Elena Rybakina and Maria Sakkari both lost their first match at the 2023 WTA Finals, which makes this a must-win match for both.
Rybakina opened her WTA Finals campaign with a loss against Jessica Pegula in a match where she never found her best tennis. Pegula handled the conditions better, which is what happened in the match between Aryna Sabalenka and Maria Sakkari.
The Greek player never found a good level in the match, getting beaten easily by the world number one. Well, now this match is really important because the player that wins will remain in contention to move on while the other is almost definitely out of the competition.
Head-to-head:
They played only twice so far, and both players won one match. Rybakina won the first one in 2020 indoors in Saint Petersburg, while Sakkari won the most recent one at the Indian Wells Masters in 2022. Form hasn't been spectacular for either player in China, as they were both solid but nothing special.
Neither looked that good in the opening match here, but Rybakina certainly looked better. Is that a good indication that she'll win this match? Maybe. Let's see how they match up.
Prediction:
Sakkari has certain ways to hurt Rybakina with her game, but she needs to play her best tennis. That hasn't been the case in a while and certainly wasn't the case in the opening match.
She loves playing in Mexico, but the conditions in Cancun are not those in Guadalajara, where she played amazingly in the past. Rybakina is the better pure hitter and should have the upper hand in most rallies, but she needs to be far more consistent with it.
I don't know if she will be because she didn't look too excited about the conditions while playing Pegula, but Sakkari isn't playing well either.
Prediction: Elena Rybakina to win in two sets.
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