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Jennifer Brady vs Naomi Osaka Odds & Preview: US Open Women’s Singles Semifinals

Hayley Graham

by Hayley Graham in Tennis

Updated Mar 9, 2021 · 6:19 AM PST

Jennifer Brady stretching for a forehand return during a tennis match at the Australian Open.
United States' Jennifer Brady hits a forehand return to Japan's Naomi Osaka during the women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021.(AP Photo/Mark Dadswell)
  • Naomi Osaka and Jennifer Brady’s third meeting will be at the US Open Semifinals
  • This is Brady’s first Grand Slam semifinal, while Osaka looks to earn herself a spot in the US Open finals for the second time in three years
  • Get our preview and best bet for this semifinals match below

The first semifinal of the US Open for the women will take place Thursday, September 10 between 28th seed Jennifer Brady and fourth seed Naomi Osaka. The two players first saw each other as teenagers in 2014, with their most recent match coming back in 2018. Osaka is the favorite going into the match, but Brady will be Osaka’s toughest opponent to date at the US Open.

Jennifer Brady vs Naomi Osaka Semifinal Odds

Player Spread Moneyline Total from DraftKings
[28] Jennifer Brady +3.5 (-112) +180 O 21.5 (-109)
[4] Naomi Osaka -3.5 (-109) -220 U 21.5 (-112)

Odds taken Sept. 9

Osaka’s Road to the Semifinals

Former US Open winner Osaka has played incredible tennis in the tournament this year. In her quarterfinal match against Shelby Rogers, she recorded seven aces, and only had eight unforced errors in a straight-set win. She beat her American opponent 6-4, 6-4.

Osaka controlled her opponent for most of the match. Rogers constantly found herself having to come back from being behind. With a massive serve, Osaka has pretty much been putting on a serving masterclass this entire tournament. She only dropped one single point in her final four service games against Rogers.

Brady’s Road to the Semifinals

Seeded in a major tournament for the first time in her career, Brady has had herself an impressive US Open so far. She has yet to drop a single set while beating higher seeds Angelique Kerber and Yulia Putintseva. In her quarterfinal match against Putintseva, she absolutely dominated in a 6-3, 6-2 win, in just 70 minutes.

In her quarterfinal match, Brady recorded 22 winners and six aces, while holding her opponent to just seven winners. She was able to use size as an advantage over her opponent

Brady has been playing such well-rounded tennis the past two weeks and has only lost her serve a handful of times this tournament. She has played with such an ease and calmness, that you would expect from a well-experienced player. You could say she’s been playing like a champion. Brady looks to be the first former collegiate player to reach the women’s final at the US Open since Billie Jean King in 1974.

Head-to-Head

The head-to-head record here is not necessarily something to really focus on in this match. They faced each other in 2014, where Brady won, but their most recent match in Charleston, Osaka won. But the head-to-head record isn’t as important in this match, because the two young players haven’t played each other in two years, and both players have improved tremendously in their careers since.

Brady specifically has proven to be one of the most improved players in recent months, and Osaka has had quite the past two years including a world number one ranking.

Brady vs Osaka Stats

Brady
VS
Osaka
41 WTA Ranking 9
25 Age 22
1 Head-to-Head Wins 1
0 Sets Dropped at 2020 US Open 2

Look for Osaka to dominate every time she serves. As mentioned earlier, Brady hasn’t found herself breaking under pressure, and has had a calm demeanor. The same can be said for Osaka.

Although Brady has had a great tournament, and an impressive 2020, Osaka is just too dominant for the American. Brady might be able to steal a set from Osaka, but it is a bit hard to imagine. The Japanese star absolutely thrives under the pressure and will look to continue her momentum. If Osaka shows up tomorrow playing the same type of tennis she has been playing, she should be able to book her ticket to the US Open final once again.

Best Bet: [4] Osaka (-220)

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