Maria Sakkari vs Marie Bouzkova – Semi-Final – Preview & Prediction | 2022 Guadalajara Open Akron
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
THE FACTS
When is Maria Sakkari vs Marie Bouzkova on and what time does it start? Maria Sakkari vs Marie Bouzkova will take place on Sunday 23rd October, 2022 – not before 01:00 (UK)
Where is Maria Sakkari vs Marie Bouzkova taking place? Maria Sakkari vs Marie Bouzkova will take place at the Panamerican Tennis Center in Guadalajara, Mexico
What surface is Maria Sakkari vs Marie Bouzkova being played on? Maria Sakkari vs Marie Bouzkova will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Maria Sakkari vs Marie Bouzkova? Click here for the latest ticket information for Maria Sakkari vs Marie Bouzkova
What channel is Maria Sakkari vs Marie Bouzkova on in the UK? Maria Sakkari vs Marie Bouzkova will be televised live on the Amazon Prime Video app on Smart TVs
Where can I stream Maria Sakkari vs Marie Bouzkova in the UK? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream Maria Sakkari vs Marie Bouzkova live on the Prime Video app
THE PREDICTION
World number six Maria Sakkari has been remarkably poor over the last few months, perhaps under par ever since finishing runner-up to Iga Swiatek at Indian Wells this March, but the Greek is on the cusp of making a second Masters final this year after back-to-back victories over top contenders in Danielle Collins and Veronika Kudermetova. In doing so, the 27-year-old claimed the last remaining WTA Finals spot and her journey this week has endeared her with the Guadalajara crowd who will likely back her solidly in this semi-final with Marie Bouzkova. 24-year-old Bouzkova will set a new career-high WTA world ranking of 30th no matter the outcome of this first Masters semi-final but the Czech will back herself to go further after finally realising her potential in 2022. Bouzkova made the quarter-finals at Wimbledon seemingly from nowhere, although she had been touted for many years to be a top 20 player of the future, and she took that form straight into the Prague Open to win her maiden WTA title. Whilst she has enjoyed a fairly comfortable draw in comparison with other players, beating red-hot Liudmila Samsonova from a set down in the round of 16 is a huge statement.
Sakkari leads Bouzkova 2-0 in their head-to-head record after the Czech was forced to retire from their most recent match at last season’s Canada Masters and so backing Sakkari to win at least a set looks the sensible way to avoid picking a winner. The Greek’s record at this stage of a tournament is fairly concerning, as indeed is her record in finals, but Bouzkova would need a season’s-best performance to be backed the outright winner. Three sets seem very likely here and that option could be a suitable alternative, albeit outside of an accumulator.
