TENNIS: We’ve reached the semi-final stage of the Open BLS De Limoges in France as the final four female players do battle for an early Christmas present. While this might not be a tournament of the highest quality, the fact there are a several players of a similar standard only adds to the intrigue, especially at this stage of the competition.
Anhelina Kalinina v Anna Blinkova 3.15pm Friday
The oddsmakers have the number five seed Anhelina Kalinina as the 1.83 favourite here, but that might be slightly harsh on her Russian opponent Anna Blinkova. The pair have met five times so far with Blinkova winning all five and, if that wasn’t enough, she’s had a much better year than her rival. Blinkova won her maiden WTA singles title earlier in 2022, while she’s also won more matches over the past 12 months.
Granted she is ranked much lower in the WTA rankings, but she has breezed through her three matches in this tournament so far without dropping a set and she’ll feel confident taking on someone who she seems to have the measure of, despite the fact she’s factually a worse player. Sometimes players just have another’s number for whatever reason and this could be another one of those situations.
It should be noted that Kalinina has been equally if not more impressive in her run to the semi-finals. She is yet to drop a set as well, so is playing well and has to be feared, but the value looks with Blinkova at 2.05.
Clara Tauson v Lucia Bronzetti 5.30pm Friday
On paper, at least, the second semi-final looks a much more one-sided affair. Despite being ranked a lowly 115 in the WTA rankings, Clara Tauson heads into this one as the 1.29 favourite as she looks to finish her year on a high. She begun December with a bang having won her second title of the year in Selva Gardena in Italy and that’s backed up a solid year where she reached the last-32 of the Australian Open – the first time she’d managed that her in fledgling career. At just 19 years of age, youth is very much on her side and she’s clearly improving, so it’s unsurprising she’s fancied to go well again here.
She takes on the sixth seed Lucia Bronzetti, who is aiming to win the first title of her career. She reached a record of 56th in the world earlier this year, but her recent form has been patchy and prior to this week, she hadn’t won a regular tour match since losing in the final in Vancouver. Perhaps that agonising loss knocked her confidence as she was so close to a maiden title, but she certainly hasn’t been the same player since. Her run to semi-finals here suggests she might have turned the corner confidence and performance-wise, but she looks up against it versus Tauson on all-known form. The Dane is short at 1.29, but that looks fully justified.
