The 2019 WTA Tour continues with selected matches from the Birmingham Classic on Tuesday and Wednesday the 18th and 19th of June 2019. Check out our full betting preview below.
2019 WTA Tour | WTA Premier
Birmingham Classic | Edgbaston Country Club
Selected Round of 32 and Round of 16 Matches | 18-19 June 2019
Round of 32 Match – 18 June 2019
Ashleigh Barty (4/10)
vs Donna Vekic (7/4)
This promises to be a titanic struggle between two players who count grass-courts as their favourite surface. Barty is the clear favourite after a monumental season thus far. The player who remarkably took a hiatus from the sport to play Big Bash Cricket; Ashleigh Barty has evolved into one of the world’s very best players. She won the French Open, adding to her magnificent victory in Miami. She also lost a final in Sydney to open the season. The 2011 girl’s champion at Wimbledon has always been a strong performer on grass: she won the Nottingham title last season. She also reached the final here back in 2011. Her all-court capabilities should see her maintain her presence in the upper echelons of the rankings for some time. But in Donna Vekic she faces a formidable grass-court competitor who has the capacity to upset the hottest new ticket in town.
Croatian born Aussie Donna Vekic is a far more stereotypical grass-court specialist. Physically much in the mould as Maria Sharapova, the statuesque Vekic utilizes her impressive height to dominate on serve in these conditions. While not quite in the Barty-zone of Grand Slam champion yet, Vekic has certainly shown dramatic signs of improvement over the past year. She has managed to put her tennis front and centre amidst the off-court distractions that have plagued her. She won in Nottingham last season and also reached the final in Washington. She reached the final in St Petersburg earlier this season prior to her second consecutive Nature Valley Classic final in Nottingham. Similarly to Barty, Vekic has history in this event: she reached the final in 2013 when she had barely broken through on tour.
Surprisingly enough, this will be the first-ever meeting between these two. Barty is clearly one of the hottest players on the planet right now. It just makes grass-court specialist Donna Vekic that much more appealing. Just looking at the trend in women’s tennis over the past few years: newly minted Slam champions have often struggled to replicate their form immediately.
Round of 16 Match – 19 June 2019
Su-Wei Hsieh (15/20)
vs Barbora Strycova (1/1)
33-year-old Taiwanese veteran Hsieh Su-Wei has long been more of a double’s specialist on tour. That includes a Wimbledon double’s title in 2013. Su-Wei reached the 4th round of Wimbledon last season, highlighting her substantial ability on grass. Furthermore, the Taiwanese player has actually accumulated a very useful single’s season thus far. She reached the semi-finals in Auckland in a steady start to the campaign. She then reached the semi-finals of the prestigious event in Dubai. A quarter-final in Miami further enhanced her reputation. She beat Aryna Sabalenka in her opening match, showcasing her ability to take on more regarded opponents. Her quirky talents seem quite well suited to grass – much like a female Mannarino.
Czech Barbora Strycova is also a veteran player on tour with a penchant for doubles. She has enjoyed intermittent success in singles over the years. Funnily enough, a huge portion of that success has come in this very event. She was a beaten finalist here in 2014 and 2016. She also managed to reach the semi-final stage last year. Strycova has also had a fairly decent year, reaching the semi-finals in Istanbul and Prague. So with decent form and a strong historical link, Strycova will be feeling extremely confident heading into this encounter. She beat Brit Heather Watson in what was a tense opening round clash. She will look to be the aggressor in what is sure to be an intense duel between these two veterans.
This will be the seventh time these two have met in single’s competition, though they also have an extensive history in doubles. The two share the spoils 3-3, with the Taiwanese winning their last match in Auckland last year. All their other matches date back to 2014 and beyond. So this appears rather a tricky proposition. My instincts tell me that the Czech looks favourite to win comfortably, despite what it says on paper. Her record in this tournament is immense and included a victory over top seed Garbine Muguruza last season. Strycova to win in straight sets at 21/10 looks appealing.
Written by Damien Kayat for Hollywoodbets
