Tuesday's best bets in the WTA Dubai Championships and ATP Rio Open tournaments

ATP Rio Open
Amazon Prime, 6.30pm Tuesday
WTA Dubai Championships
BT Sport 1, 10am Tuesday

Simona Halep was edged out in the final of the WTA Qatar Open by Elise Mertens on Saturday and Eugenie Bouchard has a chance to keep things close when she takes on the Romanian in round two of the Dubai Championships.

Halep is one of the fittest players on the circuit but she was embroiled in a brutal semi-final clash with Elina Svitolina in Doha.

That seemed to take a toll on the French Open champion as Mertens turned the match around to take the title.

Bouchard, who has been offered a wildcard in Dubai this week, defeated Vera Lapko in the opening round and is threatening a steady rise back up the rankings under the guidance of coach Michael Joyce.

Halep split with her coach Darren Cahill at the end of last season and is struggling to find a replacement. If she is toiling physically then her mentality could well become an issue and Bouchard, while not necessarily playing well enough to win the match, could stay within touching distance and can be backed getting a 5.5-game start.

In the ATP Rio Open, clay specialist Christian Garin is worth backing against Maximilian Marterer.

Chilean tennis has emerged from the doldrums thanks to 47th-ranked 23-year-old Nicolas Jarry and Garin could well follow his compatriot in becoming an regular at ATP level following a series of Challenger victories.

He beat Federico Delbonis in consecutive clay-court finals in Brazil and the Dominican Republic and is one to follow on the dirt.

Recommendations
E Bouchard +5.5 games
1pt 4-5 Betfred
C Garin
2pts 11-10 general

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