Maria Sakkari vs Emma Navarro Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA San Diego Open

Prediction published on 14/09/2023, 11:45  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 14/09/2023 at 12:46 in Tennis Predictions

For the second match in a row, third seeded Maria Sakkari faces a qualifer in the San Diego Open. Sakkari faces Emma Navarro in the quarter finals and the winner will face unseeded opposition in the last four. Either Sofia Kenin or Anastasia Potapova are the scheduled opponents. Maria Sakkari began this outdoor hard court tournament ranked ninth in the world but that's three places lower than at the start of this year. In the Live WTA Race, the Greek player is 15th and looking unlikely to qualify for the end-of-season WTA Finals. The 28-year-old reached the final in Washington last month with wins over Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula before losing to Coco Gauff. Her form dipped though with only one of her next four matches being won. So far in San Diego, Sakkari has had a straight sets win over qualifier Camila Osorio. The first set was won 6-3 and her opponent then retired with the score at 2-2 in the second.

Emma Navarro was ranked 61st at the start of this tournament. That's eight places below the career high the American achieved in July of this year. In the live rankings she's up to 52nd so a new career high has been set by her. Navarro had to win two qualifiers to get to the main draw. No sets were lost and only seven games lost in doing so. That took her into a first round match against Jasmine Paolini who she beat in straight sets with the second being won to love. Round two saw her defeat fellow qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich (who beat Belinda Bencic in the first round) in straight sets. We go for Sakkari to get the win and move into the last four.