Australian Open Day 2 WTA Betting Picks, Odds & Matchup Bets: How to Play Iga Świątek vs. Timea Babos on Tuesday Night

Australian Open Day 2 WTA Betting Picks, Odds & Matchup Bets: How to Play Iga Świątek vs. Timea Babos on Tuesday Night article feature image
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Mitchell Layton/Getty Images. Pictured: Iga Swiatek

Below, I'll analyze my four favorite WTA bets for Day 2 at the 2020 Australian Open, hitting on the following matchups:

  • Iga Świątek vs. Timea Babos
  • Simona Halep vs. Jennifer Brady
  • Donna Vekic vs. Maria Sharapova
  • Angelique Kerber vs. Elisabetta Cocciaretto

All odds as of Sunday evening.


Iga Świątek (-121) over Timea Babos

7 p.m. ET

A matchup featuring one of the more talented teenagers on Tour versus an auto fade for me. I cannot pass it up.

Świątek’s game is beautiful to watch. She has the power to hit through the court and a wide variety of shots to make opponents move all over. She's at her best on clay at this point in her young career, but she’s flashed results on hard courts, too.

Świątek is coming off an injury and no tournament prep, which is why she's not a bigger favorite.

Babos, a big hitting Hungarian who does have the ability to get hot, has played solid tennis the past six months after struggling through 2018 and early 2019. She has played well against ITF-level competition, but Świątek is a step above that.

Świątek’s ability to move Babos around the court and make her come to the net on drop shots will be a big advantage in this match.

Both players can be volatile and streaky. If the -125 price tag isn’t your bet, you could always look live: Świątek has shown a tendency to start slow and comeback. A plus-money live bet is not out of the question.

Świątek’s talent far surpasses that of Babos. I have the match lined at -185.

Pick: Iga Świątek (-121)

[Bet now at DraftKings. NJ, PA, IN and WV only.]


Jennifer Brady +186 vs Simona Halep

Halep received one of the worst Round 1 draws I have ever seen.

Brady has had quite the start to 2020. She’s 5-1 with victories over Maria Sharapova and world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty. Her only loss was to another top-level player in Petra Kvitova. Halep, on the other hand, is 1-1 with a solid victory over Ajla Tomljanovic, but she got absolutely blitzed off the court by Aryna Sabalenka last week.

Brady has a similar (albeit not as powerful) game to Sabalenka. Brady will hit big and try to end points quickly.

They met last summer in Toronto. Halep won a hard fought three-set tiebreak affair. If Brady’s first serve didn’t completely abandon her in the third set (37% in) she most likely would have won. Brady closed as a +290 underdog in the match.

A lot of the value has been taken out of Brady considering her hot start to the season. I would still play her down to +170.

Pick: Jennifer Brady (+186)

[Bet now at FanDuel. NJ, PA, IN and WV only.]


Donna Vekic (-146) vs Maria Sharapova

Ever since the Australian Open last year, Sharapova has not been the same player. She battled injuries after the event and had to skip clay season. Since returning she’s 2-6 in tournament matches with three of the losses coming as a favorite.

Vekic struggled to close out 2019 after making a nice run to the US Open quarterfinals. She came back this year and is 2-2 on the season. Her two victories were close three-set affairs versus Maria Sakkari and Anastasija Sevastova. Despite losing the first set in each, she came back and won.

Sharapova’s match fitness and form is question mark, while Vekic showed last week her match fitness is fine and she beat two quality opponents. Her power should keep Sharapova on the defensive and not let her control the match.

Ultimately, I think Vekic is the more talented player showing better form coming in. Sharapova has had recent success in Melbourne, but she was coming in with better form than she's showing now. This year I have no idea where her game is at. Vekic is playable up to -150.

Pick: Donna Vekic (-146)

[Bet now at FanDuel. NJ, PA, IN and WV only.]


Elisabetta Cocciaretto (+275) vs Angelique Kerber

This is a fade of Kerber based on her retirement last week in Adelaide. She retired in the second set with a back injury versus Dayana Yastremska.

Melbourne is a special place for Kerber, but at age 32, with all of her accomplishments, I worry about her drive coming off this back injury. It wasn’t noticeable when she sustained it during the match, so it could be something that has been nagging her.

Cocciaretto is an 18-year-old Italian who is known more for her ability on clay courts. However, she did make the semifinals in her only run here as a junior in 2018 (she also beat Coco Gauff in Round 1 that year).

Sarah Stier/Getty Images. Pictured: Elisabetta Cocciaretto

Cocciaretto does not possess any power, but she moves around the court gracefully. She has a wide repertoire of shots. Her ability to construct and lengthen points should be the perfect recipe versus an injured Kerber.

I suspect Kerber will play very aggressively and try to end points early. Her counterattack style won’t be as effective versus a player like Cocciaretto who also plays defensive tennis.

At +275, Cocciaretto is far too big of a price to pass up. I would recommend playing this on a book that grades wagers after first set completion. Kerber has retired eight times in her career, with none coming in a Grand Slam. Still, it's good insurance to have.

I would play this all the way down to +220.

Pick: Elisabetta Cocciaretto (+275)

[Bet now at DraftKings. NJ, PA, IN and WV only.]

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