WTA Lausanne is underway and the quality of tennis has been through the roof so far!
I’ve found value on two of Tuesday's matchups — Sorribes Tormo vs Bandecchi and Cocciaretto vs Naef.
Read on for my WTA Lausanne picks.
Note: Match times are subject to change. Read here for tips on viewing tennis matches and seeing tennis odds.
WTA Lausanne Odds, Picks
Sara Sorribes Tormo (-2500) vs Susan Bandecchi (+925)
6:05 a.m. ET
Sara Sorribes Tormo last played in Palermo, where she fell 6-7(6), 0-6 to Jasmine Paolini in the semifinals. Sorribes Tormo looked underpowered, winning just 43% of her service points and getting broken five times. The Spaniard did win 55% of her second-serve returns, but she broke just twice.
Sorribes Tormo is now 16-8 this season on clay, with an impressive 239-20 career-mark on the surface. Sorribes Tormo's weapons are her speed, fitness and consistency, as she's able to track down almost anything her opponents throw her way, neutralize points and effectively counterpunch. While the Spaniard lacks power, the placement on her groundstrokes is terrific and she has a nasty backhand slice.
Susan Bandecchi last played in Wimbledon qualifying, losing 6-4, 1-6, 2-6 to Maria Lourdes Carle. Bandecchi won just 43% of her service points, getting broken nine times. However, the Swiss did win 45% of her return points, breaking on five occasions. Bandecchi hit a miserable 16 winners versus 65 unforced errors in the match.
She is just 5-7 this year on clay. As a professional, the Swiss has a solid 99-78 record on the surface. However, at World No. 454, Bandecchi is a far cry from her career-high ranking of World No. 164 from March of last season.
While Bandecchi is fairly solid from the baseline and can inject some pace into her forehand, she has a mediocre serve, questionable consistency and lacks finishing power. She also hasn't played on clay in nearly two months.
Sorribes Tormo has the much higher rally tolerance of the two. The Spaniard should be able to grind Bandecchi down from the baseline.
And Bandecchi, realizing she lacks pace on her groundstrokes, will likely lower her margins in a desperate attempt to hit through Sorribes Tormo, leading to plenty of unforced errors.
In 2023, Sorribes Tormo is in the top 10 for first-serve returns, return games and return points won. She should be all over Bandecchi's weaker serve and make life very difficult for the Swiss.
Finally, when looking at Elo ratings, Sorribes Tormo's overall Elo is 359.1 points higher than Bandecchi's and her clay Elo is 360.9 points above the Swiss'.
Pick: Sorribes Tormo -6.5 games (-145 via PointsBet)
Elisabetta Cocciaretto (-310) vs Celine Naef (+240)
7:30 a.m. ET
Elisabetta Cocciaretto last played in Palermo, falling 3-6, 6-4, 0-6 in her opening match to Sara Sorribes Tormo. Cocciaretto won just 44% of her service points, getting broken on nine occasions. The Italian won 50% of her second-serve returns and broke five times, but it wasn't enough.
Cocciaretto is now 9-4 in 2023 on clay, with an incredible 106-52 career-record on the surface. Cocciaretto's game is centered around her heavy forehand that she uses to control the baseline. The Italian hits her spots from that wing. In general, Cocciaretto is fit and covers the court well. She gets consistent depth from both wings, although her backhand is less steady than her forehand.
Celine Naef most recently competed in the Hopman Cup, going 0-3 in the round-robin competition. She last competed against Donna Vekic, losing 3-6, 4-6. Naef won just 53% of her service points, getting broken four times. The Swiss also won 54% of her second-serve returns, breaking twice.
Naef has a solid 12-8 clay-record this year, with a 20-15 professional-mark on the surface. She is quick on her feet, anticipates well and plays consistent baseline tennis. Naef is also better with her heavy forehand. However, the Swiss is underpowered at times from the ground and her groundstrokes break down under pressure. Her backhand is also prone to breaking down.
Cocciaretto has more firepower from the baseline and much more professional experience on the surface. The Italian's forehand should be the best shot on the court and she should drag Naef around from this wing. She also has the better variety of the two and should be able to keep the Swiss off-balance.
Finally, when looking at Elo ratings, Cocciaretto's overall El is 119.9 points higher than Naef's and her clay-court Elo is 185.5 points above the Swiss'.
Pick: Naef to NOT win a set (-110 via FanDuel)
