thanks to those of you that are currently beating me though. Please make some errors today thank you <3
Update : All matches are here now
Djokovic Fritz : Novak played one of his trademark strange unexplainable trying-to-lose performances against Tiafoe. He was passive, he made rally ball errors, and he struggled with the heat. He seemed to have minor neck stiffness, and just overall was not at his best. Once the sun went down though, he coasted. This was a good match for Tiafoe but after seeing previous comments after losing to a top player like “I had you bro”, I’m not sure he’ll get the right takeaways here. If we look at the positives first, Tiafoe served great in this. He hit a number of very effective second serves out wide and hit his serves harder than he generally does without a huge variation in % that landed in ze box. He got slice-happy for a good chunk of time, but he hit his backhand in the court and used the angles available to pressure Novak when he had control. Of course, this doesn’t produce points against he best backhand in tennis, but it does against everyone else on tour. If Tiafoe stays committed to keeping the ball on the court, then instead of him tiring out it will be his opponents. The forehand is still a very easy shot to miss low if his footwork isn’t there, but footwork is 75% conditioning and 25% mental focus. The closer he gets to these kinds of results that he wants, the more he will work harder in earlier less interesting clashes to get to the good stuff. The smart child eats their vegetables first so they can get to mom’s fancy chicken. Or mom’s fancy tofu, I see you vegemarians.
The downsides are what made me think Tiafoe had no chance even though he had a chance. In a 3 out of 5 match, there are going to be highs and lows. Djokovic was struggling, was extremely subdued, and looked frustrated. When someone isn’t engaged in the match like that, be like a burglar. Quietly do the work and don’t celebrate. This isn’t what fans want to see, and I also laughed a bit seeing Tiafoe get hyped after winning the second set, but screaming “I love this shit” and immediately nodding like he expected the result all along, is a wild reaction to winning a single set, and slapping your chest and celebrating a single set just kinda shows that you are winning battles while having no real intentions towards the war. The errors came, and despite Novak playing some amazing shots, Tiafoe devolves quickly into shaking his head as if he cannot possibly believe how good his opponents are playing. This obviously goes against his nature. Tiafoe is a happy dude. He loves to play in these big moments, and he believes in himself so when the results come, it’s easy to feel validated. Game management is about emotional as much as physical though, and he kinda released the confetti early in this one. What I do want to see in the future, even though I am not his coach and have no business voicing my opinion, is Tiafoe just get out there and absolutely look to smoke some people. He got to net when he shouldn’t have in this but it was a great move to force Djokovic to speed up his tempo, and Tiafoe’s hands at net are inconsistent but also amazing. He has a higher register than most guys on tour and the decision to press the issue is really just a decision. It’ll come with some bad results but he’s already getting those bad results and it’ll add titles if he makes it.
Fritz lost his second round match against Opelka, so it’s surprising that he’s appearing in this round. Moping, and shaking his head in the “telling the supporters I’m not going to win, and to please stop supporting” fashion, he went down 5-1 in the 4th set tiebreaker. I switched off to another match, and Opelka somehow lost his serve and his ability to keep the ball in the court. The 5th set was a sad affair, and Fritz secured my prediction but you have to feel bad for Opelka who was significantly more likely to pressure Djokovic in this matchup since his serve often means it doesn’t matter who his opponent is. Early Novak troubles usually continue, so I don’t know that he will just be his normal self here. If it were another daytime session, Fritz might win a set. Since it’s at night though, I think we’ll see hints of the best Novak, and playing a 5-setter against a server is a really weird preparation for playing Novak Djokovic. If Fritz serves well and hits his forehand well, he can do well against the Novak that struggled with errors against Tiafoe. I just don’t think it’ll happen though. Djokovic in 3.
Fucsovics Raonic : Fucsovics and Wawrinka played the best match of the 2nd round on the men’s or women’s side. Marton was giving Stan the beats for a good 2.5 sets and basically ended up playing Wawrinka into shape. Stan is one of the best players to watch when he’s in form and the only thing that made it better is how good Fucs’ defense really is. He kept the ball coming back and took his opportunities when they came. Down 8-4 in the tiebreaker, and 9-7, it looked over, but he managed to finally earn a win in a high profile match against a top player. I wasn’t entirely sure about the draw and was crossing my fingers he’d be playing Novak in a day session. No such luck, and Raonic comes into this at peak form.
Raonic struggled in the rally against Moutet early, but opened the game up as it went on and looked borderline dominant. Just a slew of 0-30 openings for Corentin, and against a server this is poison. Raonic has a much better defender to hit past in Marton, and I do give the edge to Marton in rallies. If Raonic throws in a poor service game, that set goes to Fucsovics. If Raonic gets fatigued, he also could be in trouble. The problem here is that Fucsovics played 5 sets of tennis, and even for a top athlete this is going to have some degree of wear and tear on you. There is upset potential here since Raonic will have trouble winning baseline rallies, and Fucsovics will be engaged in a lot of them on his own service games which can wear down an opponent, but Raonic has sort of treated his opponents service games like chances to go for broke and apply pressure, and Fucsovics slice backhand may allow Raonic to come to net a good chunk of the time. I’ll be pulling for Fucs, but I think Raonic will be a lot fresher. Raonic in 4.
Martinez Lajovic : If you want to beat Pedro Martinez, don’t win the first set. He has gone down a set and rolled his opponents in consecutive rounds, and it has been a joy to watch. It’s rare that you find an opponent who never takes a shot off, and that’s Pedro. They’re not all struck for pure winners, but he looks to move his opponent constantly and it’s paying off as few have had the mental focus to hang in there so far. Ruusuvuori looked a bit flat at times after his war with Monfils, but Martinez deserved this win. Big reward for him too as he plays another guy who’s not going to serve him out of the match.
Bublik was businesslike against Bedene, and childlike against Lajovic. Dusan made the game ugly, and Bublik missed shots and complained loudly to his box. I feel like the nonstop whining in other languages is overlooked at times, and I’m definitely guilty of enjoying a rant I don’t understand, but wishing Kyrgios/Murray would shut up/stop crying. Lajovic’s strengths here will be his experience and his durability. He can play for as long as Martinez wants to, and he does have infusions of pace and power that can end long baseline rallies. This is a brand new matchup, and I don’t see a lot to separate these two. Lajovic almost had an easier match at the baseline, but dealt with a much bigger serve that Martinez has so far. Martinez has played more consistent opponents, but they didn’t stay very consistent. The Lajovic of the 2020 ATP Cup can compete with anyone. The Lajovic of the mid-season slumps can lose to anyone. I think Martinez is similarly mercurial, but his bottom level is rarely far off from his top level, and I think he has a small edge here. Martinez in 5.
Mannarino Zverev : Mannarino made the quickest work of Kecmanovic. Despite the 3-0 scoreline, these two traded a lot of very crisp rallies with the ball going just inches over the net over and over. The problem really was that Mannarino was comfortable in them, and Kecmenaovic was working hard trying to produce errors. The errors don’t come when Mannarino is on his game, and he was able to cruise into another contest with Zverev. At the US Open Mannarino seemed like a problem early but faded late. As Zverev warms up it seems like he’s playing a different game than Mannarino, scoring down the middle and able to move easily to any Adrian offerings, while Mannarino slowly begins to only really score from errors.
Mannarino is playing significantly better than he was at the US Open, but it seems like the result could be the same. He has to earn errors from Zverev, and the Zverev serve keeps him in matches even with those errors. He’s getting a bit better as time goes by as well, because really the only thing that improves your game at a certain point is repetitions, and he has a ton of high-level matches under his belt. I think Mannarino steals at least one set, but the match would take a real Zverev implosion. Zverev in 4.
Thiem Kyrgios : Poor Koepfer. I thought he might overperform, but instead he was awarded a nice opportunity to fly to a local challenger next week. Thiem looks sharp and when he looks sharp, he starts to look like he’s going to win the tournament. With how many finals he’s been in and how many wins he has against Novak and Nadal, it’s not unreasonable to say he could win this tournament and no one would be really surprised. Enter Nick “Skinny Wombat” Kyrgios. The grumpy gloomy gus with the haircut you won’t let your 10 year old get even though he saw it in a Bad Bunny video continues to win matches. Humbert played a business-like match and reminds me a great deal of Nadal with how he pressures his opponent but doesn’t really go for outright winners. He had match points in the 4th which hurts a little, but there is plenty of time for him and given Nick’s injury struggles, every time he takes the court motivated is a good thing for fans.
Kyrgios played better in this match than he has in recent history. He’s actually improved every single round in the past two weeks. He’s returning well, he’s making sure his forehands go in the court on defense, and he’s hitting sharp angles with his backhand. If he didn’t have the emotional state of a child who’s been told they have to go to sleep, he wouldn’t be as big of an underdog in this match as he is. Still, he has been able to get frustrated at his box for rushing the court and making him miss shots, and still play tennis. His serve is good enough to get to tiebreakers, and that’s a great place to be against Thiem.
Thiem is likely to return serve better than anyone Kyrgios has faced thus far. He’s likely to respond better to Kyrgios’ offensive offerings, and he’s likely to be able to move Kyrgios behind the baseline. His own serve is less heralded but he can hold serve fairly easily when he needs to. I think that will be the small edge in this matchup. Thiem has levels and has the ability to shift between them consistently. Kyrgios has a top gear which is world class but he doesn’t play it all the time. Thus far in his two week run,he’s been able to come up with second serve aces at break points, forehands when he needs them, and good consistently backhand play. I don’t think he’ll be able to here, but I would be very surprised if the scoreline didn’t reflect that he had the chance to. Thiem in 3-4 tight sets.
Dimitrov Carreño-Busta : This is one of the closer matches you can point to in this third round and there are a number of small edges here. Dimitrov has yet to drop a set and is playing the best tennis he has in years. Last week he looked very sharp against Popyrin and then had a quick letdown against Moutet. With how well he backed up his Cilic performance against Bolt, I somewhat suspect that the Moutet loss was more about the timing to prep for the AO than anything else. PCB is a guy who reminds me of Ferrer. He’s never slated to beat the top talent, but there’s really no way to beat him without a heroic effort. Both Dimitrov and PCB are serving their best this week, which makes this even closer.
Two top athletes playing their best in rallies and serving better than usual. I don’t see a real way for this to not be a war. Dimitrov has their only two hardcourt meetings as wins, and if I had to indicate who has a better chance of winning in straight sets, it’d be him. He has the sharper offense and his slice is something I’m not a fan of, but Pablo does make some errors when he has to get low and generate his own pace on the backhand. I keep waiting for Dimitrov’s regression, but it’s unlikely to come. This is a guy that didn’t live up the expectations for so long I almost start to think he’s not really that good. So here, it’s hard for me to say he suddenly will be. This match is winnable, but Dimitrov would have to really do a lot more than beat rusty Cilic and tired Bolt for me to say “yes now he’ll dispatch one of the hardest defensive tests on tour in a hardcourt major”. PCB in 5, but this is one where Dimitrov “could” win, he just hasn’t in the past.
Shapovovalov Auger-Alliassissassissame : These guys are good. Shapo backed up his clutch win against Sinner by sending Tomic back to the internet, and FAA had a game James Duckworth to deal with and made it look easy. This is a real hmmm matchup, and I’m glad the bookmakers have priced it at around -195 Shapo +165 FAA because this is about right. Shapovalov is 14% airhead. He’s the pretty girl that everyone asks to the prom but then he doesn’t show up because he wandered off to see just what this caterpillar is up to? Roughly 7-11 days later he shows back up with a pet butterfly and wants you to hear his new rap but the words don’t rhyme and there are no words and he ate the butterfly by accident and now he’s sad but when you go to hug him he bounds up and runs off to chase a car. Now that may seem hurtful but please understand that is only 14%. The other 86% is a great tennis player with very good shot tolerance and one of the more repeatable serves on tour. Oh but that 14%. That darned 14% means double faults and flinching at his misses and just generally being a guy who the tour sees as someone who can be outlasted.
FAA on the other hand has the emotional reaction on court of someone who’s just woken up from an operation. He knows he’s there, but he’s not quite sure who he is and as he’s wondering wtf what’s this thing coming at me why am I holding a racquet oh did I win? Nice let’s go get a haircut. I’m a big fan of FAA. I think he’s a future #1 and my favorite thing is that he doesn’t temper his offense to the situation. When he has the open court he hits the ball with depth that isn’t necessary, but is if you want to play at the highest level. His serve is excellent when it’s on, and his backhand has nice heights. Criticisms stay on the backhand. It looks a bit awkward at times and Shapo works his opponents backhands nonstop. Can FAA hang in rallies long enough to work the points to even? I don’t suspect that he’ll win the longer rallies, but what we’ve seen so far is that his power has been enough to allow him to dictate offense and win. This is a very good spot for him even though Shap has won most of the previous meetings. FAA is playing his best and is coming off a week and a half of straight set wins. Shapovalov is coming off a bizarre match where just making balls is what was necessary to win. He struggled in a number of service games also, and this could be poison in this next round. Playing an extremely easy opponent and then a very difficult one is not good prep and playing a guy like Duckworth who works hard but can’t win is a great confidence booster. I’m leaning into the upset. FAA in 5.
Karatsev Schwartzman : Diego is going to lose? Aslan Karatsev has a cool name. Aslan Karatsev has a cool game. He beat Gerasimov like he did something, and was predicted to by the books as well. He has a big serve and a ton of power. He’s consistent, and businessy on the court. These are very nice things, but now he faces Diego Schwartzman. Muller in the previous round had difficulty winning single games, and while Karatsev is a huge step up, Diego Schwartzman is a pretty big market. Yet Karatsev is only +230 against him. This is still a nod to Diego of course, but when you look at lines you have to conceptualize the flow of money into the prices. This somewhat short price doesn’t mean you go blindly backing Karatsev, but it’s the sort of thing that makes you go “hmm”. When you find yourself going “hmm” about a line, often the best thing is to skip it, and watch the match. You can get a lot of info about markets and pricing from this, and the general insistence on reading the tea leaves and trying to be right can lead to poor confirmation and unnecessary stress. Sportsbetting is never a multiple choice exam; you don’t have to make a selection if you’re not sure. Diego really only struggles on hardcourt with holding serve. He’s an excellent returner and generally halfway through the match his opponent is already physically fatigued and looking to end rallies quicker. So what will Karatsev’s formula be to win? So far it’s been big serves and big forehands. A whole match of those is necessary to beat Diego, but Karatsev is pretty fresh here since Gerasimov was pretty immobile. I’m not sure if it was injury or fatigue from his match with Paire, but he really wasn’t moving for the ball a lot of the time.
Diego doesn’t have any real reason to be fatigued here, having had fairly easy matchups with Muller and Ymer. I expect Karatsev to perform well and apparently so do the books, but I’m not sure I can say that he’s going to win out loud. I’d be very wary of backing Diego for this one, but Schwartzman in 5.
Rublev Lopez : Mannnnnnn Rublev is good. I can’t say much else. He sees it, he smashes it. I’m sure he watched tennis as a kid and thought “why don’t they smash?” on every shot. He must feel like he’s a kid in possession of some big secret half the time. “Hhehe, they don’t know about smash.” Lopez cheated death in that last round, being down 2 sets quickly and really struggling, he just kinda found a serving rhythm and was able to squeak by. Sonego must be frustrated by that loss, but it’s the story every time Lopez wins. You kinda know what he’s going to do, but you just can’t physically get to the ball in time to stop it. His T serve from the ad side bends as well as Gilles Muller, and he mixes up his volleys at net to really keep his opponent from having good angles to pass him. He’ll need that against Rublev, and I do think he’ll be able to get deep into sets as well as he’s serving. Rublev struggles returning at times, and isn’t the fastest player on tour by any means. Still, we’re talking about a man who knows the secret. The secret of the smash. Rublev in 4.
Ruud Albot : Casper Ruud just kept coming against Tommy Paul, and earned errors. It was a really good comeback, but one that he made by not changing anything at all. He plays so disciplined and he’s so physically strong that really someone can either beat him for an entire match, or can’t beat him at all. Albot benefitted from O’Connell playing one of the worst matches I’ve seen in a while. He was extremely passive, didn’t move his feet well, and made a ton of errors. For a guy who thrives on not making errors (he’s a pusherrrrr), this was a bad loss and since Albot doesn’t exactly hit you off the court, it took a long time. OC had his chances to win every single set, but just couldn’t hit a shot. In his defense though, Albot served really well as he did against RBA and he got to net and didn’t miss much. The flaw in OC’s game seemed to be generating his own power. He reflected everything beautifully against Struff and was just completely flat against Albot. This is a great result and some nice $ for Albot, and although he isn’t a favorite against Ruud because they’re so similar, he isn’t a guaranteed loss.
Where Albot was safe against O’Connell, he’s in trouble against Ruud. Ruud has the power and fitness to drive the ball through the court. He’s a better returner and server than O’Connell, and has a ton more experience. Ruud will know this is a match where he has to outwork Albot from start to finish, and so he won’t be seemingly expecting errors to come as O’Connell kinda was. Really a nightmarish performance from OC and he still had a chance to steal the 2nd and 3rd sets. I love Albot and he’s serving great, but I think it ends here. Ruud in 4.
Harris McDonald : When you think third round of a major, you think Harris and McDonald. Harris really never deviated from the plan against Popyrin. He keeps the ball on the court, and applies gradual pressure with his forehand. It’s all about outlasting his opponent, and he did that here. On the other side of the fence, Mackie McDonald beat Coric summarily, and benefitted greatly from Coric missing just about every offensive ball he went for. It was a depressing loss for Coric, who seems to have settled on wearing size boy’s small clothing, and although he snuck back the 3rd set, McDonald did not hesitate to snag him in the 4th. I would say that the McDonald that almost beat Dimitrov and had those great wins when he first got on tour is back. He was slated to beat Gasquet last week and did so. He was supposed to beat Cecchinato and did so despite losing the first. Now he’s defeated Coric who played poorly but is still a very tough out as it gets close to the finish line. Mackie is serving well also, and although Harris has outlasted his previous opponents in the rally, Mackie is likely to take the initiative and win rallies rather than be locked into them. It’s weird for the match to be on the weaker players racquet, but McDonald is a good bit more aggressive in the past week and a half, and although Harris’ serve is the biggest weapon on court, the 9 sets of tennis he’s played have to take a toll at some point. McDonald in 4-5.
Krajinovic Medvedev : Oooooo. Kraj struggled a lot against Andujar but never really was in doubt. Medvedev had a similar inevitable but lengthy match with RCB. Bookmakers have made Medvedev a -1500 favorite against Kraj, and well, this shows you that pricing markets is more important than predicting outcomes. Medvedev is one of the favorites to win this tournament, but he has to do the work to get there. Krajinovic won their only previous meeting, and despite his abysmal performances in the past, he’s also turned in some very close battles against the top players. I expect something similar here. He’ll struggle to hold serve because Medvedev is such a good returner, but long rallies and a lot of breaks can be somewhat expected here. This would be a good spot for Medvedev to push the issue a bit, since the next round of Mackie/Harris is a much easier one. Medvedev in 4.
Tsitsipas Ymer : A tale of two cities here. Tsitsipas beat Kokkinakis with a very intelligent yet ignorant performance. It was pretty obvious that Kokkinakis would tire out after the 4th set. His legs were really starting to give out, and all that serving for clutch holds after 6 minute games got to him. If Tsitsipas had been been up against an opponent who was not able to hang for the full 5 sets, it would have been smart to extend rallies and do so. Tsitsipas was in control of this match throughout though, and the passive way he played for a while kinda let this get out of hand. Take nothing away from Kokkinakis’ serving and play; he really did his best and had a chance. Injuries and experience though have kept him a level below Tsitsipas though. Tsitsipas has proven to be able to immediately shank a forehand and lose a tiebreaker anytime the opportunity arises. He began tapping his head in the 5th set after winning rallies. There is nothing intelligent about your opponent getting exhausted, and tapping your head after winning is one of the douchier behaviors on tour. “I’m outsmarting you,” declared the guy who had won significantly more points and games, yet managed to wind up in a 5th set anxiously looking to his box and double-faulting. Anyway, it’s pretty clear and was at the French Open also that despite his troubles with errors, it takes a real high level of ballstriking and physical fitness to beat Tsitsipas in a 3/5 format.
Ymer is a quiet but great story in this. Not expected to beat Hurkacz, but did. Not expected to beat Alcaraz, but did so convincingly. He’s been one of the more promising next-gen players for a while but the results haven’t come, so this is a huge bonus for him to pick up some cash and some points. The more experience he gets, the more he’ll realize how to use his superior athleticism and power to win matches. I think we’re seeing it already, as he’s been driving his backhand and getting into net and creating a lot of havoc. It’s simply a matter at times of being more aggressive for him, as everyone is pretty even from behind the baseline but some players can just overpower an opponent if they take a risk and step into their shots. The downside is you tend to get caught at times if your opponent redirects the ball with angle or depth. The upside is that your opponent is watching you move in and has to adjust their footwork very quickly. This is simple stuff, but Ymer has been executing extremely well this week. So here is a match he shouldn’t really have a chance in. Tsitsipas has a better serve, more experience, a better backhand, and genuinely is one of the top players on tour. He makes errors though, and he plays passively at times. Despite the big 3 having a lock on winning for so long, sports are an equal playing field, and tennis margins are not as large as they appear on paper. Ymer will win a lot of points here, and a lot of games, but how many is a tough question. Tsitsipas was in all of Kokkinakis’ service games, and really only huge serving kept Kokkinakis in that match. The lopsided sets were the real story of the match, and it’ll be tough for Ymer to earn points here. Still, the Coric match and this one and several others are going to have people competing extra hard against Stefanos, and this is what the announers were talking about when they said Sinner should manage his optics a bit better. If the aura around a player is that they bring their A game and don’t make errors or get frustrated, it’s easy for their opponents to be stuck in a “try to earn every point” mentality. This leads to making errors, and trying to play perfect for a whole match. If the aura around a player is that they get frustrated, or make errors, then their opponents stop missing. They look to earn that frustration, and they apply a lot of pressure. This translates to them actually playing their best game, and an error free one. It’s hard to say when and where Tsitsipas will struggle, but as long as he does, matches like this will be tough. Tsitsipas in 4.
Khachanov Berretini : These are some exceptional matches honestly. The WTA has been a cut above the ATP in terms of quality and depth for a few seasons but the ATP is starting to catch up. Khachanov was consistent and crisp against Berankis, and Berretini was just a next level against Machac. Good for Machac to compete the way he did, and he’ll definitely have a future on tour, but right now Berretini really won’t lose to anyone who isn’t at the top level. Khachanov is at that level though. His height makes him an adept returner, and his heavy ball is likely to frustrate Berretini a big since his forehand is better when he’s able to generate his own pace. I think this has the making of a 5 set classic, and Berretini certainly has the better serve, but Khachanov is going to have a decent chance at this. Khachanov in 5.
Fognini De Minaur : With Fognini down 5-1 in the super tiebreak in the 5th set, I decided to go to sleep. I kinda knew Mmoh wasn’t going to do much against Nadal, and Safiullin was fading against Norrie. Fognini decided to punish me for that. He really was in shrug mode, and I felt that Caruso was fighting too hard for every point to lose his advantage. It happened though, AND I DON’T KNOW HOWWWW. So for real, anyone who saw it please advise. I also heard that Fognini exchanged some words with Caruso which I missed also. I regret sleeping and will never do it again.
De Minaur has been getting -1200 price tags and delivering. He really didn’t give Cuevas much, and Cuevas missed a ton of shots. It was evident he didn’t exactly feel he could hang in long rallies here, and it was worth a shot to kinda play offense and see what happened. De Minaur is the perfect opponent to beat Fognini, but it may be tricky. Fogs has beaten PCB and Caruso already in the past week and those are not easy players to hit through. I’m not expecting fatigue to be a factor but I do think that where Caruso surrendered his lead, De Minaur will build on his. Fognini is often all about managing his own image, and I don’t see him having the fight to win this. De Minaur in 4.
Nadal Norrie : Nadal is Rafael Nadal. It is hard to really expect him to ever struggle. Cam Norrie is much improved, and doesn’t really even look like the same person on the court. He’s gained some weight, isn’t cutting his hair, and is winning matches. The matches have been simple so far, and he won’t just disappear here but he will disappear from the draw. Nadal in 3 hard-fought sets.
Barty Alexandrova : Barty is getting me hyped! After a double bagel against Kovinic, she lit it up against Gavrilova in the first set. The second set though was pretty tight at the end, but Barty really looks good for the title. Which makes what I’m going to say now very difficult. This is a very hard match. Alexandrova was playing some great tennis indoors last at the end of last year, and has followed it up here. She’s crushing her backhand, and serving fairly well though they’re not aces. The problem for Barty on tour is always that she falls into playing defensively, and similar to Halep, she thrives on putting a lot of balls back and earning errors. I just feel that she’ll be on the defensive a bit too much in this one, and that Alexandrova doesn’t really play the kind of tennis you can defend against. I’m not going to feel good about saying it, but I think Barty loses here. The lapse against Gavrilova was not something I wanted to see. Alexandrova in 3.
Kontaveit Rogers : Great but standard comeback for Kontaveit against Watson. Rogers on the other hand never really hesitated against Danilovic. For Olga this was a good result but she’ll want to work on her defensive abilities if she wants to get to the next level on tour. The Shelbster has been on a tear this past month, and Kontaveit has been just ok. This is two players with a great deal of power, but one seems to be dragging herself along and the other is improving. Rogers in 3.
Bencic Mertens : Oddly, Belinda Bencic can play Mertens evenly. She’s been terrible, and Kuznetsova almost profited as a result, but Bencic really has the skill and ability to play at the same level as Mertens, which is why her lackluster results are so frustrating. They’re likely to be frustrating here as well, as Mertens quietly makes her way through yet another draw. Mertens in 2.
Muchova Pliskova : Muchova was broken early against Barthel but Mona really isn’t back to her normal self yet. It’ll come, and it’s nice to see her back on tour after some tough injuries. What were they? Idk. But they were tough! Pliskova and Collins had a pretty solid match, with Pliskova losing most of the rallies and Collins failing to really land first serves. That was the difference in the end, Collins simply wasn’t able to hold serve. Muchova is on a roll, and Pliskova has a possibly tougher match on her hands here. Where Collins is very focused on manufacturing her swing and putting the ball in strategy places, Muchova is a natural talent and is happy to rally all day. The power in these two players forehand is going to be really enjoyable to watch. I’m tempted to say that Pliskova’s improved defense is just a matter of focus, and since it’s a major she’ll get through. Muchova has already successfully dealt with Ostapenko’s offense here though, and I think it’ll take a very impressive serving performance from Pliskova to win. Muchova in 3.
Kanepi Vekic : Woooo! Kaia Kanepi has lost 20 lbs I didn’t ever realize she was carrying. She is in incredible shape, and it’s translating to quick wins. Her kick serve bounced over Kenin’s backhand until Kenin just gave up, and it looked like they were just two entirely different levels of tennis player in this one. Kanepi’s offense is legit, and she’ll need it because Vekic comes into this match crushing the ball. She never blinked against Podoroska, and despite Kanepi’s high level Vekic’s offensive offerings were the type where it didn’t really matter who was on the other side of the court. I have to think that even with Vekic’s problems on court the past season that this is her best level, and it’ll continue in this match. She should get at least a set, but Kanepi’s offense isn’t likely to just disappear, so the third set here could be tight. Kanepi in 3.
Brady Juvan : Brady continues to roll. Big fan. Juvan outlasted Sherif’s defense and earned a real hard fought win. For a young player, those wins are huge because they lend belief to your game. I think she’ll play well here against Brady, but Brady is on another level lately. Brady in 2.
Pegula Mladenovic : Pegula made the quickest work of Stosur that probably anyone ever has. She’s a healthy favorite in this contest as well, despite Mladenovic’s great play. The serve will be a major factor here, and if Mladenovic isn’t able to get ahead in rallies this could be a long day. Her play isn’t dictated by emotion though, and she’s able to shrug off losing set and compete. In the end, it’s hard not to think that Pegula is the more complete player, but this is one where I wouldn’t be very comfortable backing either player. Pegula in 3.
Putintseva Svitolina : LET THERE BE RALLIES! Putintseva did extremely well to outlast AVU. Van Uytvank was smoking the ball left and right, and really deserved the win. Her fitness levels have improved, and she should have a very successful indoor season this year. Svitolina and Gauff was a pretty hyped matchup, but Svitolina proved that it’s a “not yet” situation for Gauff on tour still. I lean towards past matchups with these two since their gameplans are pretty similar, and Svitolina has won every single matchup. When rallies go long, her forehand tends to be the biggest weapon, and Putintseva has devolved into just really looping the ball back all day, so this could be her undoing if Svitolina steps into the court. Svitolina has simple, yet consistent offense, which sets her apart from Putsy’s previous victims. Svitolina in 2 long sets.
Hsieh Errani : This is a good one. Hsieh took good advantage of Andreescu’s rust, notching a big name win. Errani played Venus Williams in an odd contest. Venus was down in this match, as Errani’s defending is a bit much for her limited mobility. Venus then fell and twisted her ankle, and was moved to tears, and then continued to play. Down 6-1, 5-0, she just kept going. The game went to duece. Venus could barely walk for much of the second set, and it was kinda hard to watch. The 0-5 duece game became important. Just one more game, thought the announcers. It became obvious that Errani should just let her score. Venus was basically puffing in her serve and hobbling around the court. A strange cling to a match, or an inspiring story of human determination. The crowd got ready to cheer when Venus finally won the game. At this point, Errani hit 3 dropshots in a row, embarassing the injured Williams, and closed out the match. She even dropshotted Venus’ serve. It just felt disrespectful, but it also was really bizarre that Venus kept playing. I think this is likely her final year on tour, and since she’s retiring she wants to play it all out. The reaction to the ankle sprain was more than just frustration. In any event, Venus has been a graceful and quiet champion throughout her career. If this is the end, wow what a story it has been.
Errani actually has won all 3 meetings with Hsieh, and her resurgence in the past year means she is likely to nab this one too. She’s fresh, Hsieh has scar tissue from their previous matchups, and the only thing that’s really in Hsieh’s favor here is that she has played her best tennis this week. I wouldn’t be surprised if that puts her over the finish line, but Errani’s game is well suited to dealing with Hsieh’s defensive offerings, and Hsieh may not have the power to put Errani away. Errani in 3.
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BetWinner is one of the world’s largest online betting sites, and they offer everything, from an online sportsbook to an online casino. They’re known for offering an extensive selection of markets and also have unrivaled customer support. Their bonuses are also great, and you’ll be able to find great BetWinner promo code offers available to new customers.
In this BetWinnerreview, we’re going to be giving you an impartial, honest and in-depth look into this popular bookmaker – and what they have to offer when it comes to esports. For example, we’ll cover the BetWinner app, BetWinner esports markets, payment options and more. Let’s kick things off with a look at our editor’s review of the site, following by looking at the main BetWinner bonus offer, available to all new customers.
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EDITOR’S REVIEW

BETWINNER

• Esports Offered
• Customer Service
• Deposit Options
• Player Value

Summary
BetWinner is a major name in the eSports betting industry and for good reason. They offer a vast selection of markets, but it’s not just their eSports that make them so desirable.
They also offer a substantial number of other sporting markets and events, with coverage all over the world. They offer more than 140 different payment methods (so there’s something for everyone), and their well-made, secure and reliable website makes betting easy. They also have a mobile app, which we’ll talk about later.
3.9

BETWINNER BONUS OFFERS

BetWinner’s new-customer welcome bonus is one of the most generous around – and you’ll be able to enjoy a 100% matched deposit bonus up to 100 EUR! It’s incredibly easy to claim the bonus; all you need to do is register an account and top up your account with up to 100 Euros. Your bonus will then be credited to your account automatically. Please note, the minimum deposit required in order to claim the bonus is 1 EUR.
You also may need to “agree” to receive the bonus, depending on which country you reside in. This can be done within the “Account Settings” page, or directly from the “Deposit” page.
The bonus comes with wagering requirements of 5X, which is pretty good overall. You also need to include at least 3 or more events in any accumulator bets, and at least 3 of these events must have odds of 1.40 or higher. You can read the full bonus terms and conditions from BetWinner’s main “Bonus” page.
Along with a hugely generous main welcome bonus offer, BetWinner also offers a wide variety of ongoing promotions. These are subject to change at any time, and they tend to bring out new offers weekly – but it’s common to see money-back specials, BetWinner promo code giveaways, and more. You can view full details of any ongoing (or upcoming) promotions from their “PROMO” tab which is found on the top-most navigation menu on their site.
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© BETWINNER

BETWINNER ESPORTS BETTING MARKETS

A major part of writing this BetWinner review was taking a look at their esports betting markets. BetWinner offers a fantastic selection to choose from, and you’ll find everything from WarCraft III, PUBG, CS:GO, Dota 2, King of Glory and Rainbow Six.
Many BetWinner esports markets also offer a comprehensive selection of betting markets for you to choose from. For example, let’s take a look at one of their events: CS:GO. ESL One Road to Tio – Winstrike vs Syman.
Of course, you’ll find yourself able to bet on the overall match winner, but there’s a plethora of other markets available too. For example, you can attempt to guess the correct score – with lucrative payouts if you manage to do so. There’s a “Total Maps” market, and a “Total Maps Handicap” market. You’ll also find a “Total Maps Even/Odd” market providing even more betting options.
You can also put esports bets into other types of bet, including accumulators, system and chain bets. You’ll often see “recommended” bets further down the betting page when you enter a specific event page.
One of the things we really like about BetWinner is that they make it really easy to view even odds. For example, when they’re running lol events, you can easily and quickly view lol betting odds right from the main “esports” page. You can then click on a specific event to view a more comprehensive breakdown of the specific bet types which are available for that event.

HOW TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT WITH BETWINNER?

BetWinner makes it very easy to open an account. They have a one-click registration process for players from certain countries. You can also press the “Registration” button to open your account using a phone number.

• Step 1: Choose your country, currency and enter a promo code if you have one.
• Step 2: You will then receive your username and password.
• Step 3: Add your email address and you’re ready to bet!

BETWINNER MOBILE APP

A big part of writing this BetWinner review was looking at the BetWinner app. It’s designed to let you place esports bets while on the move and is available to download – free of charge – on all iOS and Android devices.
The BetWinner app is smooth, well-made and easy-to-use. There’s a handy navigation menu positioned in the upper right-hand-corner of the screen, and this lets you work your way around. It’s possible to register an account directly from the app if you’re a new customer. If you already have a BetWinner account, you can log into the app using TouchID once you’ve entered your username and password once.
We tested out the app extensively while writing this BetWinner review. We really like the way you can search directly for events. Esports are far from being the most popular betting market offered at bookies today, so you won’t usually see them featured on the home page. Thankfully, using the app, you can search directly for the markets you want. Placing bets is also simple, and once you’ve added selections to your bet slip it’s a one-click process to confirm the bet amount and place it.
We should also point out that you don’t have to download BetWinner’s mobile app if you prefer not to. They also have a fully-functional mobile-optimized website, which allows you to place bets through your mobile device’s internet browser. It’s worth keeping an eye on their mobile promotions too, as there are sometimes special BetWinner bonus offers for mobile.

IS BETWINNER LEGIT?

In our opinion, BetWinner is one of the most trustworthy and reliable esports betting sites. For the purpose of writing this BetWinner review, we wanted to find out more about their licensing – and who actually regulates them. BetWinner holds a valid online gambling license from the Government of Curacao. This ensures the bookie adheres to strict rules and regulations and allows them to offer their services to customers all over the world.
This sportsbook website is also very secure. They use the latest HTTPS technology alongside state-of-the-art encryption. Not only does this make the overall betting experience faster, smoother and more reliable – it also ensures that your personal information/sensitive details are safe and secure.

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