Ricky Dimon
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Semi-final action on the women’s side at the 2021 French Open tennis tournament takes place on Thursday. Only four players remain alive (on the men’s side, as well), but there are still plenty of betting opportunities on offer. This is one of the most surprising semi-final quartets in Grand Slam history, featuring Maria Sakkari, Barbora Krejcikova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Tamara Zidansek.
Throughout the two weeks in Paris, Pickswise is offering plenty of content to help you make winning tennis picks.
Let’s continue by taking a look at some of the best bets for Thursday at Roland Garros, and be sure to also check out our best futures bets for the fortnight.
Maria Sakkari -2.5 games over Barbora Krejcikova (-118)
In what is a shocking semi-final lineup, Sakkari is the highest-ranked player remaining. Ranked 18th in the world, Sakkari has certainly earned her spot in the last four. The Greek’s last three wins have come at the expense of No. 14 seed Elise Mertens, 2020 French Open runner-up Sofia Kenin, and defending champion Iga Swiatek.
Swiatek had won 22 sets in a row at this event dating back to last year before getting handled by Sakkari 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday. The Pole may have been slightly less than 100 percent physically, but it was still a great performance by Sakkari. As for Krejcikova, she has mostly been a doubles player throughout her career. The 33rd-ranked Czech cannot be discounted, but Sakkari’s run has been more impressive and it feels more like her time to be a first-time Grand Slam finalist.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova -1.5 games Tamara Zidansek (-137)
While Sakkari has a slight edge in experience over Krejcikova, Pavlyuchenkova holds a massive advantage in the same department over Zidansek. The 29-year-old Russian had already reached six Slam quarter-finals dating back to her first such appearance at Roland Garros in 2011. The seventh time was finally the charm for Pavlyuchenkova, who advanced to a semi-final for the first time by beating Elena Rybakina 6-7(2), 6-2, 9-7 on Tuesday. The good news for the world No. 32 is that Zidansek is also coming off a three-set thriller. She needed two hours and 26 minutes to outlast Paula Badosa 7-5, 4-6, 8-6 in the quarters. For the 85th-ranked Zidansek, this has come absolutely out of nowhere. Look for Pavluchenkova to have too much experience for the 23-year-old on this big of a stage.
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