Pinnacle N/A BET365 -135 Sportsinteraction -145 888Sport -125

Posted at 10:00 PM EST (July 22). Odds subject to change.

WTA: Prague Open

Live on the Tennis Channel

Wager: Eva Lys Wins a Set (best odds: -125 at 888Sport)

8:00 AM EST. Eva Lys is a fighter. The Ukrainian born beauty who moved to Germany when she was 2 and proudly represents Deutschland, has been through more adversity than most tennis players at age 22. Hell, she's been through more than most humans. A few years ago she was diagnosed with Rheumatic Autoimmune Disease, an ailment that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissues, primarily the joints. As one can imagine, this has become a particularly tough challenge for Lys, who has struggled to remain on tour off and on for the last 4 years. 

This year, she's had one of her better runs in a long time. The 5'5" power-hitter is mostly known as a "qualifiers-queen," famously able to get through the pre-rounds of a tournament before losing once she earns her way in, typically in the first or second round. The French Open had the same result, but we were still impressed. Lys pushed 21 seed Caroline Garcia, a seasoned veteran and perennial contender, into a 3-set battle. It was a loss, but she didn't look grossly outplayed; Garcia needed 12 games in the second set to avoid a 2-0 sweep. At Wimbledon it was the same conclusion, with Lys falling to Clare Burel in straight sets in the first round after qualifying, but recently at the Hungarian Open she made it to the semifinals before losing to the surging Diana Schnaider. She got by some damn good opponents to get there (Nadia Podoroska, Bernarda Pera, and Rebecca Sramcova). Either way, the supreme positive is that Eva has been able to consistently play tennis with little-to-no physical setbacks. And she's only getting better for it.

Eva Lys is capable of winning or at least making life difficult against good opponents, the question is whether she's capable of beating an exceptional opponent. Linda Noskova is entering that conversation. The 19-year old Czech is on the rise and it's happening fast. The #1 seed in Prague, Noskova ascended to as high as the 26th ranked player in the world this June. The names that surround her are women like Karolina Muchova, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Elina Svitolina, Leylah Fernandez, and Diana Schnaider. These are not the "top of the top," but every one of those names are capable of winning a grand slam tournament. Noskova had a disappointing ending at Wimbledon, avoiding qualifiers thanks to her new rank but ultimately losing in straight sets to Bianca Andreescu in the second round. She had the same result at the French Open, ousted in the second round. Her big moment came at the Australian Open. Noskova beat the world's #1, Iga Swiatek, in a 3-set match, foiling Iga's chances at opening the grand-slam season with a major win. Noskova went on to defeat Elina Svitolina in a 3-game walkover, and then lost in straight sets to Dayana Yastremka, suddenly losing her form in the fourth round. It was a showcase of what Noskova is capable of, and at just 19 a sign of what she could become.

But is the WTA boosting her up too quickly? Noskova has looked great in most smaller circuit competitions this year, and we've noted some of her bigger moments in grand-slams, but the truth is she hasn't accomplished much in a long time. The last time she made it beyond the second round, in any tournament, was mid-February in Qatar. Although Eva Lys isn't quite ready for the big-leagues yet, we see the potential, and we see a tennis player who always plays with grit and resilience. Oddsmakers are riding the growing brand of Linda Noskova, as they should, but this profiles to be tighter than what they expect. The odds are moving down, meaning it could be a cheaper bet if you wait, so no need to rush - just get to the window before 8:00 AM EST, just in case this actually starts on time (it won't). 

Farley

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