Eastbourne semi-finals: Bencic beats Brit Konta to face Wozniacki
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After her early round heroics, seed slayer Briton Johanna Konta’s run at Eastbourne’s AEGON International has finally come to an end, as Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic beat her in three sets.
Bencic, 18, now faces Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki for a place in the final, while the other semi sees American Sloane Stephens take on Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.
Sloane Stephens v Agnieszka Radwanska
Winner in 2008, Radwanska the odds-on favourite at 4/9 with Coral to beat USA’s Stephens to reach the final at Eastbourne after conceding just nine games this tournament so far, dropping no sets.
Stephens (2/1), on the other hand, may be fairly rusty going into this clash, as she had a walkover in the quarters after lucky loser Daria Gavrilova pulled out.
The American, who reached the Wimbledon quarters in 2013, did knock out British hope Heather Watson in the third round as well as fifth seed Carla Suarez Navarro before that convincingly, though. She is a tempting 9/2 shout for a 2-1 victory.
In three meetings between Radwanska and Stephens, the Pole has won all three, and in three sets in two of those, so back her to triumph 2-1 once more at 11/4.
If you are looking for a more niche market to take a punt on, there are tempting odds of 9/2 for the second set to go to a tie-break, as it did in their last head-to-head. There is also a price of 9/1 for Radwanska to win the opening set 6-1, as she has done twice before against Stephens.
Belinda Bencic v Caroline Wozniacki
Despite losing the opening set against Konta in the quarters, Bencic finally stopped the Australian-born Brit’s remarkable run at Eastbourne.
Now she faces Wozniacki, who she has beaten before this year at Indian Well in straight sets. Bencic is 9/4 for victory again, and 5/1 to do so 2-1 this time.
Danish star Wozniacki, who won here in 2009 and is seeded second this time around, is the odds-on favourite, though. She thrashed Bencic last year 6-0 6-0, and is evens to defeat her in straight sets again.
You can back Wozniacki at an enticing 14/1 to win the first set 6-0.
