tennis | Monday, September 26, 2022 8:16 AM (Revised at: Monday, September 26, 2022 8:17 AM)

Monday Tennis Best Bet: ATP Sofia, Ilya Ivashka vs Mikael Ymer

Jon Reid

Ilya Ivashka vs Mikael Ymer Best Bet: Monday, September 26th

Rough Friday as Mikael Ymer had Stanislas Wawrinka on the ropes, hurt and cramping and STILL managed to lose (for reference, Wawrinka retired the next day just three games into his semifinal against Alexander Bublik).

Onto a new week, where the ATP Tour has events in Seoul, South Korea, Tel Aviv, Israel and Sofia, Bulgaria.

For Monday’s selection, it’s off to the Bulgarian capital to break down yet another match featuring Mikael Ymer, as he takes on Ilya Ivashka.

In this article:

Ilya Ivashka vs Mikael Ymer Preview
Ilya Ivashka vs Mikael Ymer Best Bet

Ilya Ivashka vs Mikael Ymer Preview

September 26th, 17:30 UK Time

When it comes to indoor hard courts, playing on potentially quicker courts favours Ivashka more.

Not only does he generate more power off both the forehand and backhand wings, but when it comes to indoor play, he’s better at playing an overall game.

With Ymer having struggled to put away an older, cramping player last week, it’s tough to back him against a much better, younger player in this one.

Ilya Ivashka vs Mikael Ymer Best Bet

As frustrating as losing the high-stakes play on Friday was, it’s important that when betting this match, that it doesn’t weigh too heavily on the thought process.

Even with that in mind, I still think this is an excellent matchup for Ivashka and he should win it far more often than not. While a bit more error-prone, his game suits these conditions far more and as alluded to above, Ymer’s performance at the end of last week was far from inspiring.

With Ymer also a tad more prone to letting his frustrations get the best of him compared to the Belarussian, I’m seeing value in backing Ivashka to take this one down and advance to the second round.