US Open 2021: Bianca Andreescu vs Maria Sakkari preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (6) Bianca Andreescu vs (17) Maria Sakkari

Date: 6 September 2021

Tournament: US Open 2021

Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)

Venue: New York, United States

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $40,560,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Bianca Andreescu vs Maria Sakkari preview

Bianca Andreescu raced past Belgium's Greet Minnen on Saturday to set up a mouthwatering fourth-round encounter against Maria Sakkari at the 2021 US Open.

Andreescu was in complete control of her third-round encounter against Minnen. The Canadian dropped just 11 points on serve and broke her opponent on four occassions en route to the 6-1, 6-2 win.

The easy win was a welcome change for Andreescu, as she was tested thoroughly in her opening two rounds. The 21-year-old will now be looking to build on the momentum and stage a deep run here once again.

Maira Sakkai was in red-hot form on serve against Petra Kvitova.

Maria Sakkari, on her part, was equally clinical in her win over Petra Kvitova on Saturday. The Greek was in red-hot form on serve and did not allow the big-hitting Czech too many break point chances.

Sakkari had been serving well earlier in the week too, but she reached another gear on Saturday, winning 90% of the points behind the first delivery.

This is the second consecutive US Open where Sakkari has made it to the fourth round. She lost to Serena Williams at this stage last year, but will be hopeful of going one step further this time around.

Bianca Andreescu vs Maria Sakkari head-to-head

Bianca Andreescu leads Maria Sakkari in their current head-to-head with a slender 1-0 margin. The Canadian scored a thrilling three-set win over her opponent at the Miami Open earlier this year.

Bianca Andreescu vs Maria Sakkari prediction

Bianca Andreescu scored a hard-fought win over Maria Sakkari in Miami earlier this year.

Bianca Andreescu has never lost a match at the US Open, having captured the crown in her only previous appearance here back in 2019. Against Maria Sakkari, however, she will have to work hard to maintain a clean record.

Sakkari has broken new ground on the big stage this year, becoming the first Greek woman to reach a Grand Slam semifinal. She lost a nail-biter to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova in Paris, but given the form she has shown here, the 26-year-old could well be in with a shot at staging another big run.

First-serve numbers will be key for both Andreescu and Sakkari, as they have had an incredible amount of success when putting the first ball in lately. Andreescu is likely to be the more aggressive player, but she will need to be wary of her opponent's adaptability.

Sakkari's retreiving skills were a big part of what frustrated Kvitova during their third-round encounter. She will once again look to put as much pressure on Andreescu as she can by making her play the extra ball.

Andreescu and Sakkari are two of the biggest fighters on the tour, and we can expect an intense battle on Monday. But Sakkari has just shown an extra bit of fire in her belly this year, and that sort of determination might help her sail through in the end.

Prediction: Maria Sakkari to win in three sets.