The WTA Ningbo Open continues the women’s tennis tour’s fall run in China. Running alongside WTA Osaka, Ningbo hasn’t seen the number of top-seed upsets we’ve seen in the last couple of tournaments. Of the top eight seeds, only No. 2 and No. 7 didn’t make it to the round of 16, and only one of them actually lost. Iga Swiatek was the No. 2 seed, and she withdrew. Elise Mertens was the No. 7 seed, and she was upset by Leylah Fernandez in the first round. Swiatek sitting this one out could come back to hurt her in the World rankings, but that’s a conversation for a different day. The players left in the round of 16 will be hungry for those late-season points and success in this WTA Ningbo tournament. LWOS has our best bets for three matches. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.
WTA Ningbo
Fernandez – Sasnovich: 2:30 EST
H2H: 2-2
This WTA Ningbo match will be played by two players who are both 8-2 in their last 10 matches, and were both underdogs in their previous match. Leylah Fernandez and Aliaksandra Sasnovich are both playing really good tennis. Fernandez is 3-2 in her last five of those 10 matches, while Sasnovich is 4-1. Fernandez had the bigger win, but that doesn’t mean Sasnovich beat chopped liver in Darya Kasatkina
Best Bet to Make
The WTA Ningbo betting angle here is to trust Fernandez. It’s actually simple. If two players are playing the same, and both are playing well, trust the higher-ranked player. Fernandez is ranked close to 90 spots higher than Sasnovich. She should be able to cover the game spread.
That being said, betting on Fernandez -3.5 games is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Fernandez -3.5 games @1.87 @Betfair
Cirstea – Bejlek: 4:00 EST
H2H: 1-0
This WTA Ningbo match has one player winding down her career and one who is just getting started. Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea is about to retire from professional tennis, but she is trying to finish the year and her career on a high note. She lost early in Wuhan, but that enabled her to come to Ningbo rested and fresh. She won her first-round match in straight sets. Sara Bejlek is a young player who has had some very positive moments this year, especially Cincinnati. She has broken into the top 35 and is now trying to sustain her form. Cirstea is 3-2 in her last five matches. Bejlek is 2-3.
Best Bet to Make
This WTA Ningbo match is pretty bang-forward as far as things go. Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea should be highly motivated to win, given that she is about to retire from the sport. If Bejlek were playing well, it would be easy to pick her, but since she isn’t, Cirstea is the standalone wager instead, and we will go with the game spread. We won’t be shocked if Bejlek wins, but Cirstea deserves a decent ending to her story.
That being said, betting on Cirstea -2.5 games is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Cirstea -2.5 games @1.60 @Interwetten
Alexandrova – Kostyuk: 7:00 EST
H2H: 2-1
This WTA Ningbo match is a rematch of a US Open match won easily by Marta Kostyuk, 6-3, 6-2. That was a month and a half ago. Can Ekaterina Alexandrova change things around in this October reunion? Or will Alexandrova become a career 3-1 against her?
Best Bet to Make
This WTA Ningbo match isn’t hard to evaluate from a betting perspective. Kostyuk didn’t just win in early September; she won by seven total games (12-5). Alexandrova might make the match very close. It would not be surprising if she did. However, Kostyuk has to be the straight-up choice to win. It’s up to Alexandrova to prove she can win outright, not just keep it close.
That being said, betting on Kostyuk winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Kostyuk winning @1.67 @1xBet
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
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