So you love tennis?
WTA Pro is dedicated to women's tennis. No surprise there, hey. In fact, we leave all those men to get on with their tennis elsewhere. This is the realm of the woman. The only man around here is the author (me).
Now, this may sound rather strange but I don't know much about women's professional tennis. Sounds strange, hey. Considering I help run this website with the major contributor, Mark, who knows everything about women's tennis because he gives his free tips and he is exceptional at what he does.
I can almost hear your brain digesting these words as you think well, what do you do?
I run the blog, help promote the posts, and answer any question (pass them on to Mark) if someone asks an inspired question. We (the royal we) don't receive many questions which may be a good thing.
So if you can't write about women's tennis, are you just like an ornament sitting on a shelf?
How did you guess!
You wouldn't want to read my thoughts or tips about tennis regarding man, women or child. So I thought I'd opt out and write a post about Professional Women Tennis Players & Their Amazing Pets.
That's one way to get out of a tricky situation.
To be honest, there must be a lot of tennis players with adorable pets. I know of one male player who hides his pet budgie named incognito in his swimming trunks, but that's another story.
However, today, I am going to detail one of my favourite tennis players Serena Williams and her pets.
In many ways, Serena's first love was her pet Jack Russell Terrier, Jackie.
Sadly, Jackie passed away in 2015 at the age of 16. She got her beloved pet back in 1999 when she was 17, in fact, a couple of weeks before she won her first Grand Slam.
Serena said: ''Jackie Baila Pete Williams, I will miss you and your memory will live forever.''
In addition to Jackie, Serena has two other dogs Lauralei and Chip (pictured at top of page).
That's Lauralei a Shih Tzu and Christopher Chip Rafael Nadal a delightful Yorkshire Terrier.
Who doesn't love their pets?
Well, what can we say?
Coronavirus has put pay to sport and tennis is just another game that has been put on pause until the sun shines again.
It isn't so much game, set, and match but it isn't sugar and spice and all things nice that's what Serena Williams is made of.
Mark, who fowards his tips for this website, has been quiet. I guess, he, like most of us who make gambling our business, is struggling on the sidelines waiting for tennis to liven up and get back to his trading.
I see horse racing is set to make a return on the 1st of June, which will be a blessing as long as the dreaded R doesn't creep over 1 and created another problem on top of a problem. I'm fearful of everything at this moment. I guess tennis is the ideal sport for social distancing with only a tennis ball being the point of contention.
When will this end?
When will live, sport, betting, love, hope, and dreams return like the white dove of peace with the olive branch in its break.
How much we have taken for granted. In truth, we didn't realise we needed to be grateful for anything which is probably our greatest.
All those who bet, gamble, invest understand the odds. Even in the toughest times human nature and the will to fight on will prevail.
With time, the tennis games will start once more, the trading will begin and the money will come.
Good luck to all.
The implications of Coronavirus are affecting sport from top to bottom.
With all tournaments put on hold, we see the difference between the top-flight players and those who were struggling to make ends meet.
The Coronavirus has made life difficult for many pro players
We have seen great acts of charity with the likes of Novak Djokovic who pledged 1 million euros to buy medical equipment for his native Serbia. While Rafa Nadal has asked Spanish athletes to help raise 11 million euros to fight Coronavirus.
Added to those generous efforts, Roger Federer is giving 1 million Swiss Frances to vulnerable families in Switzerland.
However, professional tennis players who are down the pecking order have a very different story to tell.
For instance, Georgia's Sofia Shapatava, ranked 375th in the women's singles is desperate for financial support and started a petition asking for support from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to support lower-level players.
The 31-year-old has seen 1,350 signatures on her online petition. She said: ''Not many will be able to support their everyday life and then come back to playing after three months without competition.''
The World Tennis Association (WTA) which runs the tennis circuit, has suspended all tournaments until early June after countries locked down their borders due to the flu-like virus.
Players who would normally be jetting around the world, are now busy on social media giving support, home workout routines, cooking, dancing and just about everything else.
While top players can win millions for each tournament - lower-level players struggle to make ends meet with the 2018 International Review Panel report addressed betting and integrity issues that lower-tier players may be susceptible to corruption because of the struggle to make a living.
It has been assessed that the top 350 players make money from their sport, with many only breaking even.
Tennis governing bodies have attempted to improve pay and conditions but it hasn't proven enough for those who rely solely on winnings.
With the pandemic, many players are struggling to put food on the table.
For example, Britain's Tara Moore, who is ranked 447th in the singles earned $2,800 this year before the shutdown.
She said: ''It is very weird to listen that professional tennis players struggle with food, but that is reality," she wrote in a blog.
"Half of the people I know work on (the) side, coach or play club matches, and since the world is on shutdown that is impossible to do.
"I will not say that I am in the worst position on the planet, honestly I am healthy, I will have food on the table and my family is doing good, but I know people who feel far worse than me."
Many players are having to dip into their savings or depending on friends and family in these difficult times.
However, Prajnesh Gunneswaran said:
"Being laid off in a regular job means having to look for work. In our profession we don't have that issue," he told Reuters.
"So in that sense, we are better off than others. So it really comes down to how long this period is for ... usually outside 250 players barely manage to break even."
WTA INDIAN WELLS (125K)
Begu V Tsurenko Over 21.5 Games @ 2.0 PINNACLE
Tsurenko leads the head to head 3-2 they met a month ago and the match went to three sets as they are so closely matched. Three of their five meetings have gone to three sets and I expect this one to follow the pattern of their most recent match and go three sets but it is too close to call a winner in this one.
Zvonareva V Doi Over 21.5 Games @ 2.10 PINNACLE
Zvonareva has come through to the semi-final stage with every match going to three sets and Doi has been taken to three sets in two of her three matches so far, neither player has the power to be able to hit through the other so I am expecting a bit of a slog here with two tight sets or three and the points spread to be covered.
WTA LYON
Kenin V Van Uytvanck Over 22.5 Games @ 2.210 PINNACLE
Van Uytvanck leads the head to head 2-1, they have met on a. A variety of surfaces and two of the matches have gone to three sets the only time they didn’t was on clay. Kenin is the better player and has been outstanding this season with her Australian Open victory and the way she is still playing well after that victory shows huge mental strength. Van Uytvanck is a very good player on indoor courts as shown by her 118-47 win-loss record and the fact it is indoor evens this match up and I am expecting three sets.
Mertens V Wang Over 21.5 Games @ 2.18UniBet
Mladenovic V Kudermetova Over 22.5 Games @ 2.18 UniBet
Hon V Tomljanovic Over 21.5 Games @ 2.18 UniBet
Muguruza V Kasatkina Over 20.5 Games @ 2.04UniBet
Pera V Garcia Over 22.5 Games @ 2.20 UniBet
Anismova V Alexandranova Over 21.5 Games @ 1.95 UniBet
MLADENOVIC V SASNOVICH OVER 22.5 GAMES @ 2.15 UniBet
Sasnovich leads the head to head 4-2, both times they have met on hard courts, Sasnovich wins them both in three sets. In fact, the last 4 meetings have all gone three sets and no reason to expect anything different tomorrow.
CIRSTEA TO BEAT KONTAVEIT @ 3.10 Betway
Kontaveit leads the head to head 1-0 having won their only meeting back in 2016, Cirstea is a frustrating player who can play lights out tennis one set and then look like the lights have gone out the next set! But she has come through qualifying here beating Goerges and Navarro and looked in good form. Kontaveit is playing her first match since the Fed Cup and I expect her to be a little rusty.
SASNOVICH V BLINKOVA OVER 21.5 GAMES @ 2.050 Pinnacle
Met once last season with Sasnovich coming through in three sets, very evenly matched Sasnovich has the greater variety to her game but I expect Blinkova to come through in either two tight sets or in three.
PAVYLUCHENKOVA V BENCIC OVER 21.5 GAMES @ 1.93 Pinnacle
Bencic leads the head to head 5-1 on hard courts it is 3-1 and this game spread has been covered in 4 of the 6 meetings.
MERTENS V WANG OVER 21.5 GAMES @ 2.0 Pinnacle
Wang leads the head to head 3-1 but more importantly, all the matches have gone to three sets, they are very equal in terms of rankings with just 8 places separating them and very similar styles in which neither has the power to hit the other off-court and I believe this all points to another three-set slog.
WTA ST PETERSBURG 2020
Potapova + 4.5 Games To Beat Bertens @ 21-20 VCBet
Former junior world number one and Wimbledon junior champ Potapova has not made the huge strides that her rival Yastremska has on the full tour but she, without doubt, has a huge amount of talent and I think the bookmakers have underestimated her chances here. Yet to drop a set in her three matches here although Bertens is a step up in class of opponent she is still happier on clay and although victory might be beyond the youngster I do think she takes a set and potentially this handicap looks a little generous to me.
HUA HIN
Linette V Bondarenko Over 21.5 @ 2.120 Pinnacle
Linette leads the head to head 2-0 both on hard courts and both went to three sets 30 and 24 games in total, very evenly matched and no reason not to expect another tight encounter
Rodionova V Hibino Over 21.5 Games @ 2.060 Pinncle
Rodionova leads the head to head 4-1 all on hard courts, three of those matches have gone three sets including the two most recent and the two matches that went two sets featured 20 and 21 games so. Fairly close encounters.
Halep V Muguruza Over 22.5 Games @ 2.10 Unibet
Very evenly matched here and I expect this to go three sets with Muguruza’s clean ball striking a real weapon but Halep’s defence will keep this very tight.
Barty V Kenin Over 22.5 Games @ 2.38 Betway
Met 4 times last season and this spread was covered twice, I expect both players to be nervous as this is possibly Kenin’s biggest match of her career so far while Barty has the opportunity of reaching the grand slam final in her home country and I except a few nerves from both players with Barty coming through in three.
To be honest, there must be a lot of tennis players with adorable pets. I know of one male player who hides his pet budgie named incognito in his swimming trunks, but that's another story. 
