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Match details
Fixture: (1) Aryna Sabalenka vs (4) Maria Sakkari
Date: 15 November 2021
Tournament: Akron WTA Finals 2021
Round: Round robin (Group Chichen Itza)
Venue: Guadalajara, Mexico
Category: Year-ending championships
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize money: $5,000,000
Match timing: Not before 7.30 pm local time, 1.30 am GMT, 9.30 pm EST, 7.00 am IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Aryna Sabalenka vs Maria Sakkari preview
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka will face fourth seed Maria Sakkari at the WTA Finals on Monday in what is a virtual quarterfinal. With Indian Wells champion Paula Badosa confirming her last-four berth on Saturday, it's a winner-takes-all shootout between Sabalenka and Sakkari for the second semifinal spot from Group Chichen Itza.
After being blown away by Badosa in her first match at Guadalajara, Sabalenka bounced back against Iga Swiatek, but not without some hiccups. The Belarusian struggled in the initial parts of the match, conceding the first set to the Pole. She was able to wrest control of the match once she got her serve working though, finishing with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 win.
Maria Sakkari, meanwhile, experienced a reversal of fortunes after starting her campaign with a straightforward win over Iga Swiatek. Her fighting spirit and grit were put to the test by Badosa, who registered a close 7-6(4), 6-4 win.
Sakkari, a semifinalist at the French Open and US Open in 2021, now needs to beat Sabalenka to clinch a final last-four berth.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Maria Sakkari head-to-head
Aryna Sabalenka leads Maria Sakkari 4-1 in the head-to-head. In their most recent encounter, at Abu Dhabi earlier this year, Sabalenka ran away with a 6-3, 6-2 win.
The only time Sakkari beat the Belarusian was back in 2019.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Maria Sakkari prediction
Aryna Sabalenka and Maria Sakkari are two of the hardest hitters of the ball, so this could be a cracking contest.
Sabalenka's improved serve was the key to her comeback against Iga Swiatek. Having served at under 50% in the first set, the World No. 2 pushed the number up to 62% in the second set, which bolstered her confidence. Sabalenka ended up striking the ball more aggressively as the match progressed, although she did also commit 16 double faults overall.
The Belarusian needs to serve well from the outset against Sakkari, and also try and get the Greek out of her comfort zone by using sharp angles. Sakkari is known to buckle under pressure, as evident from the 49 unforced errors she committed against Badosa, so Sabalenka will need to be wary about giving away free points.
If the World No. 2 can keep Sakkari on her toes throughout, especially by attacking her serve, she might be able to come away with yet another win over the Greek.
Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in two tight sets.
