Originally Posted by
frugalgambler
Yeah, Sharapova has steamrolled Makarova twice already in the QF @Aus Open. There is however a difference this time: Makarova has been able to mange her time on court this year (only ~70 mins per match) and she did not have to play doubles yesterday. Makarova is also blossoming into a legit top-10 player and she has gained a lot of valuable experience last year. This is all nice but on the other hand Sharapova has played pretty well after her scare against Panova, and the match might rest on her racket. If Maria serves well and keeps hitting the winners, Makarova can fall apart again from the get-go. The first 2-3 games will be crucial. It seems that when Makarova loses on a big stages she never really gets into the match.
I am not sure here. I was completely wrong about Wawrinka yesterday so I am not going big here. But it feels at Makarova +5 @-110 might be a decent play. I think it is pretty likely Sharapova's level will drop a little and Makarova will put up a fight.