WTA Pattaya City Tennis Betting Odds, Tips and Preview

Defending champ Hantuchova back for title defence in Thailand

Sports Betting

WTA Pattaya City Tennis Betting Info
The tournament offering here in Thailand offers a bit warmer climate to that of the stars who decide stay in Europe and contest in Paris. However, the lure of the Paris Open is a bit stronger than the Pattaya City event, although it is held in a beautiful location. Still, there is a decent field to look at for your tennis betting for this week from the event, led by Russian Vera Zvonareva, who could really do with getting a title under her belt for confidence. Granted the depth of the field is not as strong at the Paris Open, that does mean the tennis betting choices are not too difficult to sort though. There is one strong favourite, and a very small chasing pack of contenders. We also have some British interest at the event, with youngster Heather Watson going, along with Laura Robson (who is in the firing line of Vera Zvonareva) and Anne Keothavong as well. Keothavong (along with Elena Baltacha) helped Great Britain get through their Fed Ex Cup match on the weekend, moving ahead to a play off place in April. It would be nice to get a British win, because all British entrants apart from Andy Murray fell in the first round of the Australian Open, so they need a bit of a cheer. So an extra bit of tennis betting interest there in backing the Brits, and it is Watson who really has the best chance to go the farthest.

WTA Pattaya City Defending Champion
The defending Champion is the experienced and classy athlete that is Daniela Hantuchova. The Slovakian beat out Sara Errani in the final last year, dropping just two games in a totally one sided affair. She is back again this time to try and defend her title and is trading at 5/1 with SkyBet to do just that. Hantuchova is in pretty decent form at the start of the new year, reaching the final of Brisbane, then losing out in the quarter finals of Sydney to Petra Kvitova, before running into Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open early in the tournament. Hantuchova won both of her Fed Ex Cup Week 1 matches for her country on the weekend, and she looks in pretty good shape to have another run at the title here. It has to be said that she has an easier looking draw for WTA Pattaya City betting than she did last year, so she will have high expectations of herself. Always a great competitor, not always the greatest, most consistent finisher, but a classy competitor all the way, capable of beating the best when she is at her very best.

WTA Pattaya City Betting Favourite
While Hantuchova is looking pretty strong, she is not favourite in WTA Pattaya City betting. The bookies have bestowed that honour upon thee shoulders of Vera Zvonareva, and here is why. She is a two time winner of Pattaya City, lifting the crown in 2009 and 2010. She reached the semi finals here last year as well, but she ran into a wonderfully in form Daniela Hantuchova, who edged past here. Zvonareva has lost ground and a bit of touch with the rest of the top ten, now sliding down into 8th in the world, and as disappointing 2011 was, 2012 has not started too much better. With a first round exit in Sydney, and third round exit against world 56 Ekaterina Makarova at the Australian Open, Zvonareva is a long way from her best. Not sure if we are going to see the back to back Grand Slam final-reaching Zvonareva return any time soon. Really this is the level of tournament which she should be eating up, but right now, there are no certainties with the Russian, and while she remains the bookies favourite because of tournament history, her main challenger Daniela Hantuchova may just be the better option.

Other Contenders
Arguably while the field in Pattaya City is not as strong as that of Paris, the options in the chasing pack are better. If that makes any sense. For example, with have the sparky Heather Watson, who has a genuine chance of going deep in the tournament because of the draw. Granted she squares off against eighth seed Vania King in the first round, but if the Brit negotiates that, then it should be plain sailing until the semi’s. Daniela Hantuchova’s fellow countrywoman Dominika Cibulkova is worth a look as well, because of the line up of the draw, and she actually goes as second seed, which we are still trying to work out why. It matters not, because she will probably still have to go through third seed Hantuchova in the bottom half of the draw, and a match between the Slovakian number one and two would be pretty interesting. Cibulkova is really promising for the future, but would take the old hand of Hantuchova over the youngster. One other youngster we are not going to overlook, although she is headed for a potential quarter final against Vera Zvonareva, is young Romanian Sorana Cirstea. There could be great things for her to come this year if she pushes her potential forwards. She reached the quarter finals of Hobart, and then punters may remember her for her first round effort at the Australian Open where she scored a fantastic victory over fifth seed Sam Stosur. She started off her first round in Pattaya City with a crushing win, dropping just four games on her way to victory. Tournament fourth seed Maria Kirilenko is there too, pretty much Maria Sharapova without the aggression.

Latest WTA Pattaya City Betting Prices
Vera Zvonareva: 10/3 at BetFred
Daniela Hantuchova: 5/1 at SkyBet
Dominika Cibulkova: 6/1 at Stan James
Ji Zheng: 13/2 at Bet365
Maria Kirilenko: 9/1 at Bet Victor
Sorana Cirstea: 12/1 at Bet365

Online Bookmaker Promotion
Online bookmaker Bet Victor run a great tennis betting promotion which is worth dipping into throughout the 2012 season. Place a match bet on any match from the main draw of an ATP or WTA event, and if your selection loses the match in a final set tie break, then you will get your lost stake back as a free bet. So this gives you some nice coverage on your tennis betting throughout the season, should your match selection lose in a cruel way in a final set tie break. Online bookmaker Bet Victor offer a free £25 bet for new customers registering an account. The bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account, up to the maximum value of £25, with a free bet.