Anett Kontaveit vs Simona Halep Australian Open Quarterfinals Odds & Pick
- Anett Kontaveit made history becoming the first Estonian to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal
- Simona Halep is only one of three of the top 10 seeds to have made it to the quarterfinal stage this year
- Halep is a -230 favorite to win against Kontaveit
The reigning Wimbledon champion and No. 4 seed, Simona Halep, will take on No. 28 seed Anett Kontaveit in a quarterfinal showdown at Melbourne Park tonight at 7:00 pm EST.
Kontaveit suffered a viral infection which cut her 2019 season short in September. She was forced to withdraw from the US Open after reaching the round of 32 and subsequently required surgery that ended her year.
Kontaveit vs Halep: Australian Open Quarterfinal Odds
| Player | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anett Kontaveit | +3.5 (EVEN) | +185 | O 21.5 (-105) |
| Simona Halep | -3.5 (-130) | -230 | U 21.5 (-125) |
Odds taken Jan. 27
Anett Kontaveit
Anett Kontaveit has made Estonian tennis history by being the first to reach a major quarterfinal at the Australian Open. After an epic two-hour and 42-minute battle, the 24-year-old was successful in outlasting Polish teenager Iga Swiatek in a thrilling three-set match, 6-7(4), 7-5, 7-5.
The Estonian struck only 29 winners, while Swiatek finished the match with 42, followed by 51 unforced errors to Kontaveit’s 35.
When it came to converting break-point opportunities, Swiatek only converted on 37% against Kontaveit’s 64% (nine of 14).
Kontaveit was up 5-1 in the third set; however, Swiatek capitalized on some tentative play from the Estonian and broke her twice to square the match at 5-5. Kontaveit then rallied winning consecutive games including breaking Swiatek’s serve to clinch.
A notable win for Kontaveit came in the third round, where she easily disposed of the no. 6 seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 6-0, 6-1.
Kontaveit has reached three other fourth rounds, two back to back in 2018. The 5’9 Estonian earned a career-high ranking of World No. 14 not too long after reaching the Miami Open semifinals in April 2019.
Simona Halep
Standing in the way of Kontaveit’s first semifinal Grand Slam appearance is two-time major winner Simona Halep of Romania.
Halep advanced to her fourth Australian Open quarterfinal with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over 2018 semifinalist and No. 16 seed Elise Mertens inside Rod Laver Arena.
Although the Belgian was the clear aggressor with 36 winners overall compared to Halep’s 21, the Romanian superstar was much more consistent, committing far fewer unforced errors and double faults. Halep’s successful counter-punching victory took an hour and 36 minutes.
Last year, Halep lost to Serena Williams in the fourth round 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. In the 2018 Australian Open finals, she fell to Caroline Wozniacki.
The feisty 5’6 Romanian has been ranked among the top five in the world for six straight years and was No. 1 in both 2017 and 2018.
Kontaveit vs Halep Head-to-Head
| 31 | WTA Ranking | 3 |
| 0 | Head-to-Head | 2 |
| 24 | Age | 28 |
| 1-2 | 2020 Record | 1-1 |
| 1 | Overall WTA Singles Titles | 19 |
Best Bet
Although Kontaveit has produced some exciting results the last few years, Halep has yet to drop a set so far in the tournament, as well as against her upcoming opponent. The former world No. 1 disposed of Kontaveit on hard courts during the 2017 Miami Masters 6-3, 6-0, followed by a straight set victory at the Rome Masters a few months later.
The 2018 Australian Open finalist has the experience of going the distance in Grand Slams and is without a doubt the favorite to move on to the semifinals.
Best Bet: Simona Halep -230
An experienced sports journalist, Martha K has written feature stories for CBC and Yahoo Sports, hosted Sauga 960 AM, worked with ESPN production and covered a variety of major events, including the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. She is a former Division 1 tennis athlete.
