Anisimova vs Jabeur & Alexandrova vs Bencic: Charleston Open Semifinals Odds & Picks

• No. 4 seed Ons Jabeur, the most accomplished clay-courter, is the highest seed remaining in Charleston
• Belinda Bencic, seeded No. 10, continues to build upon her momentum from the Miami Open
• Read on as we break down Saturday’s semifinal matchups, and make some predictions

The final four at this year’s Charleston Open definitely didn’t run true to seeding form.

But that has often been true at this “bridge” tournament between the Indian Wells – Miami marathon, and the spring season on the red clay of Europe.

Anisimova vs Jabeur Odds

Odds as of April 9 at Barstool Sportsbook

And so, the final four are No. 4 seed Ons Jabeur, No. 10 seed Belinda Bencic, No. 15 seed Amanda Anisimova and unseeded Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Of the four, Jabeur was among the top favorites before the tournament began. Alexandrova was barely on the charts.

First Installment of Anisimova vs Jabeur

After a tough Indian Wells and Miami, Amanda Anisimova has bounced back beautifully in Charleston.

She defeated the always-pesky Yulia Putintseva. And then she upset No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka. And in the quarterfinals, she took advantage of a depleted Coco Vandeweghe to cruise into the semis without expending too much energy.

Anisimova is already almost assured of being seeded at Roland Garros, where she made the semifinals in 2019. And she has already moved up 15 spots in the rankings to the low 30s. (That won’t change even if she beats Jabeur Saturday).

Anisimova vs Jabeur Head-to-Head

Jabeur also with a Good Draw

Jabeur also had an unexpectedly easier opponent in the quarterfinals, in unseeded Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine.

(We went 3-for-3 for the quarterfinal predictions Friday).

Kalinina had already upset No. 5 seed Elena Rybakina and No. 12 Alizé Cornet. And so that removed a few obstacles from Jabeur’s path.

Obviously that means the Ukrainian is in a good form. But Jabeur’s all-court game can throw anyone off-form.

And in Kalinina’s position,  it’s almost uncharted territory to still be playing tennis on the weekend.

So it’s tough one to call. Because Anisimova is an underrated clay-court player. And she can offer some variety of her own if need be. Beyond that, she’s also a momentum player.

Meanwhile, Jabeur is the more complete player. Either way, it doesn’t feel like a marathon.

Best Bet: Under 2.5 sets (-175)

Alexandrova vs Bencic Odds

Bencic on a Good U.S. Roll

Bencic hadn’t beaten Paula Badosa in three tries, since they first met in Charleston in 2021.

But the 25-year-old Swiss managed it, coming back from the brink to win in three. She showed annoyance, while her opponent showed angst.

The gusty winds that popped up might have been the difference-maker in their quarterfinal Friday; Bencic simply handled the conditions better.

Alexandrova vs Bencic Head-to-Head

Charleston the 2-2 Tiebreaker

Bencic and Alexandrova have met four times, two of them on grass. The other two were on a hard court in the unique Indian Wells conditions, and on indoor clay.

So there’s not much to compare this match with.

But Bencic is another momentum player. And getting this far in a tournament, with an unseeded opponent on the other side, is a good situation for her.

Alexandrova vs Bencic Match History

Bencic redirects pace very well. Alexandrova’s game is fairly one-dimensional in that sense. And her biggest weakness is that she can fall apart a little mentally.

Ekaterina Alexandrova closes out a 6-0, 6-2 win over a fatigued Magda Linette to reach the semifinals of the Credit One Charleston Open!

Her first WTA clay semifinal and assured a return to the Top 50. First semifinal of 2022 and Katya is truly back in business!

[📽: @WTA TV] pic.twitter.com/RSg1AdP6tH

— WTARussians (@WTArussians) April 8, 2022

The Russian didn’t have much opposition Friday against Magda Linette, as the Polish player pulled out two three-setters Thursday and had little left.

That made her look perhaps in better form than she actually is; this is her first career semifinal on clay.

Best Bet:  Bencic in two sets (+140)