See below for our expert daily tennis tips and best bets around the courts for Friday 12th of September 2025!
World No.130 Janice Tjen and rising star Alexandra Eala, ranked 61st, can’t be split in the head-to-head market ahead of their Sao Paulo Open quarter-final.
Indonesia’s Tjen has been superb this week, beating seventh seed Leolia Jeanjean 6-2 6-3 and qualifier Martina Okalova 6-1 6-0.
Tjen is coming off the biggest break of her career, qualifying for the US Open and defeating top-30 star Veronika Kudermetova on grand slam debut.
Twenty-year-old Eala, meanwhile, won the Abierto Zapopan last week (where she was seeded second) and has maintained that roll with wins over Yasmine Mansouri (6-0 6-2) and Julia Riera (6-1 6-4) this week.
Eala also claimed a big scalp at the US Open, beating 14th seed Clara Tauson in the first round. She shot to prominence with a semi-final run at the Miami Masters – beating Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek – and reached the Eastbourne International final but is still searching for consistency.
The Filipino tyro’s top level is considerably higher, though, and her value in a pick ’em is impossible to ignore.
British sixth seed Francesca Jones lines up against second-seeded Argentine Solana Sierra in the Sao Paulo Open quarter-finals.
World No.85 Jones has had her hands full beating Lina Glushko (4-6 6-2 6-3) and Whitney Osuigwe (6-4 7-6). Sierra, ranked 82nd, has been more convincing in disposing of Arianne Hartono (7-6 6-3) and Brazilian wildcard Nauhany Vitoria Leme da Silva (6-0 6-4).
Jones won the Palermo Ladies Open in July before losing in the first round to Eva Lys at the US Open. She made the quarters in the Abierto Zapopan last week.
Sierra is coming off a first-up loss to Sorana Cirstea at the US Open, but made it to the last 16 in a breakout Wimbledon run as a qualifier.
The 21-year-old has looked the better of the pair so far in Brazil and shapes as an enticing $2.25 underdog.
Sixth-seeded veteran Tatjana Maria and French tyro Elsa Jacquemot square off in the Guadalajara Open quarter-finals.
World No.51 Maria has accounted for Zenyep Sonmez (6-4 6-2) and Rebecca Marino (6-3 7-5) so far, showing some of the form that carried the 38-year-old to a shock capture of her fourth WTA title in June, the Queen’s Club Championships.
Jacquemot, meanwhile, has sent a couple of big names packing in Mexico already. She thrashed the enigmatic Maria Sakkari 6-2 6-0 then rallied to defeat top seed Elise Mertens 4-6 6-3 6-4.
The 22-year-old, who cracked the top 100 for the first time in July, reached the Tennis in the Land quarters before defeating Marie Bouzkova and losing to Leylah Fernandez in three sets at the US Open.
This shapes as a fascinating battle between two genuine contenders for the trophy.
Croatian veteran Marin Cilic and France’s Arthur Rinderknech square off in a crucial match in the Davis Cup World Group tie.
The 36-year-old Cilic has wound back the clock at times in 2025, beating the likes of Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin in Dubai, winning a couple of Challenger titles, and making it the fourth round at Wimbledon (including an upset of fourth seed Jack Draper).
But the former US Open champ’s only match since the latter was a first-round, straight-sets exit to Alexander Bublik at Flushing Meadows.
World No.57 Rinderknech, meanwhile, is coming off a spirited Round of 16 run at the US Open, which was halted by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.
The 30-year-old has also toppled Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon and Casper Ruud at the Cincinnati Masters in recent months.
With that form on the board and far more tennis under his belt of late, Rinderknech looks the better option.