Iga Swiatek is the only teenager remaining in the women’s draw of the French Open, and the 19-year-old from Poland is expected to keep her run going.
Defeated by Simona Halep in the fourth round at Roland Garros last year, Swiatek returned the favor with a 6-1, 6-2 dismantling of the No. 1 seed in this year’s fourth round. She then dominated Martina Trevisan in straight sets to set up a semifinal against Nadia Podoroska. Both are unseeded, but Swiatek is the -357 favorite by SportsBetting.com. Not only has Swiatek’s ascent included reaching the fourth round at this year’s Australian Open and the third round at last month’s U.S. Open, but Podoroska (+300) is the first qualifier to reach the semifinals of the French Open.
While Swiatek has yet to drop a set, Podoroska has survived a pair of three-set matches. She has also beaten only one player seeded within the top 20 during the tournament, although that was a convincing 6-2, 6-4 win over third-seeded Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.
Kenin-Kvitova tougher duel on paper
The other semi will pit No. 4 seed Sofia Kenin against No. 7 seed Petra Kvitova.
Kenin, 21, earned her first major title at this year’s Australian Open, while the 30-year old Kvitova is a two-time Wimbledon champion. This is uncharted territory for both at Roland Garros, where Kvitova has one previous semifinal appearance in 2012 while Kenin is among the final four for the first time.
Kvitova is the -186 favorite by DraftKings, which is offering Kenin at +150.
Swiatek’s easier path to the final is a big reason she is also the +130 favorite by DraftKings to win her first grand slam title despite knowing the other semifinal boasts three combined slams.
Kvitova is being offered at +175 ahead of Kenin at +375, while Podoroska is the clear long shot at +1100. The French Open has seen a slew of upsets this year following defending champion Ashleigh Barty’s decision to skip the event due to COVID-19 concerns.
No. 2 seed Karolina Pliskova was upset in the second round, while fifth-seeded Kiki Bertens exited in the fourth round along with Halep. Three-time French Open champion Serena Williams withdrew before the second round due to an Achilles injury.
–Field Level Media ()