Cincinnati 2020: Maria Sakkari vs Johanna Konta preview, head-to-head & prediction | Western & Southern Open

Match details

Fixture: Maria Sakkari vs Johanna Konta

Date: 26 August 2020

Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020

Round: Quarterfinals

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

Category: WTA Premier 5

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $1,950,079

Match timing: Not before 5 PM EDT, 2:30 AM IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN

Maria Sakkari vs Johanna Konta preview

Johanna Konta

The 25-year-old Maria Sakkari continued her fine run at the 2020 Cincinnati WTA Premier 5 tournament by downing Serena Williams in three sets on Tuesday. The World No. 21 now takes on Great Britain's Johanna Konta for a place in the semifinals.

Sakkari had opened her season with a run to the fourth round at the Australian Open, her best ever performance at a Grand Slam. She has been going from strength to strength since then, and even made a semifinal appearance at St. Petersburg before the pandemic struck.

The Greek player is in a rich vein of form at the moment. Sakkari has won three consecutive matches in convincing fashion, one of them being a come-from-behind three-set win over Serena Williams.

🇬🇷 Super Sakkari 🇬🇷In their first-ever meeting, @mariasakkari converts an eighth match point to score the upset over Williams 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-1.#CInCyTENNIS pic.twitter.com/MkTeNbYAWS

— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) August 26, 2020

On the other hand, World No. 14 Johanna Konta had made a less than modest start to her 2020 season. She fell in the first round of the Australian Open, one of five losses during the year, and won only three matches before arriving in New York this week.

However, at her first Premier 5 stop of the year, the 29-year-old has beaten Kirsten Flipkens and Vera Zvonareva for the loss of only eight cumulative games. With a win over Sakkari, Konta could double her win-tally for the season.

Maria Sakkari vs Johanna Konta head-to-head

Maria Sakkari will look to draw parity in her head-to-head rivalry against Johanna Konta.

Johanna Konta currently holds a 2-1 lead over Maria Sakkari in the head-to-head rivalry.

The pair clashed for the first time in the third round at Wimbledon 2017, where Konta dropped just five games. But in their next clash - the Rabat 2019 final - Sakkari recovered from the loss of the opening set to win her first WTA title.

First title FEELS 🥳@mariasakkari recovers from trailing a set and a break to defeat Johanna Konta 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 and win her first career WTA singles title at #WTARabat. pic.twitter.com/JzYp8Yk2MN

— wta (@WTA) May 4, 2019

In their most recent meeting, Konta beat the Greek player in the Round of 32 at Eastbourne in straight sets.

Maria Sakkari vs Johanna Konta prediction

Maria Sakkari faces Johanna Konta for a place in the Cincinnati semifinals

In her third appearance at the Western & Southern Open, Maria Sakkari beat young American Coco Gauff as well as Yulia Putintseva, both in straight sets, before needing as many as eight match points to see off Serena Williams.

In contrast to Sakkari's exploits at the tournament, Konta made short work of her first two opponents without dropping a set.

With Konta having spent much less time on the court this week compared to Sakkari, a win for the 29-year-old looks like the most likely outcome when the pair locks horns for a fourth time.

Prediction: Johanna Konta to win in straight sets.