WTA Stuttgart is off to a great start this week with incredible tennis so far.
And I've found two spots on Wednesday's order of play where value has presented itself, including on a match featuring British star Emma Raducanu.
Read on for two plays to think about from Wednesday in Stuttgart.
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Emma Raducanu (-155) vs Storm Sanders (+120)
11:15 a.m. ET
Emma Raducanu played the first two matches on clay of her professional career during last weekend's Billie Jean King Cup. Raducanu went 1-1, but suffered a 1-6, 1-6 defeat to Marketa Vondrousova in her most recent match.
Raducanu only won 29% of service points and did not win a single service game all match against Vondrousova. However, the Brit did pick up a win over Tereza Martincova in her first match on clay, which was an encouraging sign.
Another factor to consider is that Raducanu has a foot injury which has affected her level of play and certainly is not good for her movement. So, while Raducanu at her best showcases great pop on her groundstrokes and clean shot-making, this is something to consider.
And while beating Martincova was a good sign for last year's US Open champion, she doesn't have nearly enough professional experience on clay to completely understand how to effectively play on the surface.
Storm Sanders won as many clay matches in qualifying than Raducanu has in her career. In Sanders' latest victory, she beat Tamara Korpatsch 6-3, 6-4.
Korpatsch was red-hot coming into this match. Yet, Sanders effectively dismantled her game. The Aussie won 75% of her service points and 45% of her second-serve returns. Sanders' lefty forehand was particularly lethal in controlling the baseline.
Sanders did not drop a set in qualifying wins over Korpatsch and Mara Guth. Sanders adapted to the faster-clay conditions very well, upping the aggression on her groundstrokes, particularly the forehand. Sanders has also played over 70 professional matches on clay in her career and understands how to play on the dirt.
Sanders looked very impressive in qualifying, especially in beating an in-form Korpatsch. Sanders took the racquet out of Korpatsch's hands at times and seemed to enjoy the conditions.
While faster conditions help Raducanu, she still doesn't understand very well how to move on clay. And, given her recent injury woes, it's hard to trust the Brit at the moment to pull this match out.
Pick: Sanders ML (+120 via BetMGM)
Laura Siegemund (+225) vs Tamara Zidansek (-320)
2 p.m. ET
Laura Siegemund's clay-court season did not get off to a good start in the Billie Jean King Cup. Siegemund only got one game in a 0-6, 1-6 defeat to Elena Rybakina, her only time in the lineup.
Siegemund only won 34% of her service points, getting broken in all six of her service games. On return, the German only won 33% of her return points. Siegemund has only played seven matches this season, going 3-4 and struggling to maintain her rally tolerance when she has gotten onto the court.
Siegemund made the final of Stuttgart twice in her career, including taking the title in 2017. At least in her prime, she clearly liked the faster, slippery clay and had a lot of success in Stuttgart. Siegemund's variety along with her consistent depth have been crucial for her game. However, the 34 year-old's career looks like it's coming to a close soon.
Tamara Zidansek has emerged as one of the better clay-courters on the WTA Tour. Zidansek went 2-1 in clay-court Billie Jean King action this past weekend, including a 6-3, 6-2 win over Petra Martic in her most recent match.
Zidansek has a 77% career-winning percentage on clay. Last season, however, Zidansek was particularly impressive on the dirt. The Slovenian won 78% of her clay matches, including a trip to the Roland Garros semifinals and her first WTA Tour title above a $125k event in Lausanne.
Zidansek's heavy forehand is the key to her game. She is so good about point construction and she does a great job controlling the baseline with her forehand. Zidansek also has a great understanding of both movement and shot selection on the dirt.
While Siegemund has had past success in Stuttgart, she is a shell of the player she once was and does not have the physicality she once had. Siegemund's variety also has not looked nearly as effective as it was in prior seasons.
Zidansek is excellent on clay and can really step up in the court and pressure Siegemund with her forehand. She will be the aggressor in this match and force Siegemund to play defensively, which is not ideal in Stuttgart's conditions.
Pick: Zidansek -4.5 games (-106 via FanDuel)
