World number 18 Maria Sakkari will take on Czech Republic and 33rd-ranked Barbora Krejcikova in the semifinal of the 2021 French Open on Thursday, June 10. Get the live streaming options of this Maria Sakkari v Barbora Krejcikova match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Maria Sakkari v Barbora Krejcikova Head to Head
At the WTA level, there has been one previous meeting between these two players and Krejcikova had defeated Sakkari in that competition in Dubai earlier this year. They had also met on clay on the ITF circuit many years ago and Krejcikova had had no worries getting past Sakkari in that one too.
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Sizzling Sakkari Shocks Swiatek
Iga Swiatek’s injury might have helped matters for Sakkari but to come through in the manner that she did against the defending champion would have given the Greek number one a tremendous boost.
Sakkari had gone into her match gunning for a maiden Grand Slam semifinal but up against her was a player who had lost just one of her previous 20 matches on clay. And she still came through 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 31 minutes to claim her place in the last four.
Swiatek made the kind of start one would have expected from her as she broke Sakkari to go 2-0 up but then immediately dropped serve. The Greek player thwarted four break-points, missed three of her own but then converted the next one she got at 4-4.
A tough hold followed to see Sakkari through the first set, also the first one her opponent had dropped in eight matches.
Sakkari broke early in the second set, had another couple of chances in the fifth game to do the same but held on as a clearly ailing Swiatek caved in.
She now has a chance to make it to her third career final – winning and losing one apiece earlier.
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Krejcikova Stops Gauff Run
Krejcikova had never made it beyond the qualifiers at Wimbledon or US Open.
Her best performance at Australian Open was a second round earlier this year.
And while her best showing before this at Roland-Garros was a fourth round appearance last season, not too many would have given too much thought to her chances at this year’s French Open.
The 33rd-ranked Czech, however, defied odds and match favourite Cori Gauff to reach the semifinal, winning her fourth successive match in straight sets. In fact, since losing the first set of her opening round match against Kristyna Pliskova, Krejcikova has won them all.
Against Gauff, she needed an hour and 54 minutes, and the need to overcome falling behind breaks of serves on two separate occasions in the opening set to win 7-6 (6), 6-3.
In fact, Gauff had a chance to serve out the opening set at 5-3, missing out on a set-point there and was then 6-4 ahead in the tie-breaker that followed before losing it 8-6.
The traffic was one-way in the second though. Krejcikova wasted no time in breaking her opponent twice and going 5-0 up and while she missed out on five match-points, the world number 33 ensured there would be no more hiccups.
Sakkari v Krejcikova Prediction and Tip
This would be an interesting one because while Sakkari took out the defending champion and favourite, it might not be easy against a player who has been quietly moving up the charts on clay. Krejcikova is on a 10-match winning run and her only loss in her last 13 matches came to Swiatek – a tough three-setter against a FIT Swiatek that is.
Expecting Krejcikova to edge this one.
Tip: Krejcikova to win: 1/1 (Click Here to Bet with bet365)
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The 2021 French Open will be played from May 30 to June 13. Get all the latest French Open previews, predictions & odds here. You can also learn more about Spread Betting in tennis here.
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