The second semifinal of the day in the women’s draw at the 2024 Olympics will take place between two surprise contestants in Anna Schmiedlova and Donna Vekic. The two have taken out some incredible competitors on the way here, and a win can secure at least a silver medal for the first time in their respective careers.

Can Schmiedlova’s effective baseline game earn her a victory or will the powerful Vekic push through yet another worthy competitor to move one match away from gold?

Let’s break it all down in our Schmiedlova vs Vekic preview and free betting picks for Thursday, August 1.

Schmiedlova vs Vekic prediction and best bet

Match analysis

Anna Schmiedlova has had a fine run in Paris. She took out a former Roland Garros champion in Barbora Krejcikova in the quarters after moving past Jasmine Paolini, one of the hottest players on the planet, in three tough sets the day prior.

With two more quality wins over Beatriz Haddad Maia and Katie Boulter, it would seem her form is very much for real. The former World No. 26 is having plenty of success on the clay, winning the title in Parma and recently reaching the semis in Budapest just before the Olympic Games. We know she’s got talent from the back of the court, and things are beginning to come together.

The issue here is that Schmiedlova has often struggled with players who can hit a bigger ball than her, and that’s what we have in Donna Vekic. Yes, it seemed that her big serve was the driving force behind her success during her run at Wimbledon but Paris’ hotter conditions have helped her game play up and as a result, we’ve seen her take out some similar talent, including American Coco Gauff.

Vekic has a wealth of talent and seems to finally be delivering on her sky-high potential again this summer with a plethora of wins on the grass and a solid level on the clay in Paris. You have to go with talent and experience here, particularly with Schmiedlova’s less-than-stellar power and inconsistent serve.

Pick: Vekic moneyline (-200)

Best best analysis

These two met just once on tour with Vekic taking a 2018 match on outdoor hardcourts in short order, surrendering just one game to Slovak.

Oddsmakers are expecting a tighter battle here, and I’m on board. Schmiedlova’s serve has deserted her in the past, and it’s not as if it’s a huge deal since the delivery isn’t quite so big, but it’s worth noting that she was able to land 64% against Krejcikova and win a whopping 66% of second serve return points which led to 11 break points.

This kind of return is what we expect out of Schmiedlova. I would also expect Vekic to eventually pummel the ball past Schmiedlova for the win with the way she’s been running, but this one should really go the distance.

There will be so much on the line for two players who haven’t been here before, to boot, and with nerves present that should only increase the chances of a roller-coaster contest.

Pick: Over 21.5 total games (-110)

Schmiedlova vs Vekic odds

Odds as of 8-1.

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