Bernarda Pera backers should be dancing in Charleston

WTA Charleston
BT Sport ESPN, 3pm & midnight Wednesday
WTA Monterrey
BT Sport 3, 10.30pm Wednesday

Bernarda Pera is entering a number of notebooks with some fine performances and the American made an impressive start to her Volvo Car Open title tilt in Charleston.

Pera made light work of Jana Cepelova in a 6-2 6-2 demolition on Monday and more of the same could be in store when the left-hander meets Dayana Yastremska in round two.

WTA tournament previews

Yastremska was fortunate to earn a lucky-loser entry into the main draw when Sloane Stephens unsurprisingly pulled out in the wake of her Miami Open triumph.

But while the Ukrainian is no mug herself, she will do well to keep tabs on Pera and it looks a choice between whether to back the favourite to oblige in straight sets or on total-games handicaps.

The oddsmakers ask Pera to concede a start of 3.5 games to her opponent and while that can be considered, given her positive mood it may pay to expect another quick win from the Croatia-born ace, who is rapidly climbing up the rankings.

After a victory over Sesil Karatantcheva in qualifying, Yastremska came up short against Maryna Zanevska and that is unlikely to have Pera reaching for the worry beads.

Caroline Dolehide, another promising American, takes on Anastasija Sevastova for a place in round three. Most oddsmakers give Dolehide a start of 4.5 games on the handicap and the outsider is 11-10 to win at least a set against the high-quality Latvian.

All five seeds who played in Monterrey on the opening night – Magdalena Rybarikova, Lesia Tsurenko, Ana Bogdan, Sachia Vickery and Ajla Tomljanovic – came through their first-round matches.

Recommendation
B Pera to win 2-0
1pt 5-4 bet365

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