Cincinnati Masters tennis: Quarter-final betting predictions, tips & TV details

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Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal plus the early exit of seeds Kei Nishikori, Alexander Zverev and Marin Cilic has left the bottom-half of the draw in Cincinnati wide-open and Roberto Bautista Agut looks the man likely to capitalise.

The Spaniard, a surprise semi-finalist at Wimbledon last month, is becoming more consistent with age and he is just two matches away from reaching his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final since playing second fiddle to Andy Murray in Shanghai in 2016.

Bautista Agut dropped just three games in bulldozing his way past Miomir Kecmanovic, who had earlier claimed the scalps of Canadian sensation Felix Auger Aliassime and Zverev, in the last round and he should have too many weapons for Richard Gasquet.

Four of their five previous meetings have gone Bautista Agut’s way, the latest coming just last week in Montreal, where the Spaniard ran out a 7-5 7-5 winner.

All four of his victories over Gasquet have come in straight sets and that record should be enhanced in Cincinnati, where Bautista Agut is eyeing a shot at some much deserved silverware.

Novak Djokovic is as short as 4-9 to defend his Cincinnati crown as a result of Roger Federer's shock defeat to Andrey Rublev in the last round. The super Serb tackles Frenchman Lucas Pouille for a place in the semi-finals.

The women’s heat is much more competitive with six of the eight players remaining quoted at single-figure odds.

Australian ace Ashleigh Barty is the 3-1 market leader but she was made to work hard by Anett Kontaveit, who led 5-3 in the deciding set, last time out and can expect another tough test from Maria Sakkari.

The Greek girl tends to perform well in the States - she battered Barty 6-4 6-2 at Indian Wells in March - and earlier round wins over Petra Kvitova and Aryna Sabalenka show she is in rude health.

Sakkari is 5-6 to win a set and that is well worth consideration.

Recommendations
R Bautista Agut to win 2-0
2pts 8-11 bet365
M Sakkari to win a set
1pt 5-6 Sky Bet

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