Bouchard value to find best form in McHale battle

WTA Citi Open
BT Sport 2, 6.45pm Tuesday
WTA Bank of the West Classic
BT Sport 1, 6pm Tuesday

Genie Bouchard continues to struggle to rediscover her best form but the Canadian faces a player with similar issues when she takes on Christina McHale in the WTA Citi Open.

Bouchard has not won since the French Open while McHale has had just three victories since the start of the clay season. There’s little between them based on recent efforts but Bouchard, who is the outsider of the two, could represent value.

The 23-year-old has shown glimpses of her best this year, scoring wins over Maria Sharapova, Angelique Kerber and Dominika Cibulkova. She’s the value call in a 50-50 match.

In the Bank of the West Classic, Naomi Osaka could make light work of young qualifier Caroline Dolehide.

The 18-year-old beat Gabriela Dabrowski and Lizette Cabrera to reach the main draw of a WTA event for the first time in her career but Osaka, still a teenager herself but far more experienced, represents a much tougher test.

The Japanese player didn’t enjoy the clay season but she showed signs of life on the grass, losing to Venus Williams in the Wimbledon third round, and she will benefit from the return to hard courts. Expect her to ease through.

Recommendations
E Bouchard
1pt 11-10 general
N Osaka to win 2-0
1pt 11-10 general