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Match details
Fixture: (16) Maria Sakkari vs Barbora Krejcikova
Date: 7 March 2021
Tournament: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Round: First round (Round of 64)
Venue: Dubai, UAE
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $1,835,490
Match timing: Approx. 9 pm local time, 11.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel
Maria Sakkari vs Barbora Krejcikova preview
16th seed Maria Sakkari will start her campaign at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships against the 63rd-ranked Barbora Krejcikova.
The Australian Open was an aberration in what has otherwise been a solid start to the year for Sakkari. The Greek made the semi-finals at both Abu Dhabi and the Grampians Trophy and looked poised for a deep run at the season's first Major, before an unexpected loss to Kristina Mladenovic in the first round put paid to those hopes.
Sakkari has, however, been able to shrug off that disappointment and bounce back pretty well. At this week's Qatar Open, the World No. 25 won a couple of rounds before bowing out to Garbine Muguruza in the quarterfinals.
Barbora Krejcikova, on the other hand, is a doubles specialist who is capable of causing the occasional upset in singles too. The Czech has been making noise in the singles circuit since September, reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros and the semifinals at Linz.
This year, the five-time doubles Grand Slam champion has won five singles matches in four tournaments, with her best showing being a quarterfinal finish at the Grampians Trophy. That run included an upset of Elena Rybakina, who was ranked 19th at the time.
Krejcikova's biggest achievement in the first couple of months of the year has been in doubles, as she won the Australian Open mixed doubles title with Rajeev Ram.
Maria Sakkari vs Barbora Krejcikova head-to-head
Barbora Krejcikova leads the head-to-head against Maria Sakkari, having won their solitary encounter at Torun in 2014. The Czech pretty much blew away Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 in what was an absolutely one-sided contest.
Maria Sakkari vs Barbora Krejcikova prediction
This is a match of contrasting styles. Maria Sakkari's game is built on a strong serve and powerful groundstrokes, and she will look to use her aggression to dominate the proceedings. However, Barbora Krejcikova is exactly the kind of player who can disrupt those plans.
Being a proficient doubles player, Krejcikova uses a lot of variety to absorb the pace and power coming from the opposite side of the net.
The Czech has a relatively strong forehand, which breaks down far less often than her backhand. She also has an excellent net game, and will look to move forward at every opportunity.
That said, Sakkari has been highly consistent over the last few months and has become a fixture in the top 25 of the WTA rankings. The Greek is a more confident player now than the last time she faced Krejcikova; if she can find a way to keep her error count low, she would have a good chance of getting revenge.
Prediction: Maria Sakkari to win in three sets.
