WTA Elite Trophy Semifinals Odds & Pick: Bertens vs Zheng

• No. 1 seed Kiki Bertens will take on No. 12 seed Saisai Zheng in the semifinals of the Hengqin Life WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai tournament
• This will be the first time Bertens has competed in this tournament’s semifinals
• This will be the second time the two players have played each other

The first semifinals match of the Hengqin Life WTA Elite Trophy tournament will take place on Saturday, October 26 at 3:00 am EST, between Kiki Bertens and Saisai Zheng. This will only be the second time the two players have played each other. The two players have very different odds of entering the tournament. Berten’s WTA Elite Trophy odds were +550, and Zheng’s were +2500. Bertens is the favorite to win this match and head to the finals with -270 odds compared to Zheng’s +230.

Kiki Bertens vs. Saisai Zheng Odds

Odds taken October 25, 2019

Berten’s Road to the Semis

Ranked No. 10 in the world, Kiki Bertens almost missed out on playing this tournament, but made her way into it as the three seed. After Aryna Sabalenka and Sofia Kenin lost, Bertens is now the No. 1 seed. Bertens has been able to beat both her opponents at this tournament in straight sets, beating No. 8 seed, Donna Vekic 7-6, 6-2, and then Dayana Yastremska to head to the semifinals.

?? @kikibertens defeats Yastremska in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, advancing to the semifinals of the @WTAEliteTrophy pic.twitter.com/FkrewPD1Bt

— wta (@WTA) October 24, 2019

Berten’s has played every week since the US Open, and still beat her opponent, Dayana Yastremska, 6-4, 6-3, in one hour and 26 minutes. Bertens was able to jump off to a great start in her final group stage match, after her opponent committed four double faults in her first three service games, and was broken twice.

Yastremska played well despite the double faults, challenging Bertens with strong backhands and volleys. But Bertens showed to be too solid, and Yastremska committed a fifth double fault down match point.

Zheng’s Road to the Semis

Saisai Zheng qualified for the knockout rounds despite losing to Petra Martic in the final group match, 6-4, 6-3. Despite the loss, she won at least seven games in the defeat, so Zheng moved onto the semis. Zheng had an impressive win to open the tournament against American Madison Keys, winning 6-4, 6-2.

This is Saisai’s second singles appearance in Zhuhai, but the first time she’s advanced out of the round-robin stage, having gone 0-4, four years ago in her first appearance at the tournament. Saisai goes onto play World No. 10 Kiki Bertens in the semifinals which is going to be one of her biggest challenges of the tournament

Head-to-Head

The two players have only ever played each other once before, in 2016 at the Miami Masters. It was in the round of 128, and Kiki Bertens was the winner, winning in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. It makes this harder to predict when the players have only seen each other one time before, and years earlier.

Kiki Bertens vs Saisai Zheng

In tennis, so much can change in a season, let alone three and a half years. After the match in 2016, Bertens has gone on to win two WTA titles in 2017, debuted in the Top 10 in 2018, and won her first Premier Mandatory title this season. Bertens has been able to add a lot to her resume, and Zheng will come into the match as the underdog once again with +230 odds to win the match.

Zheng is coming into the semifinals after a loss in straight sets, whereas Bertens is coming off a straight-set win. It’s not usual for a player to make it to the next round after losing, but because of the round-robin style, Zheng made into the final four.

Pick: Bertens -270