Barty Powering Her Way to Cincy Quarters
Ash Barty and Petra Kvitova have powered their way to the quarters in Cincinnati, but can they survive the next round?
The champion players are the favorites with the online sportsbook to win their matches Friday, which isn’t surprising.
They are Grand Slam winners, but they won’t have it all their way in trying to progress to the WTA semi finals.
Ashleigh Barty vs Barbora Krejcikova
Ash Barty is the best player in the world and she’s showing why in Cincinnati. The Australian has yet to drop a set and she powered past Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka without getting out of second gear.
She dropped only two games in the entire match, which should be a concern for Barbora Krejcijova. Barty has recovered from her huge disappointment at the Olympics, where she lost in the opening round to an unseeded player, in fine style.
Barty has now won nine of her last 10 matches, which included the Wimbledon title.
Before her first round win over Heather Watson, she described the state of her game.
“I feel good. I feel like I’m ready to play,” Barty told News.com.au. “I’m as close to 100% as I’m ever going to get.
“I feel comfortable and ready and excited to be playing here in Cincinnati and knowing that we’re moving on to New York, one of the best tournaments and one of the best atmospheres in the world, that brings excitement.”
Stop it, @ashbarty 🤤#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/X6RGMKgk7L
— wta (@WTA) August 19, 2021
Krejcikova deserves respect for beating Garbine Muguruza 2-1. It was a gutsy win against a former Grand Slam winner, so she shouldn’t be overlooked.
Her only game against Barty was a 2-0 loss at Wimbledon, so the +265 underdog would need to turn that result around.
We’re not sure she’s got enough power to outplay Barty, so the Australian should get the job done.
We don’t think there’s much value in the -325 odds, so take her at -4 games. It’s a sizable margin, especially for a possible two-set match, but she likes to break early and establish a big lead.
Pick: Ashleigh Barty -4 (-115)
Angelique Kerber vs Petra Kvitova
We love seeing classy players battle on the hard court. Kerber vs Kvitova promises to be a thriller, and it could come down to the deciding set.
Kvitova is the current favorite in tennis betting markets at -170. She is the overwhelming favorite after dispatching Ons Jabeur in straight sets on Thursday, so she’s hitting the ball fantastically.
The 11th-ranked player has turned around a poor patch of form, which included a stretch of six losses from eight games. She was bounced from Montreal after losing to Camila Giorgi, which isn’t what we come to expect of Kvitova.
The tennis world is better when Angelique Kerber is winning matches. Period
— Pierre 🇧🇪 (@kvituruza) August 19, 2021
Angelique Kerber has won nine of her last 10 games. The only loss came to Ash Barty at Wimbledon, so he’s on fire and she could meet Barty again later in the tournament.
“I just try [to take] the flow with me and enjoy my tennis and try to improve myself, as well, on and off the court,” Kerber said. “Playing again in front of fans means a lot, because I need the energy for my game.”
We think Kerber could cause an upset at juicy odds. The German is +150, and that value is too good to pass up.
Parlay Barty into Kerber +3½ for more insurance, or take the +150 moneyline odds.
Pick: Angelique Kerber +150
