Olympics 2021: Maria Sakkari vs Elina Svitolina preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (14) Maria Sakkari (GRE) vs (4) Elina Svitolina (UKR)

Date: 27 July 2021

Tournament: Olympics 2021

Round: Third round (Round of 16)

Venue: Ariake Tennis Park, Tokyo, Japan

Category: Olympic Games

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Match timing: Approx. 3 pm local time, 11.30 am IST, 6 am GMT, 2 am EST

Live telecast: USA - NBC & Peacock TV | UK - BBC TV | India - Sony Liv

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Maria Sakkari vs Elina Svitolina preview

Fourth seed Elina Svitolina and 14th seed Maria Sakkari will go up against each other in a blockbuster third-round match at the Tokyo Olympics 2021 on Tuesday.

Sakkari has produced a strong showing in the first half of the season. The Greek has reached four semifinals this year, with one of them coming at Roland Garros and one at Miami.

Although Wimbledon turned out to be disappointing, Sakkari will be keen to regain her form as she seeks Greece's first Olympic tennis medal since 1896. And the World No. 19 has started her campaign in fine fashion, knocking out the dangerous Anett Kontaveit in the first round and thrashing Nina Stojanovic 6-1, 6-2 in the second.

Elina Svitolina

Elina Svitolina, meanwhile, hasn't been as consistent this season. The World No. 6 has particularly struggled for form since her run to the quarterfinals in Rome.

In fact, Svitolina hasn't made the last eight in any of her last four tournaments. But after having tied the knot with fellow tennis star Gael Monfils, the Ukrainian will be hoping for a turnaround in fortunes.

At the Olympics, her first tournament post-wedding, Svitolina has had to fight hard in both of the first two rounds. The fourth seed needed three sets to see off each of Laura Siegemund and Wimbledon quarterfinalist Ajla Tomljanovic.

But the fact that she found a way even when she wasn't at her best should boost Svitolina's confidence ahead of a tough third-round clash with Sakkari.

Maria Sakkari vs Elina Svitolina head-to-head

Maria Sakkari leads Elina Svitolina 2-1 in the head-to-head, having won their last two meetings.

Their most recent face-off, at Ostrava last year, ended in a facile 6-3, 6-3 win for Sakkari.

Maria Sakkari vs Elina Svitolina prediction

Maria Sakkari

Even though she is ranked lower, Maria Sakkari has had bigger results than Elina Svitolina this year and is in better form. And given the conditions in Tokyo, this third-round encounter could well turn out to be a long-drawn battle.

Svitolina enjoys slow and humid conditions, as proven by her success at the WTA Finals in Shenzen and Singapore. The Ukrainian could definitely put Sakkari in a spot of bother if she starts engaging the Greek in long rallies from the baseline.

That said, her serving numbers need to improve considerably if she hopes to beat Sakkari. Against Tomljanovic, Svitolina landed just 50% of her first serves and committed six double faults. She cannot afford to repeat such a performance against someone who bludgeons the ball as hard as the Greek.

Sakkari on her part served five aces against Stojanovic in the second round, while leaking a solitary double fault. The only area of concern for the 26-year-old is her unforced error count.

Sakkari struggles to control her aggression at times, and has a tendency to overhit when put under pressure. But if she can cut down on her errors, she should be able to pull through on Tuesday.

Prediction: Maria Sakkari to win in three sets.