Simona Halep vs Elina Svitolina
After failing to get the job done against Elina Svitolina last year, top-ranked Simona Halep will hope to make things right this time.
The bitter aftertaste of Halep’s Italian Open final defeat in 2017 is still there. After all, no one could easily forget the surprising comeback victory of Svitolina against the Romanian who was coming off a dominant run in the Madrid Open.
Halep is undoubtedly determined to erase that awful memory, and what better way to do it than win against the same opponent that upset her to the shock of online gambling sites?
Talking Points
Halep has some unfinished business in Rome. In the 2017 final, she was on her way to victory until she rolled her ankle—no thanks to what appeared to be a small hole on the court—and struggled in the contest.
She was able to win the first set despite the injury, but unforced errors eventually hounded her and allowed Svitolina to stage a brilliant comeback for the Italian Open trophy.
The defeat did nothing but cement Halep’s reputation as a “choker” on the big stage—something the 26-year-old is certainly not happy about.
Fortunately for Halep, she is in the best condition (physically and mentally) to do what she wasn’t able to do last year. The World No.1 is fresh from a three-set victory over three-time Rome champion Maria Sharapova, against whom she showed that she can win ugly.
Halep’s service game wasn’t at its best against Sharapova, but she was able to hold on and fend off the Russian star in nearly two and a half hours.
“I was happy to be able to play so well, and in the end win the match. It’s always tough to play against her so I was really happy, and I celebrated how I felt. I tried to be aggressive the whole match, and I did it even if sometimes it went too far,” Halep said in her post-match press conference.
On the other hand, despite live betting odds backing Halep, Svitolina still poses some challenge considering her recent form. The Ukrainian had little trouble in the semi-finals against Anett Kontaveit, needing only 19 games to finish the 22-year-old.
It’s also worth mentioning that Svitolina has won each of her last seven final appearances. In fact, the World No.4 is 3-0 in finals on a clay court. With such record, it’s safe to say Svitolina knows how to win when it matters.
“It’s nice that we are again in the final, both of us,” Halep added. “It’s going to be a nice match, but I hope I don’t get injured again. I started well last year, so the game is there, I know how to play. But still, she’s a very tough opponent and a great player. I have to be focused on myself and play my best.”
History
Halep and Svitolina have met five times in their career, with the latter leading their head-to-head record at 3-2.
Svitolina won their last two fights, both on hard court, including the 2017 WTA Finals in Singapore where the Ukrainian star made easy work of Halep.
On clay court, however, the two have split their two meetings. Although Svitolina won in the red clay of Rome last year, Halep somehow took her revenge and ousted the Odessa, Ukraine native in the quarter-final of the 2017 French Open.
Meanwhile, when it comes to performance on clay this year, Halep appears to be the more consistent player. She has reached both the quarterfinals of Madrid and Stuttgart, while Svitolina failed to make it past the round of 32 at Caja Magica.
What are the odds?
Online bookmakers favour Halep to win the match-up at Money Line odds of 1.68. Svitolina, on the other end, is at odds of 2.19.
Nonetheless, while there is a clear underdog, our Asian Handicap odds show that it could go the distance. Svitolina, with a +1.50 start, is only at 1.40; while Halep, with -1.50 set handicap, pays at hefty odds of 2.78.
It’s worth noting that the two players have only dropped a single set each throughout the tournament, with Svitolina losing in the first set against Daria Kasatkina in the Round of 16 and Halep dropping one against Sharapova the last time out.
Meanwhile, Game Handicap – Over Under odds provide interesting prospects for online sports betting fans. The meeting between the two stars last year produced 29 games, and if the two can replicate their performance, Over 22.00 that pays at 2.02 isn’t impossible at all.
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
