2022 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Best Bets for February 17 (Archive)
The action has been fast and furious in Dubai. There have been plenty of upsets so far, but we are down to eight women left in this Premier tournament.
I’ve done the work looking at tonight’s slate to find the winning WTA pick.
Veronika Kudermetova vs. Jil Teichmann
Thursday, February 17, 2022 – 06:15 AM EST at Center Court
Betting Preview on Kudermetova
Veronika Kudermetova has beaten two very big names in the women's tennis world to start this tournament. She started her tournament here with a decisive win over Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 6-4.
In the match, Kudermetova had an impressive seven aces to only one double fault. She had only a 52% first-serve percentage but won 81% of the first serves that she landed. She only faced one break point in the match, which she saved.
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This was an impressive win for Kudermetova because Azarenka is a very accomplished hard-court player. So Veronika Kudermetova was definitely riding some good momentum going into her match against reigning champion, Garbine Muguruza.
The Russian had a tougher match against Garbine Muguruza but was able to win in three sets. After falling 3-6 in the first set, she won the second two sets 6-4, 6-4.
Once again, Kudermetova did not have the best first-serve percentage. She only landed 53% of first serves. If Kudermetova is able to raise her first serve percentage, she will definitely be dangerous for the rest of the tournament.
Betting Preview on Teichmann
Jil Teichmann recorded wins over players with similar styles to start her tournament. In the first round, she defeated Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-4. Teichmann also struggled with her serve with only one ace and five double faults and a first-serve percentage of 56%.
Yet she was good when it counted, saving 83% (5-6) of break points. She also was able to convert every break point she faced (4-4). So while overall it was not a dominating performance for Teichmann, she was able to get it done when it mattered the most.
In her second match, she also defeated another defensive player in Elina Svitolina. The first set went to a tiebreaker, but Teichmann was absolutely dominant in the tiebreaker not even ceding 1 point to Svitolina. She took that momentum to dominate the second set 6-2 in almost a carbon copy of the last match.
Teichmann struggled with her first serve only making 55% of her serves. Yet she was able to save every break point she faced (5-5). This was another case of the Swiss being good when it was counted.
Teichmann vs. Kudermetova Analysis
Jil Teichmann and Veronika Kudermetova have played twice. Kudermetova has won both matches. Their most recent meeting was a three-set victory by Kudermetova 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 three years ago (2019) in Lugano, Switzerland, Jil Teichmann's home country.
This match was on clay so the results are not that predictive of what will happen here on the fast courts of Dubai, but it is indicative that these players are very close in skill and talent.
The other match was also on clay in Switzerland back in 2019. Veronika Kudermetova won 6-4, 1-6, 6-2. Once again, using results from three years ago on the opposite surface is not really productive. Yet it does show Kudermetova’s ability to beat Teichmann on a surface that should favor the Swiss so it does represent some value in predicting this match.
Betting Prediction
Firstly it shows that Veronika Kudermetova is able to overcome Teichmann’s style in more adverse conditions. It also shows that she does have the power to bother Teichmann, even on a slower surface.
This match will be an excellent contrast of styles. Kudermetova prefers the power game and Teichmann is excellent at playing defense. Yes, Teichmann can dial up some power when necessary, but she prefers to let her opponents make mistakes.
Kudermetova has one of the best serves in the WTA and she will definitely be relying on it for plenty of free points. Both players were not expected to make it this far in the tournament and both will be excited to add these ranking points. This will help them to avoid playing qualifying rounds for big tournaments in the future.
It is safe to say that we can definitely expect the best from both women in this match.
WTA Dubai Pick
I like Veronika Kudermetova to get the win in this match tonight. Kudermetova’s power game should shine here on the hard courts in Dubai.
The surface has been playing quickly and this augments Kudermetova's powerful style. The Russian has been doing an excellent job of winning easy service points. This will allow her to hold serve much easier.
While Teichmann has had dominating performances so far, she was also very fortunate to come through on the big points. While some of that can be credited to Jil Teichmann's steely nerves, there's also an element of randomness and luck when you are able to save so many break points.
I have been much more impressed with Kudermetova's level of play so far in this tournament. Jil Teichmann has beaten 2 defensive players so far, and now she will have to face a player who will be firmly on the offense.
Our best bet of the day for WTA Dubai is Veronika Kudermetova on the moneyline with the WTA odds at around -140 for the Russian.
WTA Pick: Veronika Kudermetova ML (-139) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.