All-Russian Semi As Sharapova Takes On Makarova

Maria Sharapova will face off against Ekaterina Makarova in the first of this year`s Australian Open women`s singles semi-finals. The winner of tomorrow`s (4:30) all-Russian clash will play either world number one Serena Williams or young American Madison Keys, this pair fighting it out just two hours later.

World number two Sharapova is the favourite to progress through to the final and is available to be backed at 2/11 with bet365. Those who fancy an upset, however, can take odds of 7/2 on a Makarova win with the same bookmaker. The Moscow-born 26-year-old is looking to make her first Grand Slam final of her career.

To do so, however, she will have to defeat Sharapova for the first time, the pair have previously played each other in WTA matches five times. This will be the third time that the players have met at the Australian Open, having faced off in successive quarter-finals back in 2012 and 2013. The six foot two Nyagan-born star picked up straights sets victories in both ties (6-2, 6-3 and 6-2, 6-2 respectively) and she can be backed at 4/7 with bet365 to pick up her third straight sets win against her opponent down under.

Indeed, Makarova has only ever taken one set from Sharapova in the five matches the two have fought out. That set was during the 2011 Madrid Masters tournament, taking the second set 6-3 to force her opponent into a third. The result of this first meeting between the two women read 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

What`s more, the underdog has only ever taken a total of 31 games from the second seed, that`s an average of just under three a set or six a match. Makarova is 7/2 with william hill to take three games in the first set, or 4/1 with the same bookmaker to take four. In light of this effort it is probably worth taking on this particular market`s leader, Marakarova to take six games in the first set, which is 29/10 (also william hill).

Ranked number 11 in the world, Makarova has progressed through the tournament without conceding a set. This is in opposition to the tie favourite who was taken to a third after dropping the second set in her second round match against fellow Russian Alexandra Panova. This scoreline read 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.

An unlikely straight sets win for her rival tomorrow can be backed at 6/1 with bet365.

Another indictment of the strong form of Makarova is the fact that she`s never needed to secure a set victory via a tie-break, something she has in common with Sharapova. It is for this reason that you can pick up a massive 10/3 (bet365) on there being a tie-break in their semi-final, whilst 1/5 with the same bookmaker says that one won`t be contested.

Something else that the two women share is the fact that they have both been on the right side of 6-0 victories at some point in this year`s Australian Open. Makarova recorded her bagel win in the second and final set against competition third seed Simona Halep, the first having ended 6-4 to the Russian in the quarter-final. Sharapova`s also came in the second set of a straight sets success, in her fourth round 6-3, 6-0 victory over China`s Shuai Peng.

Betfair have odds of 1/10 on there not being another comprehensive set victory tomorrow. Meanwhile, 5/1 with the same bookmaker says there will be.

As well as seeing off Halep, Makarova has progressed by seeing off An-Sophie Mestach, Roberta Vinci, Karolina Pliskova and Julia Goerges. Sharapova`s Panova and Peng victories have been complimented by wins over Petra Martic, Zarina Diyas and Eugenie Bouchard.

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28/01/2015     © Frixo 2026