Aryna Sabalenka vs. Maria Sakkari 2/18/20 - Dubai Tennis Championships Picks & Predictions
Last Updated: 02/16/2020 at 9:58 AM ET
Aryna Sabalenka is set to play at the 2020 WTA Dubai Tennis Championships. Sabalenka will begin her tournament against Maria Sakkari from Greece.
Maria Sakkari has been in decent touch over the past couple of weeks as she made the fourth round of the Australian Open and the semifinals of the St Petersburg Open. During these tournaments, Maria Sakkari defeated the likes of Belinda Bencic and Madison Keys. Maria Sakkari is a hugely gifted player and she has proven that she can compete against the top players in the world. This is a tough opening round fixture for Maria Sakkari but she should be confident considering her recent form.
On the other side of the coin, Aryna Sabalenka had a decent start to 2020 as she made the semifinals of the Adelaide International but her form dropped following that tournament. Sabalenka was the 11th seed at the Australian Open but she failed significantly as she was eliminated during the opening round. During the loss at Melbourne Park, Aryna Sabalenka seemed to lack the confidence required to compete at big tournaments. The draw has been unkind to Aryna Sabalenka as she is playing against a very skillful player in Maria Sakkari.
Aryna Sabalenka and Maria Sakkari have played each other twice in the past with both players winning on 1 occasion. The most recent match between these two players was in 2019 at the WTA Elite Trophy where Sabalenka won in straight sets. Sakkari defeated Sabalenka at the 2019 Cincinnati Masters.
Looking at all the information, I am going to pick Maria Sakkari to win this match. Sakkari has been in tremendous form and she has been more active in recent times. Aryna Sabalenka has been lacking court time and I don’t see her having the form required to win against quality opposition. I see Maria Sakkari winning this match in 3 sets.
