2012 Women’s Australian Open Tennis Semifinals Betting Preview

2012 Australian Open Tennis Championship
Women’s Semifinals
Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 9:30 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN2
Melbourne Park – Melbourne, Australia
Playing surface: Plexicushion
All odds courtesy of bookmaker

Kim Clijsters takes on Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals of the Australian Open. Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova meet in the other semifinal in Melbourne.

At the beginning of the tournament, The Women’s Australian Open appeared to be wide open with as many as 20 players having a legitimate shot of winning. However, 3 of the top 4 seeds survived into the semifinals. The only exception is #11 Kim Clijsters who upset #1 Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals. Clijsters is a former #1 player herself and is only seeded so low because she missed some time last season due to injury. Clijsters will take on #3 Victoria Azarenka in one semifinal followed by #2 Petra Kvitova against #4 Maria Sharapova in the other match-up. Not only is the Australian Open on the line, but if Sharapova, Kvitova, and Azarenaka win, then they will be the #1 player in the world.  Here is a look at both matches. All odds are courtesy of bookmaker.

#11 Kim Clijsters (-115) vs #3 Victoria Azarenka (-115)

Clijsters is 29 from Belgium. She is the defending champion here. Clijsters won her first Aussie title last year to go with 3 U.S. Opens. Clijsters beat Maria Joao Koehler, Stefanie Foretz Gacon, #20 Daniela Hantuchova, #5 Na Li, and Wozniacki to get to the semifinals. Clijsters dropped the first set to Li, but that is the only set she has lost. Clijsters also played tiebreakers against both Li and Wozniacki.

Azarenka is 22 from Belarus. Azarenka has never made it past the quarters here before this year. Of the four semifinalists, Azarenka is the only one who hasn’t won a grand slam event. She has never even played in a grand slam final. She does have 9 wins in her career including one in Sydney this year.   Azarenka beat Heather Watson, Anna Tatishvilli, Mona Barthel, Iveta Benesova, and #8 Agnieska Radwanska to get to the semifinals. She dropped the first set to Radwanska in a tiebreaker but never allowed more than 4 games in an other set.

Kim Clijsters leads the series 4-2 against Victoria Azarenka. Five of the six meetings have come on hard courts. The two have never met in a grand slam event. Clijsters and Azarenka played twice last year with each winning one time in straight sets.

Before the tournament, I picked Azarenka to break through and win her first major. I will stick with that, but it won’t be easy. Azarenka wins a tough 3 set match.

#4 Maria Sharapova (+115) vs #2 Petra Kvitova (+145)

Sharapova is 24 and from Russia. Sharapova is a three time major winner, including the 2008 Australian Open. Sharapova has 24 career titles. She beat Gisela Dulko, Jamie Hampton, #30 Angelique Kerber, #14 Sabine Lisicki, and Ekatrina Makarova. She lost a set to Lisicki but didn’t lose more than 3 games in any other set.

Kvitova is 21 and from the Czech Republic. She has 7 career titles including Wimbledon last year, where she beat Sharapova in straight sets in the final. Kvitova made it to the quarterfinals here last year, but Wimbledon was the first time she ever made it to the semifinals of a major  tournament in her career. Kvitova beat Vera Dushevina, Carla Suarez Navarro, #27 Maria Kirilenko, #21 Ana Ivanovic, and Sara Errani in the quarters to get to the semifinals. Kvitova dropped one set to Suarez, but didn’t lose more than 4 games in any other set.

Sharapova and Kvitova have met only two other times besides last year’s Wimbledon final. Kvitova leads the series 2-1. Sharapova retired last year in the first set in their quarterfinal match in Tokyo.

Sharapova is playing really well right now, but Kvitova might be playing even better. I like Kvitova to win in 3 sets.

Both matches should be entertaining, and there should be some great tennis down under.

Posted by Ken Langston on Jan 25 2012. Filed under Headlines, Tennis. Both comments and pings are currently closed.