Tennis best bets for the Mutua Madrid Open – Saturday, April 29th
The Mutua Madrid Open is one of the most exciting clay-court events of the season, as this is a 1000-level tournament for both the men and the women. This is one of the biggest non-majors of the entire year, so most of the stars will be out on the red clay over the next two weeks. We’re going to have you covered with tennis best bets for every big tournament of the season, so keep reading for our tennis predictions for Saturday, April 29th and make sure you keep coming back for more!
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on April 29
Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs. Frances Tiafoe
These faster clay-court conditions should give Tiafoe more of a shot at playing his normal brand of power tennis, but it’s still a bit harder to hit winners on these courts. That should make things a little tougher on Tiafoe, who is just 25-32 on clay in his career. Meanwhile, Etcheverry is off to the best start of his professional career, as he’s 14-11 in tour-level matches in 2023. The Argentinean is also something of a clay-court specialist. Etcheverry does have a big forehand, which should help him match Tiafoe’s power. But he also has a bit more of an understanding of how to win matches on the red stuff. We should mention that Tiafoe beat Etcheverry in the final in Houston earlier in April, and that was a clay-court tournament. But there’s a big difference between clay in the states and clay overseas, and Tiafoe also won’t have the crowd pulling for him here.
Bet: Etcheverry ML (+120)
Mirra Andreeva vs. Magda Linette
We backed Andreeva as an underdog twice in this tournament, but now we’re going to back to the youngster as a favorite against Linette. Andreeva will turn 16 years old when she plays this match, and her game is rather big for a player her age. And Andreeva has just been an absolute force on clay this year, dominating the lower levels of women’s tennis. Now, Andreeva has proven that her game is ready for the big time, as she has already earned wins over Leylah Fernandez and Beatriz Haddad Maia this week. The latter was especially impressive, with Andreeva beating the world No. 14 in straight sets. With her showing that she’s capable of that, she should be able to take down Linette. Linette has a losing record on clay throughout her career, and her level has significantly dipped since she made a run at the Australian Open.
Bet: Andreeva ML (-165)
Paula Badosa vs. Cori Gauff
Gauff is 18-6 since the start of the 2023 season, but that record doesn’t tell the whole story. Gauff has struggled to really breakthrough in bigger tournaments this season, as she continues to look inferior against elite competition. Well, Gauff is now facing an in-form version of Badosa, who should be able to advance with a win over the American. Badosa will firmly have the crowd in her corner in this one, and that will be unfamiliar territory for Gauff. Badosa is also a ridiculous 42-19 when playing on clay in her career, making this her best surface by a wide margin. And while Gauff is also a good clay-court player, the faster conditions in Madrid will be tricky for her. Gauff needs extra time to set up her forehand, which is one of the most exploitable shots in tennis. She won’t exactly have that here and that should make the difference.
Bet: Badosa ML (-125)
Make sure you check the Pro Picks page throughout the day. As odds begin to move, I might add more selections there.