Maria Sakkari vs Aryna Sabalenka Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Mutua Madrid Open

Prediction published on 04/05/2023, 03:40  by Kennedy Kechula | Modified on 04/05/2023 at 03:40 in Tennis Predictions

Aryna Sabalenka, who is seeded second will on Thursday attempt to reach her fifth final of the season when she takes on ninth seed Maria Sakkari in the semifinals of the ongoing Mutua Madrid Open on an outdoor clay court. The match will be the ninth between the two but the first to be played on clay. Maria Sakkari is in her first semifinal in Madrid and she will hope the outcome isn’t the same as the three other semifinals that she has played this season. The Greek number one was eliminated in the last-four round in Linz, Doha and Indian Wells with the latter seeing her go down to Sabaleka in straight sets. She last won a semifinal clash in October of last year in Guadalajara. Sakkari arrived in Madrid ranked ninth in the world but she is now up one place in the live ranking thanks to four wins that have seen her pick up more than 300 ranking points. Sakkari has three wins against Sabalenka and coupling this with the fact that she has won 19 of the 27 matches she has played with four of those wins coming on clay, she will head out believing that a win is well within her reach.

Aryna Sabalenka has been one of the form players in the women’s game this season once again and has suffered defeat just four times in the 31 matches that she has played. Her 27 wins have allowed her to tighten her grip on second place in the world rankings as well as see her ascend to the top of the WTA live race. The Belarussian is yet to lose a semifinal in 2023 and has advanced to contest for the title in four of the six tournaments that she has played. She has won two titles already in Adelaide and Melbourne and was a losing finalist at Indian Wells and Stuttgart, the latter being her last tournament before arriving in Madrid. Sabalenka is a former champion here in Madrid (2021) and will expect to at least reach the final again if not win the tournament altogether. She has defeated Sakkari five times in their eight previous matchups with the latest success coming earlier this year at this very same stage at Indian Wells. The winner here will advance to the final where a showdown with either top seed and defending champion Iga Swiatek or 12th seed Veronika Kudermetova awaits.