Serena Williams lost her bid for a 24th Grand Slam title Wednesday to Naomi Osaka.
Sportsbooks had listed Osaka as a -150 favorite versus Williams. Serena was listed as the underdog at +120. Osaka had been the 6-1 favorite to win the 2021 Australian Open with Williams at 8-1 odds.
Two back to back questions about retirement and why she lost. The press did the same thing to Brady after he lost to the Titans in the playoffs. This year he won ring 7 and no doubt she’ll win 24. Athletes have feelings too @serenawilliams forever the goat pic.twitter.com/p1IsuyhZtX
— rachel vogel (@rachel_vogel1) February 18, 2021
“If I ever say farewell,” Serena said at a press conference following the loss, “I wouldn’t tell anyone.”
On Saturday, at 7:30 p.m. local time (3:30 a.m. EST), Osaka will meet first-time Grand Slam finalist Jennifer Brady of the United States for the championship. The 22nd-seeded Brady, who is from Pennsylvania and played college tennis at UCLA, prevailed in an epic, 18-point last game to edge No. 25 Karolina Muchova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the semifinals.
Brady dropped to her back at the baseline after saving a trio of break points, then converting her fifth match point when Muchova sent a forehand long.
“My legs are shaking,” Brady said. “My heart is racing.”
She lost to Osaka in a three-set thriller in the U.S. Open semifinals last September.
“Everyone’s just really excited whenever they play their first final,” Osaka noted about what awaits Brady, “but they’re also really nervous.”
Prop Bets Appear Below with betting available here
+1200
- Alistair Prescott, Gambling911.com
