Former Monterrey Runner-up Hantuchova Faces Puig

Two places separate Daniela Hantuchova and Monica Puig in the world rankings at 46 and 48 respectively but the pair will meet tomorrow in the first round of the Monterrey Open. The former is a former runner-up in this competition having reached the final back in 2010. The Slovenian took the first set against Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1 but combusted only winning one game in the second set and failing to pick up even a solitary game in the third. Whilst Pavlyuchenkova would win her second title in the following year, Hantuchova would forego the tournament for the subsequent four renewals.

Puig appeared in the competition for the second time last year, recording her best finish when being knocked out in the quarter-finals by Kamiko Date-Krumm 6-4, 6-7, 6-4. The Puerto Rican had previously seen off Olga Puchkova (6-0, 6-3) and Nicole Gibbs (6-4, 6-2) in the first and second rounds respectively.

The 21-year-old`s tournament debut was back in 2012, losing out in the first round 6-3, 6-3 to Lourdes Dominguez Lino. Both players can be backed at 25/1 to lift this WTA trophy this week. Puig, who is aiming to earn only her second title, can be backed at this price with sportingbet, as can her opponent who will achieve her eight WTA title should she be the successful finalist at the end of this event.

These women have met only once in WTA tournaments before with Puig holding the balance of power having beaten Hantuchova on this sole occasion. This meeting was back in Rome last year in the Rome Open when Puig saw off her rival, who is 10 years her senior, in three sets.

What made the encounter all the more remarkable, however, was the fact that the North American was able to record to bagel victories over the more experienced player. The first set ended without Hantuchova picking up a game before she composed herself and took the second 6-4. The final set was again easy for the then 20-year-old who took it 6-0.

Despite this positive performance, the starlet would bite the dust 6-3, 7-5 against Maria Sharapova in the second round. It should be mentioned that the Rome Open is played on clay and as opposed to the hard court surfaced that is used in Monterrey. As a result it may not be wise to use this as a watertight guide for predicting the outcome of this match-up.

Ladbrokes have 10/3 on Puig managing to beat her opponent in a game lasting three sets whilst she is available at 25/1 with both bet365 and betfred to record another 6-0 victory in the first set. Don`t think there will be a bagel win at any point during the match? You can lay such an outcome at odds of 1/50 at the betfair Exchange. In contrast, it is 1/5 should you wish to lay money on there being one tomorrow.

Puig is the favourite to progress through to the second round of the competition in Mexico. sportingbet have the best price on this with punters being able to pick up odds of 4/6 at this bookmaker. Fancy an upset? Both betway and Stan James have the best price on 7/5 on the Slovenian winning by any means tomorrow.

Indeed such a victory shouldn`t be ruled out following Hantuchova`s already very successful year. The Poprad-born star scooped her seventh WTA title back in February by taking the Pattaya City tournament in Thailand on hard. She fell at the second hurdle in the Australian Open, however.

Puig`s best result this year came in the same competition, losing out to losing finalist Ajla Tomljanovic. She also knocked out number 12 rank Sara Errani in Acapulco in the same month on her way to reaching the quarter-finals.

Go To bet365

#Ad

02/03/2015     © Frixo 2024