Tianjin Open Semifinals Odds & Pick: Veronika Kudermetova vs Heather Watson
- Veronika Kudermetova has lost a total of 10 games in this entire tournament
- Heather Watson survived four match points in the quarters to get to the semis
- This is Watson’s first WTA Tour semifinal appearance since January of 2018
After a pair of seeded players were upset by unseeded players, the Tianjin Open has an interesting semifinal between Veronika Kudermetova from Russia and Heater Watson from the United Kingdom. In this matchup of relative unknowns, who is the best bet to win and move onto the final?
Heather Watson vs Veronika Kudermetova Odds
| Player | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heather Watson | +4.5 (-103) | +223 | Over 20 (-126) |
| Veronika Kudermetova | -4.5 (-107) | -263 | Under 20 (+106) |
Odds taken 10/11/19.
Seeds Have Struggled in Tianjin
The 2019 Tianjin Open wasn’t exactly a star-studded affair to begin with as there was no Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka or Bianca Andreescu. However, the seeded players that did play here have all been knocked out. The final four players are all relatively unknown unseeded players.
Sofia Kenin was the top seed and tournament favorite but she withdrew. Wang Qiang, one of the hometown favorites, lost in the second round. Ukranian Dayana Yastremska lost in the quarters and last year’s champ, Caroline Garcia, lost in the second round. That leaves the final four as a complete toss-up.
Kudermetova Hasn’t Broken a Sweat
The 22-year-old Russian is relatively new to the tour and entered the month of October ranked No. 42 – as high as she’s ever been. It’s safe to say that she’s on a bit of a heater right now as this is as well as she’s played to date. She’s 46-24 on the year and is 8-3 in her last 11 matches.
At this tournament in particular, she’s barely broken a sweat. She knocked off Ajla Tolmjanovic 6-4, 6-2 in the opening round, was leading 5-0 on No. 7 Saisai Zheng in the second round before Zheng retired, and beat the No. 3 Yastremska 6-4, 6-0 in the quarters. In total, Kudermetova has lost a total of 10 games in this tournament.
Watson Putting it Together in Tianjin
Watson is the former No. 1 British player on the women’s side but those days have long passed. She was viewed as a rising star in 2012. She’s barely a .500 player over the last five years. On the tour’s main draw, she’s just 4-11 on the year, including 3-6 on hard courts. That includes nine straight first-round losses at tournaments to start 2019.
She’s done a bit better of late as she got to the second round at Wimbledon before getting cleaned out, and she’s now won three matches at the Tianjin Open. This is her first WTA Tour semifinal since January 2018. She had to save four match points in the quarters just to get to this point.
Watson vs Kudermetova Statistical Comparison
| 4-11 | 2019 Record | 23-15 |
| 0 | 2019 Singles Titles | 0 |
| 0 | Head-To-Head Record | 0 |
| 1 | Sets Lost at 2019 Beijing Open | 0 |
| 2 | Seeded Players Defeated at 2019 Beijing Open | 2 |
Bet on Kudermetova
This is a small tournament, so anything can happen, but I’d bet on Kudermetova. She’s looked better this year and in this tournament. These two have never met before and while Watson has more experience, Kudermetova is the more talented of the two players right now.
It’s tough to bet on Watson, a player who had just one win on the year on the main tour before the start of this event. Bet on Kudermetova to advance.
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
