WTA Tennis Zurich Open Semifinals
Free Betting Tips on Today's Tennis Matches
Two players from the Stuttgart Open finals are in the last four this week at the Zurich Open facing an unexpected semifinalist, Vaidisiova and the lucky Schivaone
There seems to be luck on the side of the Italian, Schiavone, in this tournament. Two of the toughest opponents she could have hoped for retired during their matches and she has made the semifinals without stressing herself. Elsewhere, Golovin caught a break when Marion Bartoli had to retire even though the French number 1 player was leading the match and had Golovin on the ropes. What lies ahead for the lucky pair is a match against each other, which means the run of luck ends for one player this afternoon.
WTA Zurich Open Semifinals
Tatiana Golovin (France) vs Francesca Schiavone (Italy): Schiavone has to be the luckiest woman after getting through to this stage by virtue of retirements by Dementieva and Kuznetsova. She has to be fresh going into this match and will have the energy to battle it out. Golovin as well had her own fair share of luck as her countrywoman, Bartoli, had to reitre due to an injury in the first set even though she was ahead and was serving to take the first set.
The head-to-head is in favour of Golovin as she has won two of the thee matches they played this year. When Schiavone won, it was on clay, a surface Golovin is not exactly comfortable with and the Italian is one of the danger players on clay. Back on hard courts, Golovin has shown her supremacy over her opponent today winning at Toronto and Luxembourg.
There is an angle to a free tennis bet today in this match. In the last two matches, Golvoin has won 24 service games and Schiavone, a mere six service games. That is a staggering 18-games difference and it is hard to see Schiavone escaping this one this time round.
The suggested bet is Tatiana Golovin -4.0 games handicap.
The second semifinal features the world number one and a rejuvenated Vaidisova bidding to make her first final appearance this year.
Justine Henin (Belgium) vs Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Rep): These days, one almost expects to see Henin in the final of any tournament she enters and it is a case of who is lucky enough to string together a perfect game to knock her off her stride. Golovin was close to it last week when she took the first set with an emphatic 6-2 score in the first set of the Stuttgart Open final. Vaidisova has been playing well but the test of how focused she is faces her at 13.45 GMT today.
Henin always looks comfortable when playing Vaidisova who seems to freeze when facing the big tests. Her shocking loss in the Wimbledon quarterfinals when she was 5-2 ahead in the deciding set against Ivanovic still comes to mind and suggests she has a long way to go before she can make any serious challenge to a top 5 position. The former number 7 ranked player is hoping to finish the year with a good ranking as she has slipped out of the top 10. Henin will have other ideas as she aims to take this one to a 4-0 head to head score and another final in a period of one week.
Vaidisova has been playing well this week as Jelena Jankovic found out. The world number 1 is a different class though, but can be given a good game.
The suggested bet is Nicole Vaidisova +5.0 games handicap.
