in Tennis Free Picks

The Pattaya Women’s Open quarterfinal saw Sybille Bammer defeat Martina Sucha in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to set up a semifinal match with Shuai Peng, who defeated Tzipora Obziler 6-3, 6-2. While the bottom half of the draw saw Mirza advance 6-4, 7-6 over Mara Santangelo to face Gisela Dulko who blazed past Nicole Pratt in an easy 6-2-6-3 victory.

With a 3-1 record for my quarterfinals predictions, here are my picks for the semifinals head-to-head matchups:

Sybille Bammer +150 Shuai Peng -200

Prediction: No. 42 Shuai Peng is favored on this line and comes with a price tag of -200. But her price tag seems to be more a reflection of her higher WTA rank over Sybille Bammer who is at No. 61 in the ranks. These two have met only once before, but that was in 2002 and Peng defeated Bammer 6-2, 6-0 on hardcourt.

While head-to-head stats are a good benchmark to consider, they are in no way an indication of future outcomes. This fact was clearly evident in Bammer’s victory over Sucha - an opponent that has beaten her on five other occasions - in yesterday’s spectacular quarterfinal effort.

While Peng’s game is suited to the hardcourt surface, neither player seems to have a decided advantage over the other. Moreover, bolstered by her great comeback in the quarterfinals, and the fact that Peng admitted she was battling a cold, Bammer may have the slight edge over Peng, despite her favored status on the line.

In short, this match could go either way, but in terms of betting value ,it’s a choice between putting $100 on Bammer to win $150, or $200 on Peng to win $100.

Pick: By all accounts, Peng should win this match, making her the safer bet, but I like Bammer’s chances to even up the score. Bammer in three sets.

Sania Mirza -200 Gisela Dulko +150

Prediction: Sania Mirza, favored in this matchup, arrives to the Pattaya Womens Semifinals ranked 49th to play against Gisela Dulko, who is ranked 52nd. While Mirza ranks higher than Dulko, it was Dulko who won the only head-to-head matchup between the two, at the 2005 French Open.

Dulko has had a relatively easy run thus far in the Open and has not dropped a set. Having received a bye into the quarterfinals on the account of Molik’s withdrawal, she ended up having a relatively easy match against veteran Nicole Pratt, defeating her 6-2, 6-3. Considering her breeze into the semifinals, she might have the edge over Mirza in terms of energy.

Mirza has had carved a slightly tougher course to the semifinals of the Pattaya Open. Having played all of her matches, she has dropped only one set. In her tough quarterfinal match against Santangelo, she found herself down several times on account of troubles with her serve. While she did rally back, she will have to cut down her errors if she has a hope of advancing to the finals.

Pick: If Mirza tightens her game, she should have a good match against Dulko, evening the score in their head-to-head record. But should her game be riddled with errors, which I think it will, she will get no favors from Dulko. Again, I pick the underdog on this line! Dulko in three sets.

Nila Amerova is a freelance sports writer and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room.

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