ATP & WTA weekly tennis tournament previews, predictions, free tips

Tournaments start Monday

ATP Hamburg European Open
Amazon Prime, 11am

Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev are the big guns in the Hamburg European Open this week, but while both are obviously capable of dominating the 32-man field at the Rothen­baum Club, at the prices available they can be taken on.

Fabio Fognini seems to take this 500 Series tournament fairly seriously. The Italian, winner of the Monte Carlo Masters in April, went all the way in Hamburg in 2013 and was runner-up there in 2015.

Fognini's merits plenty of respect, but there may be margin­ally better value in backing Leonardo Mayer to go well in northern Germany again.

The Argentinian, Rothenbaum title hero in 2014 and 2017 and runner-up last year, is no spring chicken at 32 but he's arguably playing better this season than last and could again go well if able to find a way past likely last-16 opponent Fognini.

Fourth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili returns to defend the title he captured as a 150-1 qualifier last summer, but the Georgian isn't playing as well this year as last.

Martin Klizan went all the way in Hamburg in 2016 and so can't be ruled out, while Federico Delbonis, semi-finalist in Bastad last week, made the German Open final in 2013.

Recommendation
L Mayer
1pt 28-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

ATP Swiss Open Gstaad
Amazon Prime, 11am

Gstaad sadly dropped off the WTA's main-tour roster this year, but thankfully the ATP are continuing to make best use of the beautiful Alpine venue that is the Roy Emerson Arena.

Roberto Bautista Agut is the top seed after a week off which included his own stag party in Ibiza. The Spaniard made the semi-finals at Wimbledon and is likely to be a big runner this week after finishing runner-up to Matteo Berrettini in Gstaad last year.

But at the available prices, it may be worth chancing RBA's veteran compatriot Tommy Robredo to belatedly take the honours in the mountains.

Robredo, a former top-five performer, claimed back-to-back Challenger Tour titles in Poznan and Parma in June and the 37-year-old has done well to return to something like full fitness.

In the bottom half of the draw, second seed Fernando Verdasco bids to go one better in Gstaad than he did when reaching the 2011 final there, while seventh seed Pablo Andujar is chasing a second singles title in the Alps after going all the way in 2014.

Recommendation
T Robredo
1pt each-way 66-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

ATP Atlanta Open
Amazon Prime, 4pm

John Isner's record in the Atlanta Open, the event that shepherds in the US Open Series, is little short of incredible.

The big-serving American has won five of the last six stagings of this event and made eight of the last nine finals.

Isner hasn't been performing at his peak this season after a hugely successful 2018, but that didn't prevent him from reaching another Hall of Fame grass-court final on Rhode Island last week.

He's probably the man to beat again, but there may be value in taking on Isner with Dan Evans.

The resurgent Briton fared well on grass, winning back-to-back Challenger Tour titles before showing up well at Wimbledon.

However, Evans is even more comfortable on Decoturf and this is a big opportunity for the Birmingham battler and his coach David Felgate to send out a statement of intent.

Taylor Fritz is the second seed, but the Californian is making only gradual progress and there may be better value in an each-way punt on Alexei Popyrin.

The Australian 19-year-old played some blinding tennis at Wimbledon and if he can translate that to Decoturf, there's a fair chance he could carve a path through to the semi-finals at least.

Recommendations
D Evans
1pt 14-1 bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power
A Popyrin
1pt each-way 80-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

WTA Baltic Open
BT Sport, midday

There's a brand new tournament in Latvia this week - the Baltic Open played in the coastal resort of Jurmala.

The country's top two players, top seed Anastasija Sevas­tova and Jelena Osta­penko, are there and the highest-ranked performer on show could take plenty of stopping.

Caroline Garcia is the second seed but often finds one or two better than her. However, sixth seed Anastasia Potapova merits serious respect.

Recommendation
A Sevastova
1pt 9-2 bet365, Coral, Ladbrokes

WTA Palermo Open
BT Sport, 3pm

It's going to be hot this week in Palermo, and it's great that a WTA main-tour tournament which was last held in 2013 has returned to the calendar.

Top seed Kiki Bertens could be value at odds-against – the world number five is ranked 43 spots above second seed Alize Cornet.

But Dutchwoman Bertens may not appreciate the searing heat in southern Italy and it may pay to look elsewhere.

Sara Errani has been struggling with her game for much of the season but the Italian, a four-time finalist in Palermo and champion there in 2008 and 2012, found some form in June to win an ITF bash in Rome.

Errani, who opens against last week's Bucharest semi-finalist Martina di Giuseppe, could be right there in the mix in Palermo if she was to suddenly rediscover anything like her best form and the 32-year-old Bologna native has bounced back on previous occasions.

Recommendation
S Errani
1pt each-way 33-1 general

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