WTA Queen’s Club First Round Best Bets Including Karolina Pliskova vs McCartney Kessler

The WTA Queen’s Club first-round action begins on Monday. The WTA Tour shifts into grass season right after the end of Roland-Garros. Queen’s Club is a WTA 500 event in England. With tour players having just three weeks before Wimbledon, most pros will attempt to play at least two of those three weeks, maybe allowing one week for rest. Because grass season is so short, players need to get used to the surface since they don’t usually practice on it most of the year, especially in the offseason. Players need the match play as much as they need the paycheck and the ranking points. LWOS has our best bets for three matches. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.

WTA Queen’s Club Pliskova – Kessler: Time 5:00 ESTH2H: 0-0

>Karolina Pliskova faces McCartney Kessler. It’s the first grass match of the season for both players. They both played their most recent matches at the French Open, with Kessler losing early in the main draw and Pliskova losing in qualifying. Notably, Pliskova played many matches in Madrid and Rome before Paris, so she might have been slightly tired at Roland-Garros. She has gained plenty of rest going into this match. Kessler has plenty of rest as well, but Pliskova might have needed the rest a little more.

>Best Bet to Make

>Pliskova is ranked just outside the top 100, but she was outside the top 200 earlier in this spring before her runs in Madrid and Rome boosted her ranking. Kessler is the higher-ranked player, but Pliskova is a former Wimbledon finalist who knows her way around grass and whose serve is helped by grass. This match is priced very close to a toss-up, with the average odds for Kessler moneyline being 1.82 and Pliskova moneyline at 1.88. You can get Pliskova moneyline for an even 2.00 at one book. That’s way too good to pass up here.

>That being said, betting on Pliskova winning is a value bet for sure.

>Value bet/ the best odds: Pliskova winning @2.00 @Unibet

Boulter – Fernandez: Time 5:00 ESTH2H: 2–1

>Katie Boulter faces Leylah Fernandez. This is the first grass match of the year for both players. Fernandez is ranked inside the top 30, several dozen spots higher than Boulter, who is outside the top 50. Both players are 2-4 in their last six matches. Neither player is in especially good form coming into this battle. Boulter will be playing in her home nation, which might give her a boost, but Fernandez has a lot to prove after a very ordinary clay season. Grass could treat her better.

Mar 20, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Zheng Qinwen (CHN) serves against Lauren Davis (USA) on day three of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Source: Lastwordonsports.com - Jim SmithBest Bet to Make

>Boulter is not an easy opponent to play on grass, but Fernandez is a better player. Also, Boulter has not been in good form. She is not playing well enough to deserve a bettor’s trust as an underdog in this match. Fernandez is getting moneyline value. With her ranking being several dozen spots higher than Boulter, the price for Fernandez moneyline could have been a lot worse. Make it simple and take Fernandez to win the match. You don’t have to go for straight sets, just moneyline.

>That being said, betting on Fernandez winning is a value bet for sure.

>Value bet/ the best odds: Fernandez winning @1.75 @Interwetten

Zheng – Cristian: Time 5:00 ESTH2H: 2–2

>Qinwen Zheng faces Jaqueline Cristian. Qinwen Zheng used to be a top-10 player, but she has fallen out of the top 50 and is enduring a very rough period in her tennis career. Yet, she’s the clear betting market favorite in this match because Jaqueline Cristian is 3-4 in her last seven matches and is not coming into Queen’s Club in great form. Cristian did well at a smaller recent tournament in Strasbourg but has not been especially strong at the bigger events on tour in 2026.

>Best Bet to Make

>Zheng winning could be part of a parlay. However, Zheng’s form means it will be hard to trust her to win in straight sets. You will get a very good price for Cristian winning one set. With Zheng going through a difficult time in her career, Cristian should at least be able to make this match close. That’s where a single bet should go, even while you fold Zheng moneyline into a parlay.

>That being said, betting on Cristian +1.5 sets is a value bet for sure.

>Value bet/ the best odds: Cristian +1.5 sets @1.85 @Betway

>Main Photo Credit: Taya Gray-USA TODAY Sports