Wang – Birrell 10-06-2025

The grass season is upon us, and we have to pull ourselves together. Because it is short, and it all culminates with two fantastic weeks in London during Wimbledon already in July. But until then, the players will have to settle in, and in that sense it can be challenging to jump in right away. Before you know where the players stand. But there are also reasons that speak for jumping in from the start. And this match is an example of such a match.

But first a few words about grass; because no surface in tennis is faster. Which in turn means that players with hard serves and heavy groundstrokes are favored. However, this is not as pronounced among the ladies as among the men, but it is still worth noting. The ball bounces low and extremely fast, and in contrast to the slow gravel, it means that the exchanges on grass are often short. And a break in serve can cost you the set.

Wang–Birrell

We're going to 's-Hertogenbosch, also known as Den Bosch, where both the men's and women's teams are playing the traditional grass tournament this week. And while Birrell got to test the grass last week, in Birmingham, this is Wang's first encounter with grass in 2025. That has to be factored into the equation.

But that's not all; Xinyu Wang didn't have a clay court season worth writing home about. A quarter-final in a 125 tournament in Parma is a disappointing achievement after the fine semi-final she managed in the Singapore Open in early February. The Chinese is a distinct hard court player, and should suit the grass better than the clay, but there is little indication that all the bad will be forgotten by the time the starting shot goes off here.

But Birrell is on the move. And she made it all the way to the quarterfinals in Birmingham last week, where she had to give up to Greet Minnen, who ended up winning the whole tournament. And it seems like she plans to copy last year's good year, where she finished 10-4 on grass. But she also has her tournament wins on hard court, so the main argument against the odds here is that Birrell has already got the unusual bounce that grass gives to her arms and legs. While Wang may have to use the first set to settle in.

Otherwise, Wang is placed a few places above Birrell in the rankings, with 48th place against 69th place, but we think this match will be more even than the odds suggest. And that despite the fact that Wang is known for both aggressive groundstrokes and a heavy serve. But Birrell also likes to thunder from the baseline, and she really likes to take command in the exchanges. Her serve may not be as dominant as her opponent, but she is good at varying her strokes, has a rich selection of strokes in her toolbox. In addition, she is a player who does not give up a single ball until all hope is gone, and that can quickly frustrate an opponent who is already frustrated. In addition, Birrell herself mentions that serve returns are one of her absolute strengths. Promising.

But of course; as the odds suggest, Wang should be the better player. But on grass I keep Birrell as a slight favorite, and therefore we have to try the following bet;  

Tennis at 11:00: Wang – Birrell: Birrell +2.5 games (1.78)

Alternative game:

Tennis at 11:00: Wang – Birrell: Birrell wins (2.15)