However, I’m going to stick with the higher-ranked man, one who reached the semi-finals here 12 months ago before running into the Ivashka juggernaut. I must admit to being slightly worried by a potential opener against Adrian Mannarino, another player who is playing well and one who usually goes well in faster conditions. In lesser company, I think he’s capable of making waves at a tasty price of 20/1. Last week in Cincinnati, Ruusuvuori pushed Marin Cilic to 7-5 in the third, a defeat which is no disgrace. The Finn beat Hubert Hurkacz in Washington before the Pole took his revenge the following week in Montreal. He’s certainly been playing well in recent weeks, even if he’s failed to string a deep run together. At the main event, he then pushed Felix Auger-Aliassime to five sets. He was also a semi-finalist in Melbourne prior to the Australian Open where it took Rafael Nadal to halt his charge. He’s a player who’s enjoyed some good results in quick conditions, most notably in Pune earlier this year where he reached the final. CLICK HERE to back Ruusuvuori with Sky Bet.Instead I’m going to turn to EMIL RUUSUVUORI. However, both examples were on the grass while the Italian’s form isn’t great so I can overlook the 28/1 on this occasion. I considered Lorenzo Sonego, a player who has twice made a final in the week before a Slam. The Dutchman kept Daniil Medvedev honest in Cincinnati last week but his 6-1 6-2 hammering at the hands of Cameron Norrie in Montreal has not been forgotten and while he’s capable of winning this, I’m keen to take him on at 11/1. I’ll also take one in the bottom half of the draw, which is led by Botic van de Zandschulp. However, the 20-year-old looks too short at 14/1 with punters paying something of a ‘Brit tax’ on him, it would seem. Jack Draper might even have taken Dimitrov out by then – the Briton really is a rising star and one who’s already beaten Stefanos Tsitsipas this summer on the hard surface. Top seed Dimitrov could follow in the quarter-finals, although the Bulgarian has gone just 2-3 on the North American hardcourts this summer and is being priced up this week purely on reputation. Ivashka looks to have the chance to play himself into the tournament, opening against either Jiri Lehecka or Peter Gojowczyk before a possible meeting with Sebastian Baez, hardly the toughest seed he could face in round three.
OK, he’s ‘only’ 25/1 this year but the field looks weaker with Pablo Carreno Busta and Marin Cilic among those who were fancied for last year’s crown only to fail. Yes, of course, there’s the chance that the pressure of defending the title (and 250 ranking points) weighs heavily on his shoulders – this is the first time Ivaskha has returned to an ATP event as the reigning champion – but I think there’s a lot to like about his chances. In the last four rounds, he didn’t lose a set with six of the eight won by a scoreline of 6-2 or better. The conditions certainly looked ideal for Ivashka last year when he didn’t just win, he obliterated the opposition. They play on Laykold here, the same surface used by the US Open, and with temperatures expected to touch 30C, expect it to play fairly quick this week.
His strong first serve, backed up by a club forehand, is a major weapon on a slick court and conditions should be in his favour again this week. Last time out at this 250 level, Ivashka made the semi-finals in Atlanta, losing from a set up to eventual champion Alex de Minaur. The Belarusian won for us at odds of 35/1 and a repeat is more than a possibility. CLICK HERE to back Ivashka with Sky Bet.ILYA IVASHKA is a man who fits the bill, after all he won this tournament 12 months ago, as followers of this column will probably remember. I’m usually keen to find a player with a track record of going well (and basically giving his all) just prior to a Slam – the last thing you want to be doing is backing someone who’s going to put in a token effort to protect themselves for the bigger tournament ahead. However, the fact is there aren’t many big names in attendance – just one of the world’s top 20, Grigor Dimitrov, is in the 48-man draw with the last direct acceptance being the 91st-ranked Steve Johnson.Īnother factor always worth considering in week such as this still stands though. This is the point where I’d usually mention how the big guns in the field are probably worth opposing, this being a week before a Grand Slam. Such a wide-open betting heat is a rarity on the ATP Tour and clearly provides opportunity for punters. It’s 10/1 the field in Winston-Salem this week where players will put the finishing touches to their preparations for the looming US Open.
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