Pliskova vs Garcia (Approx 04:30am AEST)
All it took was Caroline Garcia to enter the bubble to find a bit of form!
Whilst her dad may not be with her this fortnight as he normally is (blessing in disguise?), it looks like we got an incredibly composed performance from the world number 50 in round 1, defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-3 6-2. Like McNally yesterday, I have a preference of supporting Garcia against the bigger strikers of the ball on tour, so to see her come through a tricky opponent in Paolini is a great sign in my opinion. Couple that with her effort against Azarenka last week, including earning 3 set points in set 2, and a win over Stephens, and things appear to be better for Garcia post the tour suspension.
The first round win from Pliskova over Kalinina looks very good on paper, 6-4 6-0, however things were very precariously balanced early, with Pliskova staring down a double break point chance at 4-4 in the first. The Czech number 1 seed navigated her way out of that spot and put the foot down against her inexperienced opponent. She won’t be afforded that much freedom and control after tight spots today against Garcia.
These two have played six times in their history, with the record currently split at 3-3. Part of the battle with playing Pliskova is developing a game style that will hold up in the battle, so Garcia will take a lot of confidence from her past wins over the Czech. The $3.50 looks to be a great upset price. I will take Garcia to win for 1.5 units.
Note: There are a number of longer odds selections today, which I am comfortable to play with my bankroll and strict staking. If picking and choosing plays to follow, or after something with a higher win probability (albeit at a lower value price), you could play Garcia +1.5 sets, or the total games to go over the listed total. I know my style is not for everyone, so adjust accordingly.
Suggested Bet
1.5 units Garcia to defeat Pliskova at $3.50 at Betfair/Topsport/Bet365 (Note: $3.75 is available at Unibet)
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