And then there were four: the women’s draw at the 2019 US Open Women’s Semifinals — and none of the top four seeds remain. Fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina faces eight-seeded Serena Williams in one semifinal, while 13th-seeded Belinda Bencic and 15th-seeded Bianca Andreescu meet in the other. Andreescu ousted Elise Mertens in three sets, dropping the first in 3-6 fashion before roaring back to win the last two, 6-2, 6-3. Bencic beat Donna Vekic in straight sets, 7-6 (5), 6-3. Williams beat Wang Qiang, 6-1, 6-0, and Svitolina knocked out Johanna Konta 6-4, 6-4. What can we expect in the semis? Can anyone stop Serena? We’ve mentioned the giant chip that she has to have on her shoulder after losing the US Open final to Naomi Osaka in controversial fashion a year ago; now that Osaka is out of the draw, Williams has to have an even more laserlike focus on taking home first place. Don’t miss our sports betting thoughts about each matchup.

2019 US Open Women’s Semifinals Odds & Preview

The @usopen semifinals are upon us! 📸📸📸 –> https://t.co/m6XeyzvkvH pic.twitter.com/Yl4vtq6j0E

— WTA (@WTA) September 5, 2019

Thursday, September 5

#5 Elina Svitolina vs #8 Serena Williams (7:00pm ET)

• 2019 US Open Odds: Svitolina +229 / Williams -333

Svitolina was particular dominant against Konta in her return game, winning 45 percent of her receiving points and breaking Konta four times. Svitolina also won 80 percent of her service games. She is on a roll at Grand Slams, now in her second straight semifinal, after making the last four at Wimbledon. Now she takes on the popular favorite, given Williams’ experience in the final a year ago and her form so far in the 2019 edition. Williams also won in straight sets in her quarterfinal match, dropping just a single game. Williams continued a trend of blowing players in the middle of the rankings out of the water while struggling against the top names. This happened at Wimbledon, where Simona Halep was able to beat her with relative ease. Svitolina has made a top name for herself in the game. However, the U.S. Open has been a tournament that Williams has owned in the past, and given the motivation that she has to win after the 2018 tournament, it’s hard to bet against her. US Open Women’s Semifinals Prediction: Williams wins in straight sets

#13 Belinda Bencic vs #15 Bianca Andreescu (8:15pm ET)

• 2019 US Open Odds: Bencic +114 / Andreescu -153

Bencic won her quarterfinal match in straight sets, but it was much more draining than the wins of Williams and Svitolina, as she needed 22 games to win it. She won 71 percent of her service points and broke Vekic three times in eight opportunities. Bencic has a solid serve, as she delivered eight aces, but she missed 49 percent of her first serves. She needs to improve that percentage if she wants to make the final. Andreescu’s three-set win over Mertens took 26 games. She won 65 percent of her service points and broke Mertens four times in 16 opportunities, delivering a pair of aces. Andreescu has now won 12 matches in a row in which things go to three sets. Even though she is just nineteen years old, she is blooming with confidence, gaining strength with each round. We had our eyes on her as a possible sleeper to roll all the way to a title, and here she is in the semifinals. Can she beat Belinda Bencic? This is their first matchup, but Andreescu has been the hottest woman in tennis lately, and she has the confidence that can make the difference on the game’s biggest stage. US Open Women’s Semifinals Prediction: Andreescu wins in three sets