The US Open women’s semi-finals get underway on Thursday. Firstly, Canadian left-hander, Leylah Fernandez, will take on second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the first of two US Open women’s evening semi-finals on Thursday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Fernandez ranked 73rd, eliminated four-time major winner and defending champion Naomi Osaka of Japan and three-time major champion Angelique Kerber of Germany before turning 19 on Monday. She has become a crowd favorite with a huge cheer for her sensational run-in.
Secondly, the final semi-final will send Britain’s Emma Raducanu, 18, the first qualifier in US Open history to reach the women’s semis, against the winner of a Wednesday night match between Czech fourth seed Karolina Pliskova and Greek 17th seed Maria Sakkari. The final duo will not have the usual day off between matches.
Check out all about the US Open, plus an analysis of each of the participants and the betting line for the last Grand Slam tournament of the season chronologically.
Betting line and relevant information on the US Open quarter-finals:
Where: New York
Date: September 09, 2021
Time: 18:00 and 19:15 E.T.
Moneyline Odds: Leylah Fernandez +247 – Aryna Sabalenka -357 | Maria Sakkari -158 – Emma Raducanu +119
Draw Odds: Not applicable
Where to watch: ESPN and Star +
Leylah Fernandez vs. Aryna Sabalenka
In Fernandez’s case, she’s No. 73. In her last two events before the U.S. Open, she lost in the first round both times, to 121st-ranked Harriet Dart and Alison Riske, 6-2, 6-2. If all things do return to the mean over time, Fernandez will throw a banger of a match.
She will face her toughest test in Sabalenka. The No. 2-ranked player hasn’t been involved in any of the dramatic matches that have defined this Open, and she’s only lost one set. I’m sure that’s fine with her, but now she’ll have to be prepared for the Fernandez phenomenon and all that comes with it. Sabalenka has never faced the Canadian or the way she takes the ball on the rise and pushes it back, giving her opponents little time to recover. We know Sabalenka belongs here; after reaching the semis at Wimbledon, a run to the Open final would make a lot of sense. But right now, Fernandez is playing better tennis, which is why, if she keeps up the great level, she can win and reach the US OPEN Grand Final.
Maria Sakkari vs. Emma Raducanu
Raducanu, 18, has reached her first Grand Slam semifinal as a veteran champion, no trouble, no fuss. Counting the qualifying rounds, she has won eight matches in New York without dropping a set.
Raducanu has done so with exemplary balance. She plays offensively but doesn’t take big risks or try to pound the ball. Everything about her game is measured, purposeful, and fairly predictable, with a built-in edge on every shot, and she is equally strong on both wings. Can Sakkari solve Radu’s riddle and finally make her sweat a little?
They’ve never played before, but based on their last two matches, everything seems to be going well for the 26-year-old Greek. In the fourth round, she outlasted Bianca Andreescu in a night war; winning that seemed to free her up to play some good tennis in a one-sided win over fourth-seeded Karolina Pliskova. Her serve, her forehand, her anticipation, her swinging volleys: they were all clicking. Raducanu’s style may be easier to maintain under the pressure of her first major semi-final, but Sakkari seems to be peaking at the right time, which is why we’re going for her win.
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