This week's ATP & WTA tournaments tennis betting previews, tips and odds

ATP BMW Open

Alexander Zverev tends to deliver on home soil and a generous draw can help the German youngster complete a hat-trick of wins in Munich.

Zverev has made the BMW Open his own in recent years with successive titles. He was also a semi-finalist as a teenager in 2015, and it would be unwise for punters to avoid the obvious.

The world number three is a cut above the opposition on his given day and although recent performances in Barcelona and Monte Carlo have been far from convincing, a return to his homeland can spark a revival.

There should be little to concern Zverev in the early stages of his title defence with a first-round bye followed by a routine second-round showdown.

Argentinian ace Diego Schwartzman should be lurking in the last eight, but he has had a steady start to the season and was a second-round casualty in Munich 12 months ago.

Zverev can be fancied to oust Italian Marco Cecchinato, who has gone quiet since pipping Schwartzman to the Argentinian Open in February, and big-serving Hungarian Marton Fucsovics, whose game is more suited to a faster surface.

However, it could be worth having an each-way saver on Zverev’s more experienced compatriot Philipp Kohlschreiber.

The German veteran is another who thrives in front of home support. He is a three-time winner of this event, his latest success in 2015, and he also been runner-up on another three occasions, losing in straight sets to Zverev 12 months ago.

Although coming towards the end of his playing career at 35, Kohlschreiber is holding his form well and a run to the last 16 at Indian Wells in March, where he claimed the scalps of Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic, suggests he could once again be competitive with conditions to suit.

Recommendations
A Zverev
2pts 3-1 Coral, Ladbrokes
P Kohlschreiber
1pt each-way 22-1 Betfair

ATP Estoril Open

Fabio Fognini isn’t the easiest to catch right but he was faultless in winning in Monte Carlo earlier this month and a reproduction of that form would make him hard to beat in Estoril.

The quirky Italian dropped just two sets in claiming his ninth ranking title and wins over Alexander Zverev, Borna Coric, and clay king Rafael Nadal highlight the level of his performance.

The field is far weaker in Portugal and if Fognini, who has made 14 of his 19 career finals on clay, is in the mood he will take some stopping. The layers could have made him favourite.

Recommendation
F Fognini
1pt 4-1 general

WTA Prague Open

Classy Czech performer Karolina Pliskova is a warm order to make the most of home advantage in Prague, but it wouldn’t be the first time she has disappointed her local following.

Pliskova won this event four years ago but has fallen short on her two most recent attempts, losing to compatriot Lucie Safarova in the last four in 2016 and suffering a first-round exit at the hands of Camila Giorgi in 2017.

She is clearly the one to beat but she was outplayed by Victoria Azarenka in her Stuttgart curtain-raiser last week too and there are a number of value alternatives.

Instead, punters should consider an each-way wager on Marketa Vondrousova, who would be fancied to come through an open bottom-half of the draw if she is over her Turkish exertions.

The Czech teenage sensation overcame Ajla Tomljanovic, Barbora Strycova and Svetlana Kuznetsova on her way to the final of the Istanbul Open and she is making giant strides in little time.

The clay surface is no problem to her and she will have the passionate Prague crowd on her side.

Recommendation
M Vondrousova
1pt each-way 15-2 Betfair, P Power

WTA Grand Prix Lalla Meryem

Bet365 go 6-1 the field in Morocco, where top seed Elise Mertens is preferred by bookmakers in her title defence.

But the Belgian has had a stuttering start to the season and Yulia Putintseva could be a value alternative in what is a wide-open event.

The improving Kazakh, who made her second French Open quarter-final last season, saves her best for the slower surface and she could spring a surprise.

Recommendation
Y Putintseva
1pt each-way 20-1 bet365

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