Viking Eastbourne International Odds & Preview: Two-Time Champion Pliskova a Long Shot

• Almost none of the top favorites at this week’s Eastbourne International have ever played it before
• Karolina Pliskova, who won it in 2017 and 2019 (it was cancelled in 2020) is far down the list
• We analyze who’s likely to prevail, and what early-round upsets to look for

This year’s Eastbourne International is mostly bereft of players with grass-court resumés – or even, in most cases, without grass-court experience at all.

Viking Eastbourne International Odds

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So that’s likely one reason why the oddmakers’ favorite is Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, whose first trip to Eastbourne back in 2018 produced one of the early examples of what she can do when she’s on a roll.

Sabalenka, then 20, had only seen a grass tennis court for the first time in her life a year before rolling to the final.

She then went to Wimbledon the following week and … lost in the first round. She did the same in 2019, when Wimbledon was last played.

So Sabalenka doesn’t have a ton of “grass cred”. But she’s the world No. 4 and the top seed. And her power can get her a lot of places.

Karolina Pliskova, Two-Time Champion, Overlooked

After a run of months when Pliskova was a favorite to win many tournaments – only to bow out early – the books seem far more skittish about her prospects.

But the 29-year-old Czech has by far the most grass-court experience in the field. And this is her eighth trip to Eastbourne.

She is the de facto defending champion, having won it in 2019; it wasn’t played in 2020 because of the pandemic. She also won it in 2017.

And even just a few years ago she had to face a lot more experienced grass-court players to hoist up the trophy.

But Pliskova is at +1400 to win it this year.

The Czech would be more easily cashed  if she weren’t in such a tricky section of the draw. Not only could Sabalenka be her quarter-final opponent, she faces  hard-hitting qualifier Camila Giorgi in the first round.

Viking Eastbourne International Contenders – Best Previous Results

Does Cori Gauff Have a Shot?

We’re coming up to the two-year anniversary of 15-year-old American Coco Gauff making a major splash in her Wimbledon debut.

Ranked No. 313 and out of the qualifying, Gauff upset three accomplished players – including five-time champion Venus Williams in the first round – and got to the second week.

But Wimbledon 2019 remains the only pro event Gauff has ever played on grass. And that was two years ago.

Previous Viking Eastbourne International Winners and Finalists

First-Round Matches to Watch

[7] Elise Mertens (+106) vs. Coco Gauff (-132)

This is the first meeting between the two. But Mertens has plenty of grass experience and also reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon two years ago.

Nevertheless, Gauff is the slight favorite.

Mertens played in Birmingham last week and lost a tough first-round match, but got to the semifinals in doubles and got her grass-court feet wet. This will be Gauff’s first grass-court match in two years.

[4] Iga Swiatek (-530) vs. [WC] Heather Watson (+390)

While Swiatek spent last week recovering from her huge workload on clay, Watson played Nottingham and Birmingham and made the semis in the latter, losing to eventual champ Ons Jabeur.

The Brit is an habituée of the grass (she’s played Wimbledon 10 times).

Meanwhile Swiatek, the 2018 junior Wimbledon champion, admitted she won it out of pure anger over her perceived poor performance at the French Open a few weeks before. She has never won a match at the pro level on the surface.

Best Bet: Aryna Sabalenka (+375)
Longer Shot: Karolina Pliskova (+1400)