SkySports tennis commentator James Buttler looks at Thursday's women's semi-final action and picks his Wimbledon winners.
WIMBLEDON LADIES SEMI-FINALS
We're at the pointy end of Wimbledon 2024 and it's the semi-final stage. It's the ladies who hit the court on Thursday. I'm quite excited as, if you listened to my tournament preview, I've got both of my fancies to lift the trophies in the men's and women's side of the draw and still very much in contention.
PICK 1: My pick to win the ladies title was Elena Rybakina, the 4th seed. She takes on Barbora Krejcikova, the 31st seed. Krejcikova leads the H2Hs 2-0. Both have been three setters on hard courts. They have not met on grass.
Rybakina is over the injury that affected her Berlin quarter-final in the runup to Wimbledon. Both players have been absolutely brilliant on the grass at SW19, both have dropped just one set en route to the semi-final and both have won us money along the way.
Rybakina remains my tip to win the trophy but Krejcikova can certainly claim a set. 2-1 to Rybakina is 3/1. If you fancy Rybakina to go through in straights is 8/11.
PICK 2: The other semi-final sees Jasmine Paolini of Italy taking on Donna Vekic, the 28-year-old Croatian. Vekic plays her first Grand Slam semi-final. She's never previously reached the heady heights and this is now nosebleed territory. She looked tired and emotionally drained after her quarter-final three-set win over Lulu Sun. She'll need to regather her composure and with Pam Shriver, the US legend, now in her corner, she's got genuine belief.
I've commentated quite a bit on Jasmine Paolini over the last few years and she's always been a fighter, but she's gone up a level this season and leads Vekic 2-1 on H2Hs. Paolini lost in the French Open final to Iga Swiatek and no disgrace losing to the world no.1, but she's getting a real taste for the Slams.
I fancy Paolini to end Vekic's charge. Paolini to go through 2-1 is 16/5. For Paolini to win in straight sets is 6/4.
You can obviously take your pick, but I'm playing Paolini and Rybakina both to win by 2-1 as a 15.8/1 double and Paolini and Rybakina to win in straight sets is a 3.24/1 double. I really do fancy Rybakina and Paolini to be meeting in the final of this Wimbledon.
I'll be back ahead of Friday's games where we'll see the gentlemen playing their semi-finals.
Gamble responsibly and enjoy the tennis.
Comments