Tennis acca tips: Hometown boy Frances Tiafoe to keep roll going in Washington
- James Richardson
- 2 August 2023
Planet Sport presenta eight picks ahead of the action on Wednesday to help you put together your tennis accumulator.
It looks like Frances Tiafoe will be enjoying enthusiastic support this week from his hometown crowd.
Other American hopes in action will include Jessica Pegula while the Argentine clay court crew dominate over in Kitzbuhel.
Here we present eight picks ahead of the action on Wednesday to help you assemble your tennis accumulator.
ATP Kitzbuhel:
Alex Molcan vs Sebastian Baez | Pick: Baez
ATP Kitzbuhel:
Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs Daniel Elahi Galan | Pick: Etcheverry
ATP Washington:
Grigor Dimitrov vs Emil Ruusuvuori | Pick: Dimitrov
ATP Washington:
Juncheng Shang vs Frances Tiafoe | Pick: Tiafoe
WTA Washington:
Jessica Pegula vs Peyton Stearns | Pick: Pegula
WTA Washington:
Maria Sakkari vs Leylah Annie Fernandez | Pick: Sakkari
WTA Prague:
Alize Cornet vs Kaia Kanepi | Pick: Cornet
WTA Prague:
Tamara Korpatsch vs Yanina Wickmayer | Pick: Wickmayer
ATP Kitzbuhel: Alex Molcan vs Sebastian Baez
Although Alex Molcan owns a professional win over Sebastian Baez on clay it came some time ago and at Challenger level.
Meanwhile Baez has been enjoying the better season on clay and looks the more likely player to progress.
Baez has breezed into the last eight having not yet dropped a set in Austria while Molcan has been made to work just a bit harder.
The Slovakian has already spent four hours on court across his two matches and might find Baez too hot to handle.
ATP Kitzbuhel: Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs Daniel Elahi Galan
This all South American battle will be the third meeting between Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Daniel Elahi Galan.
However, it will also be the first time they have met in the main draw of an ATP Tour event.
Their two previous meetings have both been on clay coming in the qualifiers for events in Rio and Bastad in 2022.
Galan had lost four of his last five matches before arriving in Austria and despite looking in good touch might struggle to put away someone with the clay skills that Etcheverry possesses.
ATP Washington: Grigor Dimitrov vs Emil Ruusuvuori
While Emil Ruusuvuori looks to be built perfectly for tennis with a physical frame resembling Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner he gives up a lot of experience to Grigor Dimitrov.
Ruusuvuori may be on the up on the tour but Dimitrov will not want to go down without a fight.
The pair have already met twice this season with Dimitrov winning at the French Open and in Queen's qualifying.
Ruusuvuori has been a busy boy this season but his match count is unlikely to aid him against the Bulgarian.
ATP Washington: Juncheng Shang vs Frances Tiafoe
Chinese teenager Juncheng Shang faces home hero Frances Tiafoe in a match where he will be the big underdog.
Tiafoe has already beaten Shang this season, besting him in the second round of the Australian Open.
That is the only time the two players have met with Tiafoe blasting past the young Chinese star.
Shang certainly seems to have a bright future and will be a dangerous opponent, especially with the added pressure Tiafoe faces.
WTA Washington: Jessica Pegula vs Peyton Stearns
Jessica Pegula and Peyton Stearns share the court in Washington in an all-American clash.
Stearns, entered into the main draw as a lucky loser, has already claimed a big scalp when she upset Magdalena Frech.
Pegula has not faced her 21-year-old compatriot in competition before and will need to shrug off the inconsistency that has set in during the second half of her season.
Pegula is playing her first match since her exit from Wimbledon last month.
WTA Washington: Maria Sakkari vs Leylah Annie Fernandez
Two players with a point to prove in the US Open swing are Maria Sakkari and Leylah Annie Fernandez.
Sakkari has spent much of the last few seasons in the top ten but titles continue to allude her.
Meanwhile Leylah Fernandez has struggled with injury since her run to the 2021 US Open final.
Sakkari has won the only previous meeting between the players and did so in straight sets.
WTA Prague: Alize Cornet vs Kaia Kanepi
Alize Cornet will be out to continue her charge up the rankings at the expense of Kaia Kanepi.
Despite the players being on the tour together since 2010 they have met just once with Kanepi coming out on top.
Kanepi is soon set to call it quits but Cornet might not be that far behind her.
Cornet had to work hard to get into the second round, grinding through a two-hour battle that should fill her with self-belief.
WTA Prague: Tamara Korpatsch vs Yanina Wickmayer
Yanina Wickmayer has beaten Tamara Korpatsch in both their previous encounters however it has been a full six years since they last met.
With more recent context it still seems that Korpatsch is set for a struggle after a good out for Wickmayer in Warsaw last week.
Korpatsch has had to come through qualifying but is yet to drop a set this week in Prague.
Still, Wickmayer looks to be the player with the edge in this rivalry.
