Qinwen Zheng v Barbora Krejcikova: Prediction, Tips and Odds

The 2024 WTA Finals have reached the semi-final stage and Purple Group runner-up Qinwen Zheng faces unlikely Orange Group victor Barbora Krejcikova for a place in Saturday's final at Riyadh's King Saud University Indoor Arena.

Both women left themselves with some work to do after their Saudi Arabia openers - Zheng lost to world no.1 Ayrna Sabalenka in straight sets while Krejcikova suffered a three-set defeat against Iga Swiatek - before both won their second and third matches to advance to the last four.

Zheng, the Australian Open runner-up and Olympic champion, is on a red-hot run of form and it's no surprise to see her chalked up as the 1/2 favourite, although 6/4 shot Krejcikova has defied the odds on more than one occasion this season and should not be underestimated.

While the Czech has battled injuries throughout 2024, she's been excellent when her body has allowed her to compete, claiming a shock second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in July.

Qinwen Zheng v Barbora Krejcikova betting tips and predictions

Qinwen Zheng to win 2-1 - 13/5

Aryna Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng were the WTA's most in-form players coming into the WTA Finals and it was no great surprise to see both advance to the semi-finals from the Purple Group.

Zheng once again found Sabalenka too strong in her opener but the 22-year-old Chinese star battled to a determined three-set win over Elena Rybakina in her second round-robin contest before taking apart Jasmine Paolini 6-1 6-1 in Wednesday's must-win final group match.

She has effectively been playing knockout tennis from the Rybakina clash onwards, rising to the challenge emphatically on her WTA Finals debut and continuing the fine form which saw her reach the Wuhan Open final and win the Toray Pan Pacific Open title in Tokyo.

Since the start of the US Open, the world No.7 has won 18 of 22 matches with three of her four losses coming against Sabalenka, whom the odds suggest she will meet again in Saturday's final.

Before that, she faced Krejcikova, who was the outsider to win the Orange Group and in the matches she won against American duo Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff which propelled her into this semi-final.

The Czech, who is ranked 13th in the world and qualified by virtue of her Wimbledon win, was able to trouble Zheng in the early stages of their sole previous meeting in Zhengzhou which the Chinese went on to win 2-6 6-2 6-4.

However, that match came in October 2023 and Zheng has grown considerably over the subsequent 13 months, gracing the biggest stages in the game on a regular basis and becoming a genuine WTA force.

But, given Krejcikova's appetite for a battle, the value could lie in backing Zheng to win in three sets.

The favourite has been pushed to a decider in five of her last seven victories against members of the world's top 40 and while she's capable of breathtaking tennis at times, she still has a habit of dropping her level on occasion.

Qinwen Zheng Over 3.5 Total Breaks of Serve - 8/11

While Zheng's superb form has been built around a solid service game, the Olympic champion could have plenty of success as a returner, particularly if this semi-final turns into a long match.

Krejcikova has made a habit of coming up big when facing break points, saving 12 of 17 against Swiatek in her opener and a remarkable 11 of 12 against Gauff in Thursday's must-win match, but the sheer weight of opportunities she afforded both opponents is a concern.

Zheng failed to break Sabalenka but she managed to do so on four occasions against Rybakina – one of, if not the best server in the women's game – then she converted five break points against Paolini.

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Qinwen Zheng v Barbora Krejcikova odds

Qinwen Zheng - 1/2
Barbora Krejcikova - 6/4

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.