Sports Reporter | Capper
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We're all set for the Wimbledon semifinals on the women's side, and unlike many of the Grand Slams contested over the past few years the top players in the world are nowhere to be found.
Elena Rybakina, a former Wimbledon champion, is the last hope for the "Big Three" remaining in the draw. She'll be in for a tough test against a player who's had her number over the years, and then there's Jasmine Paolini -- this year's French Open finalist -- who's out to top that career-best result.
What can we expect on Thursday morning? Let's break down both semifinals and hand out some best bets for Wimbledon on July 11.
I tried to tell you guys, Jasmine Paolini can play.
The Italian may have taken a long time to realize her potential, but her run to the 2024 French Open final was no fluke.
She's had a career year, capturing her first title at the WTA level months ago, and has capitalized on that momentum with a stellar run here at Wimbledon which has taken her past the likes of Madison Keys, Emma Navarro and Bianca Andreescu.
The World No. 37 is in unchartered territory as someone who's never realized much success at the Grand Slam level and has been heavily reliant on her serve to get her out of trouble over the last couple of weeks.
I'm going to go ahead and lay the games here with the better of the two players, and would even consider the Italian to win in straight sets. She stands at 2-1 in her career over Vekic with a win in the only match they've played over the past three seasons, which came last year on fast hardcourts.
Best Bet for Vekic vs Paolini: Paolini -2.5 Games (-120 at DraftKings)
The second semifinal from the All England Club should be the more watchable of the two, pitting a former Grand Slam champion in Krejcikova against 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Each was held on a faster hardcourt, with the last meeting coming in Ostrava two years ago, and her craftiness on grass can't be overlooked here.
The World No. 32 has been incredible in doubles over her lengthy career and has used that to develop some expert returning and volleying skills.
The former Wimbledon champ hits a massive serve and forehand through the court, which has taken her to great heights in her career, but her form will be severely called into question against someone who can return and play from the back of the court like Krejcikova.
This shouldn't be straightforward by any means, and I think this is far too great of a line to spot Krejcikova.
Best Bet for Krejcikova vs Rybakina: Krejcikova +4.5 Games (-110 at DraftKings)
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