Alexandrova vs Bertens Odds & Pick: WTA St. Petersburg Open Semifinals
By Hayley Graham in Tennis
Updated: March 18, 2021 at 12:46 pm EDTPublished:
- Defending champion Kiki Bertens will face Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semifinal of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy
- Alexandrova moves onto the semifinals after Petra Kvitova retired from the tournament
- Get the odds and best bet for this semifinals match below
Kiki Bertens is looking to book herself a ticket to the final of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, and repeat as champion. But in order for that to happen, she’ll have to get past Russian No.1 Ekaterina Alexandrova. Both players’ St. Petersburg odds were in the top five coming into the tournament, but Bertens is the favorite to win this match and move onto the final.
St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy Semifinal Odds
| Player | Spread | Win | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ekaterina Alexandrova | +2.0 (-105) | +120 | O 21.5 (-120) |
| Kiki Bertens | -2.0 (-125) | -150 | U 21.5 (-110) |
Odds taken Feb. 14
Alexandrova’s Road to the Semifinals
Ekaterina Alexandrova fast-tracked her way to the semifinals of St. Petersburg when No. 3 seed Petra Kvitova withdrew from the tournament due to illness. Alexandrova will now compete in her second semifinal of the season.
Ekaterina Alexandrova 🇷🇺 in straight sets defeated Donna Vekic 🇭🇷 -6/1,7/5.
⠀
💬 “Thank you so much for the support. It means a lot”, -said Ekaterina.
⠀#formulatx #spblt #ladiestrophy #спблт #spblt pic.twitter.com/tpqy9oVW0T— FORMULA TX (@Formula_TX) February 13, 2020
In Alexandrova’s second-round match, she was able to defeat Donna Vekic 6-1, 7-5, in one hour and 20 minutes. She has now won 16 of her last 17 matches, and her performance has excelled in indoor events, as she has won 33 of the last 38 matches.
Alexandrova dominated Vekic throughout the match, immediately breaking her opponent. Vekic was fighting hard, but ultimately was no match. To start the second set, Alexandrova was again able to break her opponent off the bat, opening with four straight breaks.
Highlights of the match D.Vekic & E.Alexandrova🌟#формулатх #formulatx #spblt #ladiestrophy #спблт pic.twitter.com/xXb0w51mCu
— FORMULA TX (@Formula_TX) February 13, 2020
At the end, the Russian earned herself a spot in the quarterfinals, and eventually the semifinals. And now, Ekaterina Alexandrova will be coming off some extra rest versus Bertens, which could play into her favor.
Bertens’ Road to the Semifinals
Kiki Bertens was the last and final player to secure her spot in the semifinals of this tournament. St. Petersburg’s defending champion and No. 2 seed defeated Anastasia Potapova 6-4, 7-6(3) in a match she was forced to battle back in. Her straight-set win kept her streak alive, of not yet dropping a set in this tournament.
The former junior Wimbledon champion gave Bertens a tough match. They traded breaks in the opening set before Bertens took control and broke her opponent in the seventh game. In the second set, Potapova was able to deny Bertens to break back in the fifth game twice. But in the end, Bertens was no match for the 18-year old. She responded well when Potapova was giving her a run, and ended a 16 shot rally with a beautiful drop shot.
.@kikibertens ends the 16 shot rally with a nice drop shot 👌#FormulaTX pic.twitter.com/omXdOAxk8C
— wta (@WTA) February 14, 2020
Ultimately, Bertens was able to withhold her opponent from gaining consistent momentum and came out on top. Now, in her semifinal match, she’ll face her third straight home favorite.
Head-to-Head
This is the first-ever meeting between the two players, so there is no history to go off of. Both players have played impressive tennis at the tournament, and it’ll be an exciting match to watch.
Alexandrova vs Bertens Stats
| N/A | Tournament Seed | 2 |
| 12 | Aces recorded at St. Petersburg Tournament | 11 |
| 1 | Sets dropped at St. Petersburg Tournament | 0 |
| 28 | World Rank | 8 |
Best Bet
Ekaterina Alexandrova claimed her maiden title in the opening week of 2020 at the Shenzhen Open, and has only lost one match this year. But Kiki Bertens is also coming off of some impressive wins recently at the Fed Cup qualifiers last weekend.
For this match, Bertens has a slight edge. She’s the reigning champion has been here before, and is defending her title. What will make the match interesting is that Alexandrova is coming off that extra bit of rest, from not physically playing her semifinal match. Bertens is still the best bet, most likely winning the match in three sets, with Alexandrova being a tough opponent.
Best Bet: Kiki Bertens
Sports Writer
A graduate of Sport Media at Ryerson University, Hayley is the ultimate student of sports. Whether she is playing it, watching it, debating it, or writing it, it's safe to assume sport consumes the majority of her life. She has worked both internationally and with the NBA.
