WTA Finals 2021: Maria Sakkari vs Paula Badosa preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (4) Maria Sakkari vs (7) Paula Badosa

Date: 13 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: 2.00 pm local time, 8.00 pm GMT, 4 pm EST, 1.30 am IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video

---

Maria Sakkari vs Paula Badosa preview

Two in-form players - Maria Sakkari and Paula Badosa - will do battle in Guadalajara on Saturday for a spot in the semis of the WTA Finals. Both Sakkari and Badosa made thunderous debuts at the season-ending championships on Thursday, winning their respective openers in straight sets.

Sakkari earned her third consecutive win over 2020 Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek, with a 6-2, 6-4 demolition job. The Greek has now won all six sets in their three meetings so far, with the previous ones coming at the French Open and Ostrava.

Sakkari reached the French Open and US Open semifinals earlier this year, creating Greek tennis history in the process. The World No. 6 is the first woman from the country to break into the world's top 10 or to qualify for the WTA Finals in any discipline.

Having made a perfect start to her campaign in Guadalajara, Sakkari will be eager to keep her run going and finish her career-best season on a high.

Paula Badosa in action at the 2021 WTA Finals

But with Paula Badosa having made an equally impressive debut, things certainly won't be easy for the 26-year-old on Saturday. Badosa rebounded from a 2-4 deficit in the first set against top seed Aryna Sabalenka, before winning 10 games on the trot to complete a 6-4, 6-0 win.

This was the Spaniard's seventh consecutive win, following her breakthrough run at Indian Wells where she toppled three Grand Slam champions on her way to the title.

Badosa and Sabalenka had earlier squared off at Cincinnati, where Badosa had to dig deep to see off the Belarusian in three grueling sets. But this time she was quick to find solutions after falling behind early in the first set.

Having won two titles this year and also made the Roland Garros quarterfinals, Badosa is playing with a fearless attitude that will likely be tough for Sakkari to counter.

Maria Sakkari vs Paula Badosa head-to-head

Maria Sakkari and Paula Badosa have never squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head currently stands at a 0-0 deadlock.

Maria Sakkari vs Paula Badosa prediction

Maria Sakkari serves during the 2021 WTA Finals

The key to Maria Sakkari's win over Iga Swiatek was her brilliant first serve. The Greek won 96% of her first serve points and saved both the break points she faced.

Sakkari looks to have adjusted well to the high altitude conditions at Guadalajara. She wasn't bothered much by the speed of the ball during her match on Thursday, especially since she got so many attackable shots off her serve.

Paula Badosa, on the other hand, struggled to counter Aryna Sabalenka's aggressive play at first. But once she settled in and upped her own aggression, she was able to force the Belarusian into making frequent errors.

The Spaniard was able to convert all five of the break point opportunities she had, which helped her run away with the match.

But if Sakkari continues serving well and striking the ball powerfully on these courts, Badosa might find it tougher to recover from a slow start. Sakkari has the best record against top-10 players this season (8-4), which proves that she is not afraid of taking on the best in the world.

Badosa will definitely put her to the test with her grit and determination. But if Sakkari can keep up her level from Thursday's match, she should be able to beat the Spaniard.

Prediction: Maria Sakkari to win in three sets.