Australian Open women's semi-finals predictions & tennis betting tips: Veteran Azarenka to keep it close

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Eurosport 1, from midnight Wednesday

Best bet

V Azarenka +3.5 games
2pts 10-11 BoyleSports

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Women's semi-final preview

Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina has toppled two Grand Slam winners in her last two matches at the Australian Open but the Kazakh is not certain to brush aside a third when she meets Victoria Azarenka for a place in the women's final.

Rybakina's performances following her surprise Wimbledon run had been poor, including a first-round exit at the US Open, with a run to the final of a low-grade event in Slovenia the only real highlight.

That led some to declare her a one-Slam wonder but the 23-year-old has gone some way to silencing the doubters with a win over world number one Iga Swiatek followed by a 6-2 6-4 demolition of Jelena Ostapenko.

However, veteran Azarenka has also been exceeding expectations in Melbourne and, as a two-time Australian Open champion, the Belarusian should have every hope of defeating an opponent who she can go toe-to-toe with from the baseline.

Rybakina ran out a 6-3 6-4 winner in their only previous meeting in Indian Wells a year ago but Azarenka had barely played competitively in the two months leading into that clash and it's clear that she thrives on court time.

Rybakina served brilliantly against Ostapenko, a performance she'll have to repeat because Azarenka at her best is one of the strongest returners in the women's game.

The 33-year-old was favourite to win her first four matches at the Australian Open but she relished being the underdog in her 6-4 6-1 quarter-final hammering of Jessica Pegula and there's no doubt she has the ability to stay on the right side of a 3.5-game handicap.

In Thursday's other women's semi-final, Aryna Sabalenka is a red-hot 1-5 favourite to advance to her first Grand Slam final at the expense of Poland's Magda Linette.

Sabalenka bulldozed her way past Donna Vekic in the quarter-finals and has dropped just seven games across two previous wins over her last-four opponent.

The big-hitting 24-year-old has come up short in three Slam semis but she looks poised to go at least one better at the fourth attempt with bookmakers also making her the 5-4 favourite for the title.

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