A spot in the finals will be on the line when world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty faces off against No. 5 Elina Svitolina on Thursday in the semifinals of the 2021 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. The 24-year-old Barty enters the Miami Open 2021 semifinal as the reigning champion, having won the tournament in 2019. She is coming off a three-set win over Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Barty now faces Svitolina, who defeated Anastasija Sevastova in straight sets in the quarters.
The match is set to begin at 6 p.m. ET. William Hill Sportsbook lists Barty as a -225 favorite (risk $225 to win $100) in the latest Barty vs. Svitolina odds, with Svitolina listed at +175 (risk $100 to win $175) as the underdog. You can also pick whether Barty will cover the 2.5-game spread and how many games the match will last, among other wagering options. Before making any Svitolina vs. Barty picks, be sure to see the 2021 Miami Open predictions from elite tennis handicapper Gavin Mair.
Mair is the international women’s tennis expert who called unseeded Jelena Ostapenko (80-1) winning the 2017 French Open, Naomi Osaka (32-1) winning the 2018 U.S. Open, and Bianca Andreescu (20-1) winning the 2019 U.S. Open. Before the women’s singles final in the most recent grand slam, the Australian Open, he picked Osaka to win in straight sets (-162) and for the match to go under 20.5 total games (-118), and he was right on both counts.
Now, Mair has broken down the latest 2021 Miami Open women’s semifinal odds and released his coveted best bets for Barty vs. Svitolina. He’s sharing his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Ashleigh Barty vs. Elina Svitolina preview
Barty enters the semifinal trying to find her pre-pandemic form. Because of the pandemic, she did not play between March 2020 and late January. Since returning to the court, she has played just 14 matches, which includes four in Miami, going 12-2.
So far in South Florida, she has been pushed to the limit, as three of her four matches have gone to a deciding third set. In her first match, against Slovakian qualifier Kristina Kucova, Barty was down 5-2 in the final set and even saved a match point before advancing. She went the distance with Victoria Azarenka in the Round of 16 and then again on Tuesday in the quarterfinals against Sabalenka.
Svitolina has dominated the head-to-head series between the players. The 26-year-old from the Ukraine has won five of the six meetings, but the two haven’t played since November 2019. That match was won by Barty.
Svitolina is looking to reach her first hardcourt final in 12 months. On Tuesday, she was dominant against Sevastova, the unseeded former World No. 11, hitting 19 winners. Svitolina also converted six of seven break points and won almost 70 percent of the points played on Sevastova’s serve.
How to make Barty vs. Svitolina picks
Will Barty reach the final or will Svitolina continue her dominance over Barty? Mair’s picks include a play on the outright winner and advice on how many sets the match will go. Be sure to see Mair’s picks and analysis before making your Miami Open 2021 picks for the women’s semifinals.
Who wins Barty vs. Svitolina? And how many sets does the match go? Visit SportsLine now to see Mair’s best bets for Barty vs. Svitolina, all from the acclaimed expert who hit big in the last grand slam women’s final.