Tennis acca tips: Iga Swiatek to fly the flag at home event
- James Richardson
- 28 July 2023
Planet Sport presents leads from select matches and make our picks to help you build an accumulator.
It is going to be a busy weekend in tennis, with a dozen semi-finals to be contested at the six elite-level tournaments on the go.
The biggest of the tournaments in terms of prize money and rankings points allocation is the ATP 500 German Open in Hamburg.
However, there are also plenty of matches elsewhere, including the WTA 250 event in Hamburg itself.
Here we take a look at select matches and make our picks to help you build an accumulator.
ATP Hamburg:
Laslo Djere vs Zhizhen Zhang | Pick: Djere
WTA Hamburg:
Noma Noha Akugue vs Arantxa Rus | Pick: Rus
WTA Lausanne:
Anna Bondar vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto | Pick: Bondar
WTA Lausanne:
Diane Parry vs Clara Burel | Pick: Parry
WTA Warsaw:
Iga Swiatek vs Linda Noskova | Pick: Swiatek
WTA Warsaw:
Heather Watson vs Yanina Wickmayer | Pick: Watson
ATP Hamburg: Laslo Djere vs Zhizhen Zhang
A substantial payday awaits the man who comes out on top in the first meeting between Laslo Djere and Zhizhen Zhang.
Both men are currently outside the top 50 players in the world but have also been in handy form this week.
Djere was impressive as he put away Lorenzo Musetti in a stunning quarter-final upset.
While Zhang was also solid, he was facing a far less illustrious opponent, and Djere is the better player on clay.
WTA Hamburg: Noma Noha Akugue vs Arantxa Rus
Noma Noha Akugue has turned heads in her WTA main draw debut, but the likes of Arantxa Rus might prove a bridge too far for the 19-year-old German player.
Rus is a quintessential pro-tour grinder looking to win her first WTA Tour level title in her 14th year as a professional.
Rus does have 32 ITF-level titles to her name though, and her experience will count for a lot in Hamburg.
Akugue has won the hearts of her home fans with ease and will be well supported but she is still likely to come up short.
WTA Lausanne: Anna Bondar vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Elisabetta Cocciaretto will be out to stage another upset but will have her hands full with Anna Bondar.
Bondar beat Elisabetta Cocciaretto while playing at home in the Budapest 125 in 2022 in the only previous meeting between the players.
Bondar blew past Tamara Zidansek in straight sets in the last eight and hasn't dropped a set all week.
Cocciaretto needed three sets in both of her first two matches in Lausanne but played her best tennis in a last-eight win over Elina Avanesyan.
WTA Lausanne: Diane Parry vs Clara Burel
There will be a French player in the Lausanne final, with Diane Parry and Clara Burel contesting the other semi-final.
Burel secured her place in the match thanks to a walkover win over Ana Bondar, although she was in a comfortable position at a set and a break up.
Parry lost to Burel in the only previous meeting between the players but could move ahead of her compatriot in the rankings if she can win her next two matches.
Parry also beat a compatriot in the last eight, and that should give her the confidence to square her rivalry with Burel.
WTA Warsaw: Iga Swiatek vs Linda Noskova
Home hero Iga Swiatek has spoken openly about the different kind of pressure she faces playing at home.
Swiatek is desperate to win her home event, even if it won't bolster her WTA No 1 ranking that much.
There are 58 rankings places separating the two women, and the winner of this quarter-final will have to do double duty on Saturday and play in the last four as well.
Swiatek's resilience and ability on clay should carry her through the quarter-final test.
WTA Warsaw: Heather Watson vs Yanina Wickmayer
Heather Watson and Yanina Wickmayer will face off for the sixth time in their careers in Warsaw.
While Wickmayer has won three of those it is Watson who has prevailed in the two most recent clashes.
It has been six years since the players' last meeting, though so that head-to-head record will count for little.
Watson had to grind to reach the last eight, and that fighting spirit will be needed if she is to reach her second WTA Tour semi-final of the season.
