WTA Eastbourne Semifinals Predictions, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks

WTA Eastbourne Semifinal Best Bets

The WTA Eastbourne semifinal lineup is set for Friday’s penultimate round of the Rothesay International tournament.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is set to take on Beatriz Haddad Maia in the first semifinal. Then defending Eastbourne champion Jelena Ostapenko faces Camila Giorgi in the day’s second semifinal.

Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and tennis odds for WTA Eastbourne. We’ve plenty of picks and predictions for you to consider.

Kvitova vs Haddad Maia

Kvitova reached the Eastbourne semifinals, dropping just one set along the way. The Czech star opened her campaign with a straight-set victory over Donna Vekic before going the distance against Britain’s Katie Boulter in the second round.

In the quarterfinals, the two-time Wimbledon champion powered to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the last remaining Brit, Harriet Dart. Kvitova needed just one hour, 25 minutes to dismiss the home favorite and set up a semifinal showdown against Brazil’s Haddad Maia.

A semifinal for Petra Kvitova. You love to see it. pic.twitter.com/TYymaXDmvV

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) June 23, 2022

The key to Kvitova’s victory was her stellar serving. When the Czech’s serve is firing at all cylinders, she’s tough to beat. She served eight aces, broke Dart twice, and won 73 percent of her first-serve points. She also fought off the only break point she faced in the match.

Haddad Maia advanced into the semifinal due to a walkover. The Brazilian was due to face Lesia Tsurenko before the Ukrainian tapped out due to a right elbow injury.

A walkover can work for or against a player. In Haddad Maia’s case, it might be a blessing in disguise.

The Brazilian is bidding for her third straight grass-court title ahead of Wimbledon after picking up titles in Nottingham and Birmingham during the grass-court swing.

Getting a day off will mean she’ll be fresh for her matchup with Kvitova. Haddad Maia is riding a 13-match winning streak into the semis. She’s also played several doubles matches in Nottingham and Eastbourne.

Kvitova vs Haddad Maia Head-to-Head

Haddad Maia has the 1-0 head-to-head edge over Kvitova after beating her in Birmingham last week, 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the Round of 32.

Kvitova vs Haddad Maia Betting Verdict

Haddad Maia has won titles in Nottingham and Birmingham. To win a third in Eastbourne would raise her profile for the upcoming Wimbledon Championships.

Having beaten Kvitova last week in Birmingham, oddsmakers rate the Brazilian’s chances to repeat at -115. That said, they’re also giving Kvitova (-105) nearly an equal shot in the betting.

As per the tennis odds, they’re both priced at -110 to win and advance into the final. It’s worth noting that Haddad-Maia is also favored to win the tournament outright at +187. Kvitova is the second-best bet at +225.

Tennis bettors can do no worse than back either player for the win. For our money, we’re backing Kvitova to win.

Pick: Petra Kvitova -105

Giorgi vs Ostapenko Preview

Giorgi booked her place in the Rothesay International semifinals following a straight-set victory over Viktoriya Tomova 6-2, 6-1.

The Italian was in sublime form as she outhit and outshot her Bulgarian counterpart. Although Giorgi only got 50 percent of her first serves in, she still managed to serve up five aces and win an incredible 82 percent of her first-serve points. Giorgi also fashioned nine break-point opportunities, converting on five of those.

Defending champion Ostapenko powered her way into the final four with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Anhelina Kalinina in 69 minutes.

The Latvian star won 72 percent of her first-serve points and converted on 4 of 11 break-point opportunities. She also fought off 4 of 5 break points in the straight-set victory.

Ostapenko hasn’t dropped a set in Eastbourne and improves to a 4-1 record on grass in the lead-up to the Wimbledon Championships.

Giorgi vs Ostapenko Head-to-Head

Giorgi and Ostapenko are level 1-1, albeit both matches are over five years old. Giorgi won the first meeting in Katowice in 2016, 6-4, 6-3. Ostapenko drew level with a 7-5, 7-5 win at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships R32.

Giorgi vs Ostapenko Betting Verdict

Defending champion Ostapenko enters this matchup as the clear favorite to win with tennis odds of -165. However, Giorgi is a dangerous floater that can serve up upset.

Both these players play a similar brand of power tennis, going for broke with every shot. They’re aggressive and constantly look to hit a winner. Neither is in the habit of taking the foot off the pedal either, which should make for an absorbing contest.

As such, with two evenly matched players, this is the right tossup for your tennis picks.