World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty can move one step closer to successfully defending her Miami Open title when she takes on Elina Svitolina on Thursday in the semifinals of the 2021 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Two years ago the 5-foot-5 Australian defeated Karolina Pliskova for the title, which then was the seventh of her career. (The tournament was not played last year because of the pandemic.) Meanwhile Svitolina has advanced past the quarterfinals for the first time in eight appearances in Miami.
The match is set to begin at 6 p.m. ET. William Hill Sportsbook lists Barty as a -225 favorite (risk $225 to win $100) in the latest Barty vs. Svitolina odds, with Svitolina listed at +175 as the underdog. You can also pick whether Barty will cover the 2.5-game spread and how many games the match will last, among other wagering options on the 2021 Miami Open tennis odds board. Before making any Svitolina vs. Barty picks, be sure to see the 2021 Miami Open predictions from elite tennis handicapper Gavin Mair.
Mair is the international women's tennis expert who called unseeded Jelena Ostapenko (80-1) winning the 2017 French Open, Naomi Osaka (32-1) winning the 2018 U.S. Open, and Bianca Andreescu (20-1) winning the 2019 U.S. Open. Before the women's singles final in the most recent grand slam, the Australian Open, he picked Osaka to win in straight sets (-162) and for the match to go under 20.5 total games (-118), and he was right on both counts.
Now, Mair has broken down the latest 2021 Miami Open women's semifinal odds and released his coveted best bets for Barty vs. Svitolina. He's sharing his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Ashleigh Barty vs. Elina Svitolina preview
A winner of nine career singles titles, Barty has been ranked No. 1 since Sept. 9, 2019. She was in danger of losing the top spot this week to Naomi Osaka, but the four-time grand slam champion lost in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, assuring Barty would stay atop the rankings for at least another week.
Barty has maintained her spot atop the rankings despite being relatively inactive since the start of the pandemic; Thursday's match will be just her 15th in the last year. It will also be just her second against a player ranked in the top 10 over that same time period. (Svitolina is No. 5.) The first came in Tuesday's quarterfinal win over Aryna Sabalenka, who's No. 8 in the world.
How to make Barty vs. Svitolina picks
Will Barty reach the final or will Svitolina continue her dominance over Barty? Mair's picks include a play on the outright winner and advice on how many sets the match will go. Be sure to see Mair's picks and analysis before making your Miami Open 2021 picks for the women's semifinals.
Who wins Barty vs. Svitolina? And how many sets does the match go? Visit SportsLine now to see Mair's best bets for Barty vs. Svitolina, all from the acclaimed expert who hit big in the last grand slam women's final.
