Sharapova, Venus and Jankovic eye spot in semis

Stanford, California – The Bank of West Classic women’s tournament enters the quarterfinals and stepping up to the plate is No.2 seed Venus Williams against Maria Sharapova. Elsewhere, No.8 seed Marion Bartoli and No.4 seed Jelena Jankovic collide for a spot in the final four. Who will advance?

Here is a look at the tennis betting lines at BetOnline Sportsbook on these marquee matchups.

Tennis Betting Line:

Jelena Jankovic -3 -120 -200 21½ O -110 U -130

Marion Bartoli +3 -120 +150 21½ O -110 U -130

Match Time: 06:15 P.M. Eastern Time Friday July 31 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: It will be the eighth career meeting between Jelena Jankovic and Marion Bartoli with the Frenchwoman, Bartoli holding the slim 4-3 edge after beating Jankovic in the last 16 at the Australian Open earlier this season 6-1, 6-4. Interestingly, Bartoli is disadvantaged in this match, listed at +150 to Jankovic at -200. Don’t expect Bartoli to have as easy a time of it against Jankovic this time around but she is a good play for the win. Bartoli is 30-14 on the season with one title. Jankovic is 28-11 on the season with one title.

Tennis Betting Line: Bartoli in three sets and Over 21 ½ -110

Maria Sharapova +3½ -115 +185 21½ O -120 U -120

Venus Williams -3½ -125 -250 21½ O -120 U -120

Match Time: 06:15 P.M. Eastern Time Friday July 31 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: Right after the conclusion of the Bartoli/Jankovic quarterfinal clash, the marquee matchup of the night between former World No.1’s Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova will take the courts. Venus Williams is the No.2 seed and current World No.3 player but she trails lifetime 2-3 against Maria Sharapova. The last time they met was in Miami in 2007; Maria Sharapova beat Venus 2-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Maria Sharapova is on a comeback trail after missing almost a year with a shoulder injury. She returned to full time action, ranked beyond the top 100, just before the French Open. She has tallied an 11-4 mark since then, which includes a semi appearance at Birmingham, quarterfinal appearances in Warsaw and Paris. She is competing in her first event since falling out of the Wimbledon second round. She has improved her ranking to No. 62 and she is most likely to climb further soon. A victory over Venus would be great for her confidence and it would certainly be a sign that she is well on her way to getting match fit for the US Open. Expect a tough battle. Certainly, Venus is on form (7-7 on the season with two titles and a runner-up finish at Wimbledon) and the better play. However, Sharapova is a fighter, so don’t count her out just yet. A small stake on the Russian would not go amiss. You won’t be getting her at +185 odds for much longer I dare say.

Tennis Free Picks: Sharapova in three sets