Angie Kerber is on quite a roll recently. The 2018 Wimbledon winner won her final lead-up tournament in Bad Homburg and after an initial shock regarding the draw, her path already cleared up quite a bit after the first round losses from Belinda Bencic, Ana Konjuh and, most importantly, Serena Williams.
Kerber and Williams would have clashed in round three and it’s a shame the American was forced to retire with a leg injury after slipping on the grass. While not facing Konjuh in round two felt like a relief at first sight, Sara Sorribes Tormo might be an even trickier task for the German number one.
Sorribes Tormo is one of the most consistent players on tour and while her clay season has been disappointing, she made some huge progress on the faster surfaces. We all still remember her match against Sabalenka where she was leading 6-0 4-0 just to lose 6-0 4-6 0-6. That result might have been buzzing around her head for most parts of the offseason, but it surely didn’t do her bad in the long term. The Spaniard is 16-6 on hards and 4-1 on grass this year and beat players like Podoroska, Samsonova, Bouzkova, Brady, Rybakina or Jabeur.
In round one, Sorribes Tormo withstood 47 winners from Konjuh who, admittedly, wasn’t at her very best on serve. There is no doubt that Kerber is another caliber and the rightful favorite today, however I do think there’s a chance for Sorribes Tormo to keep this close.
When you look at Kerber’s previous grass matches, she beat Blinkova, Kvitova, Anisimova, Siniakova and Stojanovic. All of these players gave her considerable pace to redirect. Now Sorribes Tormo doesn’t give you a lot of pace, but a heavy topspin and slices. Kerber sometimes struggles when she has to dictate as her game is designed to counterpunch and unsettle opponents. Today, she might get tangled up in a battle she doesn’t want to fight and I can see an opening for Sorribes Tormo to keep sets close or even win one on her own.
Suggested Bet:
0.5u on Sara Sorribes Tormo +1.5 sets at 2.27 with Pinnacle
0.5u on Sara Sorribes Tormo +4.5 games at 2.27 with Pinnacle