2021 WTA Finals Semi-Final – Anett Kontaveit vs Maria Sakkari Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Anett Kontaveit vs Maria Sakkari on and what time does it start? Anett Kontaveit vs Maria Sakkari will take place on Wednesday 17th November, 2021 – not before 01:30 (UK)
Where is Anett Kontaveit vs Maria Sakkari taking place? Anett Kontaveit vs Maria Sakkari will take place at the Panamerican Tennis Center in Guadalajara, Mexico
What surface is Anett Kontaveit vs Maria Sakkari being played on? Anett Kontaveit vs Maria Sakkari will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Anett Kontaveit vs Maria Sakkari? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Anett Kontaveit vs Maria Sakkari
What channel is Anett Kontaveit vs Maria Sakkari on? Anett Kontaveit vs Maria Sakkari will be televised on the Amazon Prime Video app on smart TVs
Where can I stream Anett Kontaveit vs Maria Sakkari? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream Anett Kontaveit vs Maria Sakkari live via their platform
THE LOWDOWN
World number eight Anett Kontaveit lost just her second match since the third round of the US Open in September with a straight-sets defeat to Garbine Muguruza on Sunday but the 25-year-old was already through to the semi-finals. The Estonian has won four WTA titles this season, all on hardcourts since late August from the Cleveland Championships, Ostrava Open, Kremlin Cup and Transylvania Open. She also shared an uncontested Grampians Trophy final with Ann Li after the tournament clashed with the Australian Open back in February.
World number six Maria Sakkari displayed everything that is superb about her game in a gutsy three-set victory over the top seed Aryna Sabalenka late on Monday. The 26-year-old also beat Iga Swiatek in the group stages to qualify for the WTA Finals last four on her debut as the first Greek woman to reach the year-end competition. With one WTA title to her name so far, Sakkari still has plenty to prove if she is to stay at the top of the sport next season but she has reached two semi-finals at Grand Slams this year – losing to eventual champions at both in Barbora Krejcikova at Roland-Garros and Emma Raducanu at the US Open.
THE PREDICTION
This should be an absolute thriller of a match between Maria Sakkari and Anett Kontaveit as two of the WTA’s best players for never knowing when they are beaten. They share an already storied head-to-head record that just favours Sakkari at 5-4, but Kontaveit was the most recent winner in the Ostrava Open final where she beat the Greek in straight sets to win her second of four WTA titles this season. This will be their fifth meeting this year, incredibly, with things finely-poised at two wins apiece.
Before the last group stage matches it would have been fairly easy to pick Kontaveit to come through this challenge, and indeed she looked the pre-tournament favourite on her unstoppable trajectory, but losing to Garbine Muguruza last time out, dead rubber or not, will have some kind of affect on her winning machine for at least some of this match. The WTA Finals momentum needle is possibly swinging towards Sakkari after her incredible performance against Sabalenka and that makes taking the Greek to win at least a set here the shrewd move. This one is worth staying up for.
