Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Reilly Opelka Odds & Prediction – ATP National Bank Open Semifinals
- Stefanos Tsitsipas is the -525 favorite over Reilly Opelka in their ATP National Bank Open men’s singles semifinal on Saturday, August 14
- Tsitsipas is 1-0 in head-to-head meetings against Opelka
- Opelka has won three tiebreakers in his last four sets
Stefanos Tsitsipas was supposed to be here. For the #3 seed, projections and expectations were that he’d be in the men’s singles semifinals at the ATP National Bank Open in Toronto.
Reilly Opelka, though, continues to defy the odds. The unseeded American has toppled two seeded players to get to Saturday’s semifinal date with world #3 Tsitsipas.
The oddsmakers, though, aren’t buying into the life of Reilly. Tsitsipas is being established as the -525 favorite to advance to Sunday’s final.
ATP National Bank Open Semifinal Odds
| Player | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reilly Opelka | +370 | +2.5 (+155) | O 21.5 (-145) |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | -525 | -2.5 (-220) | U 21.5 (+105) |
Odds as of August 13 at DraftKings
Saturday’s semifinal is slated for a 3:00 pm EST start at the Aviva Centre.
Halting Ruud’s Run
Casper Ruud had won 13 matches in a row on the ATP Tour. He was the winner in each of his last three tournaments, the first player to put a run like that together in a decade.
However, when he took the court opposite Tsitsipas, the Norwegian was in for a rude awakening. The Greek player whipped Ruud 6-1, 6-4. It took Tsitsipas just 74 minutes to dispose of his quarterfinal opponent.
Ascending to the #3 ranking in the ATP on Monday, Tsitsipas is continuing to roll. Charging to a 5-0 lead in the first set against Ruud, Tsitsipas made only four unforced errors the entire opening set.
Semis for Stefanos 👏🏻
🇬🇷 @steftsitsipas rolls on and defeats Ruud 6-1, 6-4.#NBO21 pic.twitter.com/7GUoziw3wT
— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 13, 2021
The Greek star is through to the seventh ATP Masters 1000 semifinal of his tennis career. He captured his first Masters 1000 crown earlier this year, winning in Monte-Carlo in April.
The second set was more of a battle. Tsistipas broke Ruud’s service at 4-4 and then served out to secure the victory. He avenged an earlier loss this season to Ruud in May at Madrid. The victory was the 45 of the season for Tsitsipas. That leads all ATP players.
Another One Bites The Dust
Opelka is also rolling right along in Canada. He opened the National Bank Open with a victory over Nick Krygios. Then Opelka toppled #14 seed Grigor Dimitrov. There was another three-set triumph over Lloyd Harris in the Round of 16.
In the quarterfinals against #10 seed Roberto Bautista Agut, Opelka required just 83 minutes to overcome his Spanish opponent 6-3, 7-6(7-1). He won 85% (35-of-41) of his first-service points.
Not sure if Opelka or Djokovic 🤯 pic.twitter.com/q47WYMwIV0
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) August 13, 2021
The 6-foot-10 Opelka, second on the ATP Tour in aces per match with 18.7, utilized his size and powerful service game to overpower the 6-foot, 165-pound Bautista Agut. The American served 18 aces during his straight-sets victory. Opelka advanced to his second ATP Masters 1000 semi-final of his career and of this season.
Opelka’s previous best result this season came at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. He also advanced to the semi-finals at that Masters 1000 clay-court event in Rome.
Meeting His Match
Opelka has been living on the edge ever since arriving in Toronto but he keeps coming up roses. He’s rallied in two matches after dropping the first set. Opelka is 4-0 in tiebreakers. He’s played three tiebreakers in his last four sets.
At some point, the other shoe must drop. And Tsitsipas is just the guy to put his foot down.
"If you're playing Stefanos, you are having a great week. It's a big moment. It's a big match. I'm looking forward to it."
Reilly Opelka on playing Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals. #NBO21 #ATPToronto
— Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) August 13, 2021
Tsitsipas can just about match the powerful Opelka when it comes to his power game and his service game. Both players have won 88% of their service games this season. Even Opelka acknowledged that Tsitsipas possesses the best forehand in the game today.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Reilly Opelka Stats
| 3 | ATP Ranking | 32 |
| 7 | ATP Titles | 2 |
| 17 | ATP Final Appearances | 4 |
| 45-12 | W-L (2021) | 14-14 |
| 88% | Service Games Won | 88% |
| 27% | Return Games Won | 11% |
| 67% | Break Points Saved | 67% |
| 289 | Aces | 426 |
The two met once previously and Tsitsipas came away as the winner. But there’s a caveat attached to that win.
Opelka was forced to retire due to a right knee injury in the quarterfinals at Cincinnati in 2020. He was ahead in the match 6-5 at the time.
It’s time to raise the ceiling Toronto, the giant and his pink bag have arrived 👛 #NBO21 #Opelka pic.twitter.com/oTdrMFvgOU
— Tennis GIFs 🎾🎥 (@tennis_gifs) August 13, 2021
However, he’s been walking a tightrope in this tournament. And Tsitsipas owns a .734 win rate over the past 52 weeks.
Pick: Stefanos Tsitsipas (-525); Tsitsipas 2-1 (+240)
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An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
