21st June 2012
Paszek vs Bartoli Betting: Tamira Paszek can do some damage in Eastbourne
The women's part of the event in Eastbourne is already in the semifinal stages and we still have that Angelique Kerber outright going on, so let's hope that she will be able to defeat Klara Zakopalova today. The second semifinal will see Marion Bartoli and Tamira Paszek fighting for a place in the final and I have to say that the French number one seems to be a bit overrated here. The world's number nine naturally deserves to be a solid favourite, but backing her at 1.24 (that is the price that is currently available at Pinnacle) against someone like Paszek can never be a good idea.
The Austrian is not having a great season (apparently, there were some injuries and off-court issues), but the change of surfaces has worked like a charm and she has already managed to beat two tricky opponents in Eastbourne. Her game is ideal for grass, since she can do a lot of damage with her serve and then shorten most rallies with some big hitting. Last year, she had a very solid run in Wimbledon and I fancy her chances to get something from this match as well.
Bartoli has recorded a straightforward victory against Safarova yesterday, but Paszek should not allow her to get many chances on return. On the other hand, she is not going to get a lot of chances either, so I can see this match going to the distance today. The total games line does indeed look quite interesting, but it is probably more logical to back the handicap instead, since it can be covered even in some fairly bad defeats. There are additional risks, of course, but backing this selection with smaller stakes looks good to me nonetheless.
Back Tamira Paszek (+5.5) to beat Marion Bartoli for a 1/10 stake at 1.80 with Pinnacle
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Author: Topspin Tommy
