WTA Acapulco Quarterfinal Picks: Dulko and Suarez Navarro battle for semis

Acapulco, Mexico – Gisela Dulko and Carla Suarez Navarro are set to collide in the quarters, a spot in the Abierto Mexicana Telcel semis on the line. Elsewhere, Canada’s Sharon Fichman will battle Edina Gallovits for a spot in the semis. BetOnline has rolled out odds on the women’s Abierto Mexicana quarters so without further ado, let us break them down.

Tennis Betting Line:

Carla Suarez Navarro -130 21½ O -105 U -135
Gisela Dulko -110 21½ O -105 U -135

Match Time: 04:00 PM Eastern Time Thursday February 25, 2010

First Set Line: Carla Suarez Navarro -120 Gisela Dulko -120

Tennis Betting Verdict: BetOnline bookies have released a tight betting line on this match, evinced by the fact that both players are thrust into the favourite plane, a hairbreadth apart. Suarez Navarro is marginally favoured at -130 over Dulko at -110. The absence of the game handicap is telling as well.

Carla Suarez Navarro and Gisela Dulko are clay-court princesses. Surface edge is cancelled out as both can grind on the red stuff. It is their first-ever meeting so we don’t have their measure against one another to resort to, which makes this a bit of a tossup. What we do have is their form on the season. Both have had good starts but Navarro suffered a slight dip last week when she was dumped in Bogota in the first round, by a no name, mind. Dulko, on the other hand, was a semi-finalist.

Whichever way you slice it, there is value in this match. On paper, very little separates these two and the matter is further confounded by the fact that both have good starts on the season. If there were an indication, performance in Bogota last week might be that. Of course, Navarro could have had a bad week, last week and turn things around here. But the way I see it is that Dulko has the slight edge on form so she is my pick to win outright.

Tennis Free Picks: Dulko in three sets

Tennis Betting Line:

Sharon Fichman -135 21½ O -105 U -135
Edina Gallovits -105 21½ O -105 U -135

First Set Line: Sharon Fichman -130 Edina Gallovits -110

Match Time: 05:00 PM Eastern Time Thursday February 25, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: Fichman has punched above her weight class in Acapulco to reach the quarters. Bookies have been given her the slight edge in the market and so far she has come through on those odds. Once again, she is the slight favourite over Edina Gallovits of Romania to win outright, listed at -135 while Gallovits is served up at -105. There is little to support the market cast where Fichman is concerned. She arrived in Acapulco 1-5 on the season with little experience at this level. Yet she has proven her worth – albeit in a watered down field in Acapulco. I am not sure she can continue her Cinderella run though. Gallovits just might be her match.

Tennis Free Picks: Gallovits in three sets