With the Australian Open qualies getting rained out on Monday, let’s have a quick look at the last match in Hobart today where #3 seed Zhu Lin takes on Lucia Bronzetti. Both ran into Aryna Sabalenka last week, Bronzetti in round two, Zhu in round three, suffering distinct defeats by last year’s Australian Open champion. Before that, Zhu managed to get past Danielle Collins, while Bronzetti beat an out-of-sorts Ashlyn Krueger.
Bronzetti did improve on hard courts, but I’m not sure if it’s enough to be this close to Zhu. The Chinese reached the fourth round at the Australian Open last year, beating Rebecca Marino, Jil Teichmann and Maria Sakkari before ultimately falling to Victoria Azarenka in three sets. Ranked just outside the top 30, she also competed at the WTA Elite Trophy and made it to the semifinals, beating Veronika Kudermetova and only losing to Zheng Qinwen in three sets. Zhu’s Elo rating is 80 points better, both overall and on hard courts, and it’s not like the 29-year-old is on a downward trajectory. I think Zhu will want to get two or three more matches under her belt before the first major of the year and I have her a 63% favorite, which is why I see value at the current market price of 1.73 (58%).
Suggested Bets:
1u on Zhu Lin ML at 1.73 (-137) with Pinnacle
Over 18s Only (21+ in some jurisdictions). 1 unit = 1% of bankroll. These are my bets that I am making. Please enjoy your betting responsibly. Never bet more than you can afford to lose, and do not chase a loss.