Katie Boulter vs Belinda Bencic Prediction & Betting Tips - Tallinn, Estonia, Qualifying

Prediction published on 27/09/2022, 08:10  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 27/09/2022 at 09:11 in Tennis Predictions

Second seeded Belinda Bencic faces unseeded Katie Boulter in the Tallinn Open second round. Bencic began this week ranked 14th in the world but 17th in the live rankings. The Swiss player is 12th in the Live WTA Race and has a bit of work to do if wanting to qualify for the end of season Tour Finals. Bencic is playing her first tournament since the US Open where she lost to Karolina Pliskova in the last 32. One title has been won this year, that was on clay in the Charleston Open. A couple of quarter finals have been reached in recent months and she is the worthy favourite to beat Boulter and get to another last eight. More is needed though to get to the Tour Finals. The first round saw her beat wild card Elena Malogina for the loss of just two games.

Katie Boulter started this tournament ranked 145th but has been as high as 117th. That's well below the career high 82nd achieved three years ago. The British player reached the last 32 at Wimbledon this June (no ranking points though) but came into this tournament having won just one of her last six matches. That includes two losses to players ranked outside the top 240. Her only win had been in the first qualifying round of the US Open over Fiona Ferro, then ranked 259th. One ITF title has been won this year and she's twice beaten Karolina Pliskova, though both were on grass courts. This week has seen her win two qualifying matches but she had to come from a set down to beat Daria Snigur. The first round was easier though with a straigh sets win over Jaqueline Cristian.  Bencic can be backed to win this match, have a side bet on her doing so in straight sets.