LiontipsElise Mertens vs Ajla Tomljanovic. Predictions and Betting Tips for WTA Birmingham
Command Analysis
Elise Mertens is having a decent season in 2021. Belgian player won 22 matches out of 30 played. At the very first tournament of the year, at Melbourne, she won a title. She also reached the final on clay tournament at Istanbul.
Now Mertens is approaching her first match on the grass in the current season. Throughout her career, she wasn't so successful on that surface. She won 24 matches and had 18 defeats. In Birmingham Belgian player participated only once, in 2018, she lost in the first round to Jakupovic back then (6:3, 6:7, 1:6).
Ajla Tomljanovic is currently ranked 79th in the WTA rankings. Australian player is yet to achieve success in 2021, but sometimes she surprises her opponents with a good performance. Her highlights are including the round of 16 in Charleston tournament and the second round of a prestigious Rome tournament. Ajla also reached the second round in Roland Garros, where she was beaten by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (2:6, 3:6).
Just like her opponent, Tomljanovic will play her first match on the grass in the current season. Throughout her career, Ajla has a mediocre record on this surface: 23 wins and 21 defeats. It will be her first tournament in Birmingham since 2015.
Trends
СтавкаFirst set: total under 9.5
In three out of last five Tomljanovic's matches no more than nine games were played in the first set
СтавкаSets total over 2.5
Three out of last five Mertens' matches ended in three sets
Tip and bets
It will be the first match of the season on the grass for both players. It's hard to predict, who will adapt better to this surface. Mertens was never a consistent player on the grass. Looking at the odds, we can offer a bet on a plus handicap for the underdog.
Our prediction - Tomljanovic to win with a handicap of (+5) games
Many recent fixtures of Mertens ended in three sets, she is not looking so confident now. Tomljanovic should be able to put a resistance against Elise. We are expecting many games in this match.
Our prediction - total over 20 games
