There are four women standing in the Australian Open but all eyes are firmly on one lady – Serena Williams. The other semi-finalists Agnieszka Radwanska, Angelique Kerber and Johanna Konta will have their reasons to feel aggrieved, but they all know that the battle is to find the survivor to face Serena next. Or, will the ladies get inspired by what happened in US Open 2015 to pick a new winner? We take a look at the action in store as we offer 2016 Australian Open Semi-Finals betting tips.
Semi-final One: Serena vs Radwanska
The 2016 Australian Open has been pretty much routine stuff in the tournament for Serena. She was the pre-tournament favorite and reached the semi-finals without dropping a set. Even the presence of Maria Sharapova in the quarter-finals didn’t dampen her spirits – of course, the presence of Sharapova never troubles her (she won her 18th consecutive match against the Russian). What Serena also loves is to win Grand Slams and on the face of it, the viewers would be as upset as her if she fails to do so here.
Radwanska advanced to the semi-finals losing just one set and looking fairly comfortable in all her matches. In fact, she is on a 13 match winning streak and would love to continue that and reach her second Grand Slam final. But, the biggest hurdle comes now for the fourth seed who will have to pray for her best day on the pitch complemented by the worst day for Serena. Too much to ask?
Serena won all the previous eight encounters against Radwanska dropping just one set. The last time they played was way back in 2013 but it doesn’t look like anything has changed for Radwanska or Serena…or their head-to-head.
Prediction: Serena to win in straight sets at odds of $1.45 (William Hill)
Semi-final Two: Kerber vs Konta
Kerber is the lone seed to survive from the scrappy bottom half. She was close to getting knocked out in the first round but survived a match point. Lucky for her that she did because it kick-started her campaign. It was a minor surprise when she overcame Victoria Azarenka in the quarters. If the German can summon the same game from that match, reaching the finals isn’t out of her reach.
Facing her would be the dreaming underdog Johanna Konta - Britain’s own number one player. Having dumped Venus Williams early in the tournament, she was helped with the seeds in her draw finding ways of getting knocked out. Not to take anything out of Konta’s run – especially her fourth round win against Ekaterina Makarova, which was a huge portrayal of her self-belief and determination. Having become the first British woman since Jo Durie at 1983 US Open to reach a Grand Slam final four, Konta wouldn’t want to stop here.
On paper, Kerber may have an edge but this year Australian Open has thrown form book out so many times so far. One more upset win to push Konta to finals? Looks so!
Prediction: Back Konta to win at odds of $3.50 (William Hill)
_ _ _
f you want to take advantage of the great Australian Open promos at William Hill, but don't have an account, click to sign-up and you can also score a $700 bonus!
Make sure to read full terms and conditions of any betting promotion before placing any bets.
_ _ _
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
