Will we see Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova return to her top form? Potentially, but I don’t see it starting here in Istanbul.
Pavlyuchenkova is making her way back onto the tour after a month away, having skipped the North American hardcourt and green clay swing. She looks as though she had her first hit for the year on clay about two weeks ago, and she will be determined to turnaround what has been a disappointing start to the year for her.
Personally though, I prefer Potapova at the price on offer today. Whilst she hasn’t played a lot of clay tennis over the last two years (worth noting she missed the back end of 2020 when the season resumed due to injury), she has shown herself to be quite proficient on the surface.
What I saw from Potapova in the early stages of the year on the hardcourt impressed me. She was playing within herself at times and reducing her error output, a step in the right direction not only for her game, but her proficiency on clay as well. There will always be moments with younger players where they will revert to old habits, however on the clay in these conditions I am far more comfortable siding with Potapova. I will keep it to a 1.5 unit stake, with Potapova displaying better form and more upside of late.
Suggested Bet
1.5 units Potapova to defeat Pavlyuchenkova at $1.74 at Unibet