Tennis best bets for the US Open - Tuesday, August 29th
The US Open is the final major of the year and it's arguably the most exciting of the four Grand Slams. There's just something special about this tournament being played in Flushing Meadows, New York, where the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center serves as one of the greatest venues in the sport. The drama of the night matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium can't be replicated anywhere else. And there's a lot of buzz heading into this year's tournament, with young stars Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek looking to defend their titles. Plus, the return of Novak Djokovic should be thrilling to watch. With that out of the way, I'm hoping to continue dishing out winners over the next two weeks, so make sure you keep reading for my tennis best bets for Tuesday, August 29th.
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Alex Michelsen vs. Albert Ramos-Vinolas
Michelsen is a very exciting American prospect, as he has a big game and has already shown a lot of promise despite being only 19 years old. But I do think Michelsen needs a little seasoning before he deserves to be this big of a favorite over an accomplished veteran like Ramos-Vinolas. Just last week, I watched Laslo Djere earn a 6-4, 6-4 win over Michelsen in a match that wasn’t even as close as the score indicated. The American never quite looked comfortable in that one, and it was clear that Djere’s experience was overwhelming for him.
Of course, Djere is a better hard-court player than Ramos-Vinolas by a pretty significant margin, but I can still see the Spaniard making this a very competitive match. That’s why I’m laying some serious juice on Ramos-Vinolas to win at least a set, and I’m also sprinkling the moneyline. I’m just not sure Michelsen can handle this pressure, and I think he needs to go through some more bumps before he learns what it takes to win at this level.
Bet: Ramos-Vinolas +2.5 Sets (-165) & Ramos-Vinolas ML (+295 - 0.5 units)
Michael Mmoh vs. Karen Khachanov
This is a match that will be really tough for Khachanov to win. The Russian hasn’t played since losing to Novak Djokovic in the French Open, meaning this will be his first singles match in nearly three months. Having to shake off that type of rust is hard enough, but doing so at the US Open will be nearly impossible. No matter how much Khachanov has worked on his conditioning, it’s going to be hard for him to know whether he’s in match shape. And it’s hot and humid in New York, which will only complicate things.
Mmoh is also playing some good tennis right now, as he’s 7-4 on hard courts since Wimbledon. With him being confident at the moment, I imagine he views this as a match he should win. And his playing style should give Khachanov some issues. Mmoh is a very athletic player and will force Khachanov to play a lot of extra shots. So, if Khachanov isn’t on point with his ball striking, he might find it very hard to get shots by Mmoh.
It also doesn’t hurt that Mmoh will have the crowd on his side in this match. That makes a big difference when playing in New York.
Bet: Mmoh ML (+140 - 2 units)
Botic van de Zandschulp vs. Jordan Thompson
Van de Zandschulp has played just one hard-court match since Wimbledon, and that was a shocking straight-set loss at the hands of world No. 355 Omni Kumar. Van de Zandschulp has now lost eight of his last nine matches, and his form has just been miserable lately. Despite all of that, this line still feels a little too lopsided for me.
Thompson has played well since returning to hard-court action, as he’s 6-3 on the surface since Wimbledon. But I still think Van de Zandschulp is the more talented player here. And his forehand will be the biggest weapon on the court in this matchup, giving him a decent chance of pulling off this upset. I’m playing him to cover +4.5 games and I’m also putting a little on him to win outright.
Bet: Van De Zandschulp +4.5 Games (+100) & Van De Zandschulp ML (+210 - 0.5 units)
Otto Virtanen vs. Tomas Martin Etcheverry
I won’t sit here and tell you that I’ve seen a lot of Virtanen. In fact, if any tennis handicappers or analysts say that they have, they’re lying to you. But I do know that the 22-year-old has a big serve and possesses the ability to go big from the baseline. And he’s a player that has a bright future on hard courts. And considering what I know about Etcheverry, who I have seen plenty of, that’s enough for me to take a shot on the Finnish player to pull the upset in New York.
Etcheverry has just been a disaster in recent months, as he comes into this match on a three-match losing streak and he’s 3-8 in his last 11 matches. Etcheverry has also looked extremely uncomfortable on outdoor hard courts, which could get him in some trouble against his opponent here. Virtanen should be very comfortable on these courts after having won three matches in qualifying last week.
All in all, I was pretty interested in fading Etcheverry no matter who he played in the opening round. And I think this opponent is one that will be very tricky for him, so I love these odds.
Bet: Virtanen ML (+145)
ADDED PLAYS:
Tallon Griekspoor ML (-160) vs. Arthur Fils
2023 Overall Record: 258-237 (+34.90 units)
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