The 25th-ranked and Greece’s Maria Sakkari will face Dutchwoman and world number 84 Arantxa Rus in the second round of the 2021 Miami Open on Friday, March 26. Get the live streaming options of this Maria Sakkari v Arantxa Rus match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Maria Sakkari v Arantxa Rus Head to Head
The only previous match between Sakkari and Rus came in the 2018 Istanbul Open quarterfinal and the Greek player had won that one in straight sets on clay.
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Sakkari Sizzles and Then Fizzles
It’s been that kind of a season for Sakkari so far where she started off with a bang at the Abu Dhabi Open but the more recent results haven’t quite gone her way since.
At that tournament in Abu Dhabi, it wasn’t just the fact that Sakkari made it as far as the semifinal but the manner in which she got there. She defeated Anastasia Potapova in her opener and followed it up with wins over Cori Gauff, Garbine Muguruza and Sofia Kenin, all top players in the world.
Especially that match against Muguruza where Sakkari overturned the first set deficit to pummel her opponent 6-2, 6-0 in the final two sets, would have been quite a confidence-booster.
Unfortunately for her, things haven’t gone as planned after that. Two wins at the Grampians Trophy followed by a defeat to Anett Kontaveit, an opening round defeat at the Australian Open and another quarterfinal exit at the WTA Doha meant she needed something special before this tournament. All she got was a shock first round loss at the hands of Barbora Krejcikova in the opening round there leaving her with a 4-4 win-loss record since the Abu Dhabi result.
Can Sakkari now get back to her winning ways here?
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Rus 2-5 This Season
If Sakkari’s results have been underwhelming in recent times, Rus’ struggles have been even worse.
The Dutchwoman began the season with three successive defeats in opening rounds of tournaments before finally managing to get one past Xiyu Wang in the first round in Lyon. Another defeat in the second round there was followed by a first round loss at the Monterrey Open to Ann Li leaving her with a 1-5 record this season.
Which is why a convincing opening round win over Marie Bouzkova, who had gone into their encounter here in Miami as a 3/10 favourite to win, should have helped Rus. She came through in an hour and 23 minutes, and breaking her opponent five times in the entire match to set up this meeting with Sakkari.
And while Sakkari’s struggles should give her bit of an advantage, Rus will know it would be akin to climbing a tall mountain in order to try and overcome the Greek here.
Sakkari v Rus Prediction and Tip
Sakkari should wrap this up nicely, without any major issues, and in straight sets despite her recent struggles. Could be the start of a turnaround for her.
Tip: Sakkari to win in straight sets: 8/13 (bet365)
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The 2021 Miami Open will be played from March 22 to April 4. You can watch & bet on these matches here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
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