WTA Osaka is coming to a close, and last night the hometown crowd was dealt a blow as Naomi Osaka withdrew, meaning Jaqueline Cristian would move on. Osaka suffered a leg injury in her match with Lamens, and she wasn’t moving as well as she had hoped this morning. The tennis must be played, so on we go. Here are my picks for the semifinal matches. Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
WTA Osaka Open
Cristian – Valentova: Time 06:30
H2H: 0-0
Jaqueline Cristian vs Tereza Valentova opens up our coverage. Cristian is the beneficiary of Naomi Osaka being unable to continue, and it brings her record in her last ten matches to 6-4. Valentova enters the match at 8-2 in her last ten matches, and seemingly on a mission to remind everyone she’s as good as anyone else in the world. At 49-11 this year, she’s reached the quarterfinals in ten of the 16 tournaments in which she’s played. Cristian has one title in ’25, and she’s reached the quarterfinals in just four tournaments.
Best Bet to Make
There’s a solid reason why Valentova, even though she’s the lower-ranked player on the World scale, is a 3-1 favorite in this match. The bet I’m most attracted to here is Valentova winning 2:0 at 1.95 on 1xBet. Given that the maximum value you can get taking her straight up is 1.38 on Unibet. It’s just not even worth it. Seven of Valentova’s last ten matches have been won in straight sets. I think Cristian is going to be outmatched against Valentova, and it’s going to show itself early for the audience to witness.
That being said, Valentova winning 2:0 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/the best odds: Valentova winning 2:0 @1.95 @1xBet
Fernandez – Cirstea: Time 05:00
H2H: 0-0
Leylah Fernandez vs Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea is our featured match. Fernandez and Cirstea have never played before, surprisingly enough. Fernandez has greatly improved her hardcourt play from 2024. Not only does she already have more wins than last year, but she also has one fewer loss. Cirstea has also improved her hardcourt play from last year. She’s already matched her career-high win total, and she’s managed to keep losses down, as well. Cirstea is 24-12 on a hardcourt in ’25, and Fernandez is 22-14 this year. Both women also enter the match on a three-match win streak.
Best Bet to Make
The books have Fernandez as the favorite. Both women are 6-4 in their last ten matches, and both have three quality losses and one bad loss. Adding to their similarities, both women played three sets in only four of their last ten matches. It ultimately comes down to the fact that Fernandez is just buzzsawing through her opposition, while Cirstea is having to win in three sets. If Fernandez wins the first set, it’s basically over. Per the WTA, she’s 23-3 this year when winning the first set. You’re going to get the benefit of the doubt when you’re winning in style and winning consistently.
That being said, Over 21.5 games is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/the best odds: Over 21.5 games @1.95 @1xBet
Main Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
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