Kasatkina vs Azarenka (Approx 11:30pm AEST)
I cannot recall a time in the past couple of years where I have opposed a player who just beat a Top 5 player 6-0 6-0 in the previous round.
I guess there is a first time for everything.
At the end of the day, the question needs to be asked: how much weight are we carrying to wins over Venus Williams and Sofia Kenin on clay? I know the latter was an absolute whitewash, however there are genuine question marks around the form of Kenin over the last month. Has it opened up value on the other side of the net against Azarenka today? Absolutely.
You can tell from my live show at the start of the week, as well as a couple of previews of late that I am pretty keen on the form of Kasatkina across this week. She continues to fly under the radar, having dropped 14 games across her four matches so far this week. Her movement looks to have improved greatly, and with that comes her confidence in the majority of her game.
Azarenka was absolutely on the brink against Venus Williams in round 1, and I get the feeling this has been forgotten by many. Kasatkina is going to do something Kenin and Williams could not: extend rallies, frustrate, throw up significant variations in spin and shot selection, including effective use of dropshots. A confidence Kasatkina is an entirely different prospect, and regardless of what has occurred over the last 48 hours, Azarenka is still coming off a very heavy schedule.
The $4+ here is value in my opinion, and I am happy to take it for 2 units.
Suggested Bet
2 units Kasatkina to defeat Azarenka at $4.35 at Unibet
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