The women’s draw at Wimbledon 2022 has been as unpredictable as ever. Iga Swiatek, the tennis French Open odds winner, was expected to cruise through to the final, especially considering she entered the Grand Slam on a 35-match winning streak. However, she lost in a shocking third-round defeat.
Americans Coco Gauff and Serena Williams were also out of the tournament relatively early, as were top-ranked players Anett Kontaveit and Jelena Ostapenko. Ons Jabeur, who had the second-best tennis betting odds at Wimbledon, is one of the most well-known players left standing.
In Jabeur’s way of her first-ever Grand Slam final is Tatjana Maria, who most casual tennis fans probably hadn’t even heard of prior to Wimbledon. The 34-year-old mother of two was ranked outside of the top 250 as recently as March and was world No. 103 prior to Wimbledon.
Maria, despite her lack of name recognition, has defeated Maria Sakkari and Jelena Ostapenko en route to reaching the semifinals.
Last Game Records
Jabeur and Maria have played three matches on the WTA Tour, but have yet to play a match since 2018. Jabeur, as a qualifier, won their first-ever match in 2014 US Open qualifying.
Maria won a two-set match against Jabeur three years later and Jabeur won the most recent match at the 2018 China Open in Beijing.
Matchup Information
- Season Records: Maria (36-16) / Jabeur (34-9)
- Season Grass Records: Maria (10-4) / Jabeur (9-0)
- Best Grand Slam Finish: Maria (2nd Round at 7 Grand Slams) / Jabeur (QF at 2020 Australian Open)
- Current Ranking: Maria (103) / Jabeur (2)
Maria vs. Jabeur Betting Analysis
Tennis betting is unpredictable and that should stay the case for this semifinal match. Jabeur has been dominant on grass this season and didn’t lose a set in her first four matches at Wimbledon. She dropped her first set in the quarter-final match against Maria Bouzkova, but responded to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.
Maria, meanwhile, has taken down some quality players at Wimbledon and is certainly capable of beating Jabeur given the run she is on right now. Both are solid grass court players and they’re even close friends.
Jabeur, after her quarter-final victory, spoke highly of Maria and said she was her “BBQ buddy.” Their barbecues should be interesting after this matchup.
Maria’s Remarkable Run
As mentioned, Maria has been incredibly impressive at this year’s Wimbledon. But that’s not the whole story. The 34-year-old German won her second career WTA tournament in April at Copa Colsanitas in Colombia.
What’s even more impressive is that Maria is doing this no more than a year removed from having her second child. She’ll even have much different preparations than Jabeur.
“I’m in the semifinal of Wimbledon and it’s crazy, but I’m still a mom, and after this, I will go out over there and see my kids and do the same thing I do every single day,” Maria said to reporters after the match. “I will change Pampers, everything as normal. I try to keep (things) normal as much as possible. That’s what makes me proudest – to be a mom.”
Jabeur Makes History
Jabeur, who is from Tunisia, has had one of her best years on the WTA Tour and punctuated that with an historic quarter-final victory that made her become the first Arab to advance to a semifinal at a Grand Slam. Before her win, Arabs and North Africans were 0-11 in Grand Slam quarterfinals in the Open Era.
Maria vs. Jabeur Betting Preview
Thursday’s semifinal match is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. EST on Centre Court. It’ll be the first of two semi-finals; the other matchup will be determined Wednesday.
Maria vs. Jabeur Betting Prediction
Cinderella stories are fun to follow at Grand Slams, but they usually come to an end. While it would make for a great story to see Maria advance past Jabeur, it’s tough to imagine it happening.
Jabeur is the overwhelming betting on tennis odds favorite and should win this in a tight, three-set affair.
How to Bet on Maria vs. Jabeur
Make sure you can find the most attractive odds at one of your favorite sportsbooks. You can find the match under “tennis” or “Wimbledon” taps, depending on the sportsbook. In addition to match results, most sportsbooks have options to bet on props like total aces and the over/under set total.
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