WTA DUBAI PERA (1.54) V KALININA (2.62) I am happy to lay Pera here at her current price, while she is. A player I like. She is not one to take a short price about as she is not the most consistent, I will look to relay if she hits 1.20 or below during the first set and will look to exit around the 1.90/2.00 mark if she starts slow VOEGELE (2.46) V JOROVIC (1.60) Backing Voegele here from the start, she is a good player who seems very prone to confidence gaps in her game, if she is on form then she is an accomplished player with a wonderful touch around the net. Jorovic will stay at the back of the court and look to hit winners to back up her big serve but I am happy to go against her here and look to lay Voegele around 1.70.
WTA DOHA KERBER (1.62) V MERTENS (2.52) Kerber leads the head to head 1-0 winning at the Hopman cup in tow tie-breaks in what was not a lot more than an exhibition match. The stats are very close for this match but my feeling is Kerber just does everything that little bit better than Mertens but due purely to backing Kerber on the outright market then I am happy to lay her here at 1.62 even though I think she comes through this match narrowly. HALEP (1.69) V SVITOLINA (2.40) Svitolina leads the head to head 4-3 having won four of their last 5 meetings, The stats are so close on this matchup also but the key is Svitolina holds serve on average 5% more than Halep although Halep breaks slightly more often but the difference there is minimal. They have only met once on outdoor hard courts in 2017 where Svitolina won dropping just 2 games in the process. This is a very tough match to call but I am going to lay Halep at her current price of 1.69 and work my position from there as I do favour Svitolina for the win, this is the sort of match you need to watch and react in play too.
WTA DOHA BLINKOVA (2.26) V STRYCOVA (1.73) Blinkova has been in excellent form, she has a good serve, very aggressive on return and this will be the key against Strycova who has not been in the best of form lately. Blinkova has won four matches here beating there players ranked inside the worlds top 50 including Sevastova in straight sets. Strycova won in straight sets against local wild card but before that she had only won one match all season. I favour Blinkova here and happy to back here at her starting price and will look to lay around the 1.30 mark if she starts well. If Strycova starts fast then I am happy to lay her again in the first set at 1.30 or below to average out the initial back on Blinkova. KONTAVEIT (2.60) V KERBER (1.59) Kontaveit leads the head to head 2-0 but both of these were on clay and when Kerber was quite badly out of form, Kerber now looks back to close to her best. She holds serve and break serve more often than Kontaveit on hard courts. Kontaveit does hit the ball very hard but this is ideal for Kerber who loves to counter punch and use the pack her opponents generate before unleashing her forehand to hit the winners. The price on Kerber is about right but I will be looking to enter the trade if Kerber’s price reaches 1.80
Embed from Getty Images The current Grand National course record holder is Mr. Frisk who, in 1990, before the distance was shortened by half a furlong, carried amateur jockey Marcus Armytage to victory in a time of 8 minutes 47.8 seconds. Notwithstanding the revised distance – which is now, officially, 4 miles 2 furlongs and 74 yards, following a change to the position of the start and subsequent remeasurement of the yardage – Many Clouds, who won in a time of 8 minutes 56.8 seconds, under 11st 9lb, in 2015, recorded the fastest time since. However, Mr. Frisk set his record on officially ‘firm’ going but, since 2013, the Aintree executive has routinely watered the course, so that the going is never, and never will be, faster than ‘good to soft’. The latter decision may mean the current Grand National course record stands in perpetuity, but the world-famous steeplechase has undergone many significant changes in its long, illustrious, so we thought we’d take a look at the horses who’ve held the course record down the years. The first Grand National course record holder was, of course, Lottery, who won the inaugural running of the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase, in 1839, in a rather pedestrian 14 minutes 53.0 seconds. The Grand National became a handicap in 1843 and winning times steadily improved over the next few years until, in 1850, the diminutive Abd-El-Kader won the first of his two consecutive Nationals and, in so doing, recorded the first sub-ten minute time of 9 minutes 57.5 seconds. One reputable source suggests that Abd-El-Kader held the Grand National course record for the next 93 years but, elsewhere, The Huntsman has been credited with a winning time of 9 minutes 30.0 seconds in 1862, and Kellsboro’ Jack with 9 minutes 28.0 seconds in 1933. Either way, the next Grand National course record holder was definitely the legendary Golden Miller who, in 1934, fresh from the third of his five consecutive victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, beat Delaneige, who was receiving 10lb, by 5 lengths in a lickety-split 9 minutes 20.4 seconds. Again, at least one reputable source suggests that Golden Miller held the course record for 39 years, while another credits Reynoldstown with a fractionally faster winning time, of 9 minutes 20.2 seconds, in 1935. Nevertheless, other than for the sake of historical accuracy, the point is moot because, in 1973, the existing course record – whatever it was – was smashed to smithereens by the incomparable Red Rum. Having trailed the long-time leader, Crisp, for most of the second circuit, Red Rum was still about 15 lengths behind jumping the final fence, but overhauled his leg-weary rival close home to win by three-quarters of a length. His winning time, of 9 minutes 1.9 seconds, was nearly 19 seconds faster than any that had been achieved before and set a record that would stand for the next 16 years. In fact, three-and-a-half decades later, the time has still only ever been beaten by three horses, the aforementioned pair of Mr. Frisk and Many Clouds and Ballabriggs, who came home in a time of 9 minutes 1.2 seconds in 2011.
WTA DOHA SASNOVICH (1.87) V HSIEH (2.06) Hsieh leads the head to head 1-0 winning last year in straight sets at Tokyo on hard courts. Both hold serve around the 66% mark but Hsieh has a big advantage on the return breaking serve on average 6% more than Sasnovich. Both players have been in good form but I just feel Hsieh’s variation will be the deciding factor here. I will look to back Hsieh at the current price and lay around the 1.30 mark, If Sasnovich wins the first set then I would look to lay around the 1.20 mark and then back her around the 1.50 mark as I certainly see this going three sets. GARCIA (1.62) V TSURENKO (2.46) Garcia has the better serve and Tsurenko has a better return game. Respective records on hard courts read 23-16 compared to Tsurenko 23-12. Tsurenko started the season well reaching the final at Brisbane before losing early at the Australian Open. She hits the ball flat and hard and will cause Garcia problems here. I will lay Garcia at her current price and look to relay if she starts well around the 1.20 mark and look to exit the trade if she hits 2.0+
WTA DOHA WINNER Angelique Kerber 6.5 Ashleigh Barty 12.0 Caroline Wozniacki 15.0 Kerber and Wozniacki both have the consistency and defensive skills to go deep into this tournament and grind out results as they have not played a huge amount of tennis so are still fresh. Barty is playing with such confidence currently that she has to be included.
WTA DOHA KALINSKAYA TO BEAT RISKE @ 2.20 Kalinskaya has been in the better recent form with an 8-2 win-loss record compared to Riske’s 4-6 record. Their respective win/loss records on hard courts read 19-6 for Kalinskaya compared to Riske 14-14. I see no reason why American is the favourite here. HOLD SERVE BREAK SERVE KALINSKAYA 70.1% 39.3% RISKE 67% 38.8% KALININA TO BEAT BRADY @ 3.0 Kalinina 15-8 main tour win-loss record on hard courts, Brady compares at 10-13 and the key to this match I think is Kalinina’s aggressive return game as Brady relies on her serve and the Ukrainian will put a lot of pressure on that part of her game. HOLD SERVE BREAK SERVE KALINIA 59.8% 48.1% BRADY 67% 36.9%
WTA ST PETERSBURG ZVONAREVA TO BEAT VEKIC @ 2.80 Zvonareva won their only meeting 5 years ago but the fact that sways me to side with Bepa is the indoor record of both players, Vekic has a win-loss record of 31-30 compared to Zvonareva’s 61-36 record. Zvonareva has played well this week and her aggressive return game will put pressure on Vekic’s serve which is a huge part of her game. SABALENKA TO BEAT BERTENS @ 1.91 Sabalenka hits the ball flat and hard and has a great serve, all in she is pretty much unstoppable when on form and she will likely have too much for power for Bertens in this matchup.
WTA HUA HIN DUAN TO BEAT GOLUBIC @ 3.0 Duan is an all-out attacking player and very dangerous, Golubic is steady and a good net layer but if Duan is on form then she will make these odds look very silly and she will be able to overpower Golubic. ZIDANSEK TO BEAT BRADY @ 2.38 Zidansek is more at home on clay courts but she is starting to transfer that form onto hard courts and is a very dangerous opponent for Brady as she looked in excellent form in winning her last match here. ZHENG TO BEAT BEGU @ 2.35 Zheng leads the head to head 1-0, she is far more at ease on hard courts and Begu has looked on poor form this season so far WTA ST PETERSBURG ZVONAREVA TO BEAT GOERGES @ 3.40 Zvonareva’s defensive skills could force Goerges into longer rallies than she is comfortable with and too many unforced errors. KASATKINA TO BEAT SHARAPOVA @ 4.0 Both player very much at home on indoor hard courts, Kasatkina likes this tournament as she has played it three times and reached the semi-final twice. Sharapova is becoming more inconsistent and her serve sometimes can be a liability so to be getting odds of 4.0 on Kasatkina is crazy
WTA ST PETERSBURG ZVONAREVA TO BEAT MAKAROVA @ 2.10 Makarova looks shot of confidence at the minute, Zvonareva disappointed at the Australian Open but before that she reached the Shenzen Open semi final and she has always been an excellent player on indoor courts. HOLD SERVE BREAK SERVE ZVONAREVA 62.1% 39.4% MAKAROVA 63.6% 33.5% MLADENOVIC TO BEAT OSTAPENKO @ 2.05 Both these players have looked in poor form but Ostapenko has looked poor for a few months and struggling to kick on after her French Open win and especially struggling in hard courts even though she has the power to play excellently on them. Maldenovic has a good serve and with her doubles success she is accomplished at the net and should have enough to come through here HOLD SERVE BREAK SERVE MLADENOVIC 60.5% 28.2% OSTAPENKO 53.7% 36.3% WTA HUA HIN HON TO BEAT LINETTE @ 2.0 Hon has been in good form reaching the last 16 at Sydney and winning both her matches here in straight set. She has a better record on hard courts than Linette over the last 12 months and I see no reason why she is not favourite. HOLD SERVE BREAK SERVE HON 67.2% 36.2% LINETTE 65.6% 34% MULTIPLE BET HUA HIN + ST PETERSBURG Parmentier 1.61 Zhang 1.53 Hsieh 1.67 Begu 1.69 Tomljanoivic 1.44 Gasparyan 1.62 Vekic 1.88 30.49-1
