Maria Sakkari vs. Naomi Osaka 3/31/21 - WTA Miami, USA Women Singles Picks & Predictions
Last Updated: 03/30/2021 at 10:31 AM ET
Japanese superstar has made it into the quarterfinals of the 2021 Miami Open in the United States. At this stage of the tournament, Osaka is set to play against Maria Sakkari from Greece.
Naomi Osaka has been in terrific form in 2021 as she has already won the Australian Open. This has been a solid tournament for Naomi Osaka as she is yet to lose a set and has looked in total control. In the previous round, Naomi Osaka defeated Elise Mertens from Belgium in straight sets. It was a dominant performance by Osaka as she won 78% of her service games and 5 return games. The receiving was especially strong as Osaka won 56% of her receiving points. Osaka is looking in outstanding touch and that is going to make her tough to beat in this tournament.
On the other side of the coin, Maria Sakkari had to win an epic battle to defeat Jessica Pegula in 3 sets in the previous round. It was a close match with the final set being decided by a tiebreaker. It has been a modest season for Maria Sakkari as she made the quarterfinals at the Qatar Open but has mostly failed outside of that tournament. This is expected to be a tough match for Maria Sakkari as she is playing against the number 2 seed.
Maria Sakkari and Naomi Osaka have played each other 4 times in the past with Osaka winning on 3 occasions and Sakkari winning once. The most recent fixture was won in 3 sets by Naomi Osaka in 2020 Brisbane. Sakkari last defeated Osaka in 2018 at the Cincinnati Masters.
Taking everything into consideration, I am going to pick Naomi Osaka to win this match. Osaka is the stronger player and she has been playing better tennis in recent weeks. I see Osaka being good enough to win this match in straight sets and secure a spot in the semifinals.
