'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABjAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgQAAEDAwMFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAwQABSEGBxETIiQxUQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIRAAICAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDEiEAEQIEMf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8Ay1fNTzotlkXhGo5zYl1OI2RNCjZNCBAimAIPJ8FlU4RflSB/c/WPXd8xse8sBHaEUz6REHCUpVddSyqR4gmRGC1m4yOvaqzn/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Fixture: (9) Maria Sakkari vs (PR) Barbora Strycova.
Tournament: Italian Open 2023.
Round: Second Round (Round of 64).
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Outdoor clay.
Prize money: €3,572,618.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Maria Sakkari vs Barbora Strycova preview
Ninth seed Maria Sakkari will square off against Barbora Strycova in the second round of the 2023 Italian Open.
Sakkari commenced her clay season with a first-round loss at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Up against Karolina Pliskova, she lost her opener in straight sets. The Greek then headed to Spain for the Madrid Open.
After a first-round bye, Sakkari defeated Arantxa Rus in straight sets. She staged a comeback to oust Rebeka Masarova in three sets and knocked out Paula Badosa in two easy sets to reach the last eight. The 27-year-old needed three sets to get past Irina-Camelia Begu in the quarterfinals.
Sakkari faced Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals, but lost to her in straight sets. It marked her fifth semifinal loss this season. As one of the seeded players in Rome, she was the recipient of a first-round bye.
Strycova, meanwhile, returned to action following a couple of years away from the game at the Madrid Open. While she suffered a first-round exit in singles, she made it to the last eight in doubles. The Czech was up against Maryna Zanevska in the first round of the Italian Open.
Strycova jumped to a 4-0 lead in the opening set, before surrendering her serve in the fifth game. She then claimed the next two games to capture the set. The pair traded five consecutive breaks of serve in the second set, with Zanevska eventually leading 5-3.
Zanevska served out the set in the following game with ease to level the proceedings. She led 2-0 in the third set, but Strycova bagged six of the next seven games to win the match 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
Maria Sakkari vs Barbora Strycova head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Maria Sakkari vs Barbora Strycova odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Maria Sakkari vs Barbora Strycova prediction
Strycova played a pretty good match to score her first victory in singles since the start of her comeback. While she was helped by her opponent's frequent errors, the Czech remained quite steady to come out on top.
Strycova could improve her serve a bit to make things easier for her. She won 54% of her first serve points in the previous round. Against a player like Sakkari, she'll need to serve efficiently to stand a chance. The Czech's net game is still quite outstanding and could make things difficult for the World No. 8.
Sakkari will be feeling quite confident after her run in Madrid. She's likely to win most of the baseline exchanges against Strycova, considering her ground game is miles above the 37-year old's at the moment.
At her best Strycova was a challenging player to contend with. But after being away from the game for so long, it'll be quite difficult for her to go toe-to-toe with top players. In the end, this is likely to be a routine victory for Sakkari.
Pick: Maria Sakkari to win in straight sets.
