2022 Mutua Madrid Open Preview and Best Bets (Archive)
The first round of play concludes today at the Mutua Madrid Open. The world’s top players have gathered to compete for 1000 ranking points. The Madrid Open is a great tournament stop on the Road to Roland Garros. Let’s take a look at today’s matches to find more winning WTA picks.
Anastasia Potapova vs. Naomi Osaka
Friday, April 29, 2022 – 09:15 AM EDT at Manolo Santana Stadium
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka is a Japanese-American who took the tennis world by storm when she defeated Serena Williams to win the US Open title in 2018. Osaka's ability to hit with blistering pace off both sides of the ball and dial-up one of the fastest serves in the world made her an instant fan favorite with her powerful style of play.
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Osaka has an unassuming and shy personality that plays well in the media and she was instantly a star. Osaka's stardom has taken many twists and turns as she has become an advocate for social justice issues. She has also spoken out against what she considers to be the dehumanizing nature of tennis press conferences.
After some time off to reflect, Naomi Osaka is back and looking to be one of the world's best players again. Currently, Osaka is the world's number 36, but a string of good results will push her back into the top 10.
Anastasia Potopova
Today Naomi Osaka will face Anastasia Potopova, who is coming off an excellent week of tennis. Potopova has played a lot of tennis as of late. She was forced to qualify in Istanbul, and then she went on to win the tournament. She has also been forced to qualify here in Madrid.
In her first qualification match in Madrid, she went to three sets against Daria Saville. In the second round of qualifications, she defeated Kristina Mladenovic in straight sets to officially qualify for the tournament today. Her path gets no easier against one of the best players in the world.
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Anastasia Potapova had plenty of notable wins in Istanbul. She defeated Petra Martic, Sara Sorribes Tormo, Yulia Putintseva, and Veronika Kudermetova on her path to the title. Potapova can be a streaky player who can sometimes give up when things aren't going well.
Still, Potapova is a powerful player and when she is playing well, she can be one of the toughest players in the world to beat. When Potopova finally figures out the mental aspect of tennis, she will be poised to make a run into the world's top 20.
Naomi Osaka has never played well on clay. As a Japanese-American growing up in Florida, Osaka is much better on the hard courts. The tournament in Madrid represents Osaka's best chance to do well at a clay court Masters event because it is by far the fastest surface of the clay court Masters events.
This will suit Osaka's powerful style well. Osaka has a great chance to make her mark here in Madrid, although her lack of playing time on clay so far this season could be a major detriment.
The Pick
There are two ways to approach this match. First of all, I don't think either player will be blowing the other one out, so the over is an excellent look here. Also, due to this being Osaka's warm-up tournament for clay, she could be vulnerable to defeat by an in-form, powerful player.
Therefore we will also take Anastasia Potapova to win the match. We have two bets for this matchup. Our first will be Naomi Osaka/Anastasia Potopova Over 20.5 games. Our second bet will be Anastasia Potapova ML.
WTA Pick: Naomi Osaka/Anastasia Potopova Over 20.5 Games (-110) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
WTA Pick: Anastasia Potapova ML (+180) at Bovada
Sara Sorribes Tormo vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Friday, April 29, 2022 - 10:30 AM EDT at Manolo Santana Stadium
Sara Sorribes Tormo
Sara Sorribes Tormo will get a chance to play at home today. The 25-year-old Spanish player is currently ranked 47th in the world. Tormo's best surface is clay and she is looking to accumulate more ranking points during this important swing.
Tormo lost to eventual champion Anastasia Potapova in Istanbul in her most recent tournament. Today she faces another Anastasia, this time it's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is a talented Russian player who has struggled with injuries this season. Pavlyuchenkova is 30 years old and currently ranked 15th in the world. Pavlyuchenkova has not played since the Australian Open. Pavlyuchenkova took 10 weeks off for the rehab of an ongoing knee injury.
She did not have surgery, instead opting for a full rehab that could allow her to return to the tour earlier. This will be Pavlyuchenkova's first match since her return from injury.
The Pick
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is an exciting, powerful player, but the rust is going to come into play here going against an accomplished clay courter such Sara Sorribes Tormo. Coming off an injury, Tormo is not the type of player you would like to face. Tormo is a defensive player who will try to extend rallies and turn the match into a grind.
This is not ideal for someone whose fitness and conditioning are not yet back to WTA tour-level readiness. Our bet for this match will be Sara Sorribes Tormo -3.5 games. Don't forget to place your bets at a top-rated sportsbook.
WTA Pick: Sara Sorribes Tormo -3.5 Games (-106) at Bookmaker (visit our Bookmaker Review)
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