Disappointing handicapping results on Monday, as all three underdogs never really had a shot. After a five-hour rain delay yesterday and more rain in the forecast throughout the week, I may tread lightly at the Citi Open. I try to avoid matches that may have post-delay momentum swings as much as possible.
With that said, I do fancy one bet on today's card. Let's take a closer look at each of the 10 scheduled matches. (See yesterday's column for Dolehide-Vekic and Bogdan-Makarova previews.)
Naomi Osaka (-300) vs Bernarda Pera (+250)
Time: 2 p.m. ET
H2H: First meeting
Osaka is the premier talent here and should hit Pera off the court. Pera is enjoying a career year, making her first two WTA quarterfinals — but both came on her preferred surface of clay. This is Osaka’s first appearance in Washington, but her powerful, flat game should fit this court well. I expect a routine Osaka victory.
The Pick: PASS
Yulia Putintseva (-170) vs. Tatjana Maria (+150)
Time: 2 p.m. ET
H2H: Putintseva leads 2-1 (all on clay)
Outside of the grass swing, Maria has had a very subpar season. The German owns an 0-7 record on hard courts and also underperformed on her preferred clay surface. There's always a chance Putintseva beats herself with unforced errors, but she should advance.
The Pick: PASS
Sofya Zhuk (-135) vs. Nao Hibino (+120)
Time: 2 p.m. ET
H2H: First meeting
Zhuk has been the better player in 2018 — with notable hard-court wins over Alize Cornet, Qiang Wang and Camila Giorgi this past winter. While Hibino's form has picked up recently at the ITF level (including a win at the $60k ITF Honolulu event), she has only one win on tour in 2018. I think 18-year-old Zhuk advances.
The Pick: Sofya Zhuk -135
Sloane Stephens (-545) vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (+425)
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
H2H: Stephens leads 4-1 (all on clay)
Stephens should advance, but she’s not infallible. After winning last year’s U.S. Open, she went on a horrid 3-12 streak before winning the Premier event in Miami. Sloane is a rhythm player who is vulnerable early in tournaments. However, while Mattek-Sands will fight, she hasn’t shown me enough since returning from injury in March to warrant a bet.
The Pick: PASS
Saisai Zheng (-155) vs. Katie Swan (+135)
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
H2H: First meeting
Zheng travels in from China after retiring on Sunday in the second set of a final against Qiang Wang. Based on scant reports, Zheng was fatigued. Meanwhile, Swan received a wild card to compete in her first main draw hard-court event. I'm in no rush to back Swan, but traveling from China to the U.S. to play tennis two days after retiring with fatigue sounds like a tall order for Zheng.
The Pick: PASS
Jennifer Brady (-115) vs. Natalia Vikhlyantseva (+100)
Time: 7:25 p.m. ET
H2H: Vikhlyantseva leads 1-0
Two big hitters who could make a decent run if they get in a zone. I’m more intrigued by Vikhlyantseva’s talent, but Brady has shown promise in bigger tournaments — making the fourth round at both hard court majors in 2017. Whoever can better limit unforced errors in a match that should feature plenty of ball-bashing should advance. A true coin flip.
The Pick: PASS
Magda Linette (-360) vs. Olivia Rogowska (+300)
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
H2H: Linette leads 1-0
Rogowska arrives in very poor form, having won only two matches since March. Last week, she won only one game in a loss to world No. 535, Alicia Barnet, in a Canadian ITF event. Yikes.
On the other hand, Linette comes off a semifinal appearance last week in China — where she lost to eventual champ, Wang. As long as fatigue isn't an issue after flying across the globe, Linette should cruise.
The Pick: PASS
Caroline Wozniacki (-900) vs. Anhelina Kalinina (+650)
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
H2H: First meeting
Kalinina is 0-1 in main draw hard-court events and received the worst draw out of all the qualifiers. Wozniacki, who has had plenty of rest since her second-round loss at Wimbledon, should roll on her favorite surface.
The Pick: PASS
