A small bit of history is being made at the Australian Open semifinal.
For the first time since 2013, neither the Men's or Ladies' draw at a major will have a first-time semifinalist.
In the second Women's matchup, slim underdog Danielle Collins looks to upset WTA No. 7 Iga Swiatek.
Covers Experts’ resident tennis handicapper Tennis Insiders breaks down the semi-finalists and matchups with our Australian Open semifinal picks.
Danielle Collins vs Iga Swiatek odds
| (27) Danielle Collins | (7) Iga Swiatek | |
|---|---|---|
| +120 | Moneyline | -150 |
| +1.5 (-120) | Match Handicap (Games) | -1.5 (-120) |
| 3.5 (-125 Over/-110 Under) | Total Breaks of Serve | 3.5 (-188 Under/+137 Over) |
Odds courtesy of bet365 as of January 26, 2022.
Australian Open women's semifinal betting preview
Danielle Collins betting breakdown
Danielle Collins is thriving in Melbourne — a semifinalist in 2019, she’s returned to the final four once again.
She’s faced a myriad of styles, the power-hitting of Ana Konjuh and Clara Tauson, the counter-punching ability of Elise Mertens, and the variety of Alize Cornet.
Iga Swiatek betting breakdown
Swiatek’s game continues to mature — she’s grinded out back-to-back deciding-set victories against the unseeded Sorona Cirstea and Kaia Kanepi to reach the semi-finals.
These courts suit her heavy forehand, while her movement on hard court is sublime. Swiatek’s 5-0 record in three-set matches at majors after losing the first set is also a sign of great fortitude from the 20-year-old — even when her game isn’t redlining she can still find ways to win.
Australian Open women's semifinal matchup preview
This will be the second match in the evening session, thus, the balls won’t be as lively and will bounce lower, which should help Collins.
Swiatek has problems on the second serve that Collins can capitalize on with her aggressive returning. Kanepi feasted on the Swiatek second serve, winning 63% of return points.
Neither player’s kick serve will be particularly effective at night so we can expect plenty of service breaks and momentum swings.
Swiatek had problems finding depth of shot against Kanepi, if she can improve in that area she has a good opportunity to dictate play.
Australian Open women's semifinal pick
- Collins/Swiatek Over 7.5 breaks of serve (+110 at bet365)
