23 June
Wager Type : WTA fav ML
Wimbledon
Start time : unknown
Monica Niculescu vs Magdalena Rybarikova
My pick is Magdalena Rybarikova to win
Odds : -185
Bookmaker : pinnaclesports
9.25 units to win 5 units
Preview by thedestroyer9
Rybarikova was a junior Wimbledon finallist back in 2006 and has a game that is quite suited to the quick grass surface. On the bigger stage, the Slovakian talent has been starring at ITF level and qualified for the French Open and beat Sprem in Round one, before being bamboozled by eventual finallist Dinara Safina. Her only hitout on the grass was in qualifying for this event, where she cruised along without losing a set to an in-form Kulikova and rejuvinated former top 30 sensation Sesil Karatantcheva who is making a return from a drug ban. Monica Niculescu defeated a young Maggy here in qualifying last year gaining revenge for a clay court loss two years prior, but she has failed to come on at the rate many expected in Romania. She has played only four matches on the grass (1-3), and since competing well with Jankovic at the French has lost out to both Tanasugarn and Poutchek at Birmingham and Eastbourne respectively suggesting she is probably not ready for a Grand Slam on this terrain at this stage of her career. She is double-handed off both sides which can be a disadvantage for your reach and power unless you play the stand-and-deliver attack style of Marion Bartoli, not to mention she is 0-2 at Grand Slam main draws. She hits with a lot of clearance over the net - in fact probably too much - and that sort of short lofty rubbish you would imagine will be eaten alive by the aggressive and flatter style of Rybarikova so long as she minimises the unforced errors that Niculescu will so crave. Rybarikova will be keen for a good start, boasting the impressive stat of winning 26 of her last 27 matches after winning the first set. She is maturing with every match, has plenty to offer and will sense an outside opportunity at getting to say the 4th round of this event given she is in one of the weakest 1/16 of the draw with Schiavone and Szavay not exactly proven big-time performers or lovers of the grass.
