We didn’t quite get the chocolates betting on Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz a year ago at double figures, however the Australian looks to be great value here in round 1 of the Australian Open Qualifying.
For those following a year ago, we backed the then-15 year old to defeat Vitalia Diatchenko at $21, and to take the first set at $11. She had set point in the first, however the experience of Diatchenko allowed her to progress 7-6(9) 6-3. Whilst the tour hit pause not long after, Pocz was able to spend some time on court as part of the UTR Pro Tennis Series, albeit with mixed success. It was almost the bigger the odds for her, the better the performance, with wins over Ellen Perez (odds $4+) and Priscilla Hon (odds $6+). She hits with brutal power, and when things are able to click for her it can all come together well.
Her game style is what makes the bigger head to head prices value in my opinion. She is young and can be erratic, however there is also significant potential, especially when facing players who do not have a lot of power in their game to challenge the court coverage of Pocz. We get that today with her opponent Viktoriya Tomova.
Tomova hasn’t been seen on court since October when she retired down 2-6 2-5 to Magdalena Frech, and struggled overall after the tour restart. There isn’t anything in her recent form to suggest she should be sub-$1.20 here, so there is genuine value in the price on Pocz. She is $8 at most books, and that is worth a 1.5 unit selection, even this early in the season.
Suggested Bet
1.5 units Kempenaers-Pocz to defeat Tomova at $8 (+700) at Topsport/Bet365
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