Iga Swiatek vs Maria Sakkari – Semi-Final – Preview & Prediction | 2022 Qatar Open
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THE FACTS
When is Iga Swiatek vs Maria Sakkari on and what time does it start? Iga Swiatek vs Maria Sakkari will take place on Friday 25th February, 2022 – not before 15:15 (UK)
Where is Iga Swiatek vs Maria Sakkari taking place? Iga Swiatek vs Maria Sakkari will take place at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar
What surface is Iga Swiatek vs Maria Sakkari being played on? Iga Swiatek vs Maria Sakkari will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Iga Swiatek vs Maria Sakkari? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Iga Swiatek vs Maria Sakkari
What channel is Iga Swiatek vs Maria Sakkari on in the UK? Iga Swiatek vs Maria Sakkari will be televised live on the Amazon Prime app on Smart TVs
Where can I stream Iga Swiatek vs Maria Sakkari in the UK? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream Iga Swiatek vs Maria Sakkari live on the Prime Video app
THE PREDICTION
World number eight Iga Swiatek blasted top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who had been showing signs of improving, off the court on Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the Qatar Open Masters. The 20-year-old reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open last month before a masterclass by eventual runner-up Danielle Collins limited the Pole’s powerful game and that is something Maria Sakkari should look to here. 26-year-old Sakkari is yet to drop a set in Doha, with her last two victories over ninth seed Jessica Pegula and 14th seed Coco Gauff impressive indeed. The world number six still, remarkably, has just one WTA title to her name from the 2019 Rabat Open. She lost in the semi-finals of two Grand Slams last season, on both occasions to the eventual champions, in Barbora Krejcikova at Roland-Garros and Emma Raducanu at the US Open.
Sakkari leads this head-to-head record 3-0, with three straight-set victories over Swiatek all taking place last season at Roland-Garros, the Ostrava Open and the WTA Finals. That makes for some pretty convincing reading in favour of the Greek but it could be argued that Swiatek had suffered a mid-match injury at Roland-Garros, after which her form struggled through the rest of the season until the Australian Open this year. The Pole’s performance against top seed Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday is in keeping with her increasing level and her record against Sakkari means taking her to win at least a set here could be a shrewd, valuable move. Sakkari has also, on occasion, displayed a mental block at this stage of prestigious tournaments that perhaps tips this semi-final in Swiatek’s favour.
