The Malaysian Open tournament gets ready for its semifinal matches and so do we with our tennis picks. We’re coming off a day where our tennis picks went 2-1, so it was mostly a success. Our lone loss came as a result of Sabine Lisicki not playing up to her potential. She lost a very close match to Naomi Brady where Lisicki dropped the first set 7-6, then won the second set 6-1, then dropped the third set 7-5. A couple of points here or there and she could have earned the win. However, we did get our other two wins. The first was Eugenie Bouchard, who cashed easily against Cagla Buyukakcay. She won 6-1, 6-4. Our other win came courtesy of Elina Svitolina, who beat Kristina Kucova in three sets. She lost the first set 6-1 but woke up quickly and took the next two 6-1 and 6-1.
Two seeded players facing off against unseeded challengers, so maybe the matchups look obvious. Two of the semifinalists arrived here in straight sets, while two others advanced in three sets. Will those results help inform Saturday’s matches?
Naomi Broady vs. Eugenie Bouchard
Betting Odds: Bouchard -294
This is a match in which Bouchard has to be seen as the favorite, and deserves the benefit of the doubt. The Canadian suffered a concussion – one which sidelined her for an extended period of time (months, not weeks) – during the 2015 U.S. Open. She fell in an off-court setting and had to withdraw from the tournament before her fourth-round match. She endured a miserable season up to that point, but it was at the U.S. Open where she finally began to rediscover some of the magic she displayed in her sensational 2014 season, when she shot into the top 10 and played deep into multiple Grand Slam tournaments. Everyone wondered if she would be able to regain that U.S. Open rhythm after her concussion. This is not a Premier 5 tournament or a Grand Slam event in Kuala Lumpur, but Bouchard has been authoritative and crisp. She blasted through her second-round match, losing only three games. She then powered through her quarterfinal match, losing only five games in a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Cagla Buyukakcay. Bouchard’s form is as good as it’s been in quite some time, which means that even though Naomi Broady upset third-seeded Sabine Lisicki in the quarterfinals, Bouchard has the upper hand. Broady had to play three sets and win two very tough sets in a 7-6 (4), 1-6, 7-5 victory. She’ll probably need to win this match in straights, because if it gets to a third, Bouchard should be more rested. However, with the way Bouchard is hitting the ball, it doesn’t seem as though this match will even get to a third set in the first place. Bouchard was such a good fighter in 2014, when she moved up the rankings. When she gets her teeth into a match and is confident in the way she’s playing, she doesn’t let go of an advantage. It takes a lot to beat her when she’s feeling good about herself. It’s just not wise to go against the sixth-seeded Bouchard with your tennis picks here.
Pick: Bouchard in straight sets
Lin Zhu vs. Elina Svitolina
Betting Odds: Svitolina -526
This is the tougher semifinal to predict. It’s true that Svitolina is the second seed and has made her way through the first three rounds, but she’s been an up-and-down player in Malaysia. Svitolina lost the first set of her quarterfinal to Kristina Kucova, 6-1. She then woke up and won the last two sets, 6-1 and 6-1, but that first set could be a source of concern for bettors. Lin Zhu won a straight-set quarterfinal over Qiang Wang after winning her second-round match in straight sets as well. She’s on a nice little roll. Do you go with the unseeded in-form player or the highly-seeded player who is finding ways to win? Svitolina won the last two sets of her quarterfinal so easily that she can probably play this match without being too fatigued. Give Svitolina a very slight edge and take her with your tennis picks.
Pick: Svitolina in three sets
Want to give your comments about this article? You can either leave them here or you can join us on the Get More Sports Forum and talk about this article and many more! Brag about your favorite team, argue about an athlete’s performance or tell us about a game you saw. Join a new community of sports fans who live and breathe sports and sports entertainment. It’s free! Join now!
