World No. 39 Zhu Lin will square off against the Canadian lucky loser Rebecca Marino in the second round of the 2023 Birmingham Classic on Friday, June 23. Get the predictions and odds of this Zhu Lin v Rebecca Marino match along with its preview, head-to-head, and tips here.
- Other WTA Birmingham match previews & predictions options here
- Also get all the Birmingham Classic live streaming options here
Zhu Lin v Rebecca Marino Head to Head
Zhu Lin leads Rebecca Marino 3-2 across all levels. But it is the big-serving Canadian who triumphed at their last clash in Madrid in straight sets.
Also Read:
First Quarterfinal for Lin Since March
Zhu Lin was one of the breakout stars in the first half of the season. A run to the fourth round of the Australian Open and a second career title in Hua Hin catapulted the Chinese to a new career high of No. 33.
But despite struggling in each of her last five tournaments where she lost at the first hurdle four times, Lin has steered her season back on track with a quarterfinal run in Birmingham.
And not anyone saw this run coming particularly after getting a brutal draw. Lin, however, loves to upset the odds. She defeated Katie Boulter, winner in Nottingham last week, in her first round in straight sets.
To prove that win was not a one-off, she went on to eliminate third-seeded Magda Linette in quite a comprehensive fashion. She won 6-3 6-0 in just 65 minutes.
It is difficult to tell whether Linette was having any physical issues, but Lin was completely dominant in the first serve, winning 21 of 25 points and not facing a single break point.
Lin broke Linette five times and had great success with both the first and second return points won.
Also Read:
Marino Making Most of Second Chance
Just like Lin, Rebecca Marino is also having a fine tournament in Birmingham. Marino lost in qualifying to Ana Bogdan but entered this tournament using the back door.
She’s made the most of her second chance as a lucky loser, beating the talented qualifier Xiyu Wang in her first-round match in three sets. And she also needed to go the distance in a thrilling second-round match against American Emina Bektas.
Marino and Bektas both utilized their huge serves in keeping each other on the ground. The American was the in-form player having won 12 matches on grass coming to this round of 16 match.
After the two players interchanged the first two identical sets 6-4, Bektas had the match on her racket when she led 5-3.
She missed her first match point on Marino’s serve who held for 4-5. But with Bektas serving for the match, she fashioned three more match points, but each time, she stumbled, before the Canadian broke back against the odds.
Eventually, the hour-long third set went into a tiebreak where Rebecca Marino was near-perfect, winning it 7-1.
Lin v Marino Prediction and Tip
Rebecca Marino has played four matches in Birmingham from qualifying but was taken the distance each time. But with a serve as technically efficient and powerful as hers, it comes in handy on grass, especially on the pressure points. And we think she’s too big an underdog here.
Tips:
- Low Risk Tip: Marino to win a set – Yes: 8/11
- Moderate Risk Tip: Marino to win: 7/4
The 2023 Birmingham Open will be played from June 19 to 25. You can get all the tennis betting news with our tennis betting blog here. Also get rest of the tennis match previews here.
Be the first to comment