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Match details
Fixture: (1) Maria Sakkari vs Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Date: 9 February 2022.
Tournament: St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: St. Petersburg, Russia.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Indoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $703,580.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Maria Sakkari vs Ekaterina Alexandrova preview
Top seed Maria Sakkari will aim for a quarterfinal berth when she takes on World No. 43 Ekaterina Alexandrova at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy on Wednesday.
Following her career-best season that saw her reach a couple of Grand Slam semifinals, World No. 7 Sakkari has made a slow start to 2022. The Greek bowed out in the Round of 16 in both Adelaide and the Australian Open and will be eager to bounce back.
Having been given top seeding in St. Petersburg, Sakkari will hope to make the most of her opportunity. She started her campaign on Tuesday with a 6-4, 6-4 win against the promising Anastasia Potapova. Sakkari was tested by the young Russian but the fact that she was able to come through in straight sets would give her confidence moving forward.
Ekaterina Alexandrova, meanwhile, has failed to fire so far this season. Having lost a hard-fought final to Anett Kontaveit in Moscow in October, The Russian managed to win just a solitary match in three tournaments prior to arriving in St. Petersburg.
The former World No. 25 will be itching to get back into form on her return to home soil. On Monday, she showed excellent determination and poise to edge the dangerous Camila Giorgi 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 to move into the second round.
Alexandrova will be keen to replicate those efforts against the top seed next.
Maria Sakkari vs Ekaterina Alexandrova head-to-head
Maria Sakkari leads Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-1 in the head-to-head. The Greek won their first three showdowns before Alexandrova pulled one back when Sakkari retired in Moscow last year.
Maria Sakkari vs Ekaterina Alexandrova prediction
With both players known for their hard-hitting attacking game, a lot will depend on their serves and unforced error count in these fast indoor conditions. Both are vulnerable to pressure and it will be a test of their nerves and character.
While Alexandrova had a lot going for her in her three-set win over Giorgi, she wasn't happy with her serving performance. The Russian powered six aces past the Italian but those were offset by 12 double faults.
The World No. 43 will need a drastic improvement on her serving numbers if she is to go toe-to-toe with her Greek opponent. Sakkari has beaten her thrice in the past so she knows exactly what to expect against Alexandrova.
That said, the World No. 7 herself didn't look at her best against Potapova in her first round. Her first serve percentage dropped to 61% and she coughed up five double faults as well, conceding a couple of breaks of serve.
The 26-year-old struggled to cope with her young opponent's consistent hitting. If Alexandrova, too, can keep hitting deep with penetrating groundstrokes and make Sakkari move, she could eke out a few errors from the Greek's racquet.
However, Sakkari has been more solid than Alexandrova in the recent past. Her experience of playing Grand Slam semifinals will help her to raise her level and get her fourth win over the Russian.
Prediction: Maria Sakkari to win in three sets.
