Sloane Stephens vs Maria Sakkari: 2024 Madrid Open - Preview & Prediction

Sloane Stephens and Maria Sakkari will battle it out in the third round of the 2024 Madrid Open at La Caja Magica.

The American doesn't reach a level on the red dirt that she used to when she played in the French Open final in 2018, but she's still a decent performer capable of winning on the surface.

Still, as a former semi-finalist in Madrid, she knows the WTA 1000 event in the Spanish capital really well and will try to do well against a tough opponent in the third round of the 2024 edition.

Sakkari is the better player right now and on clay, too. The Greek player has been a solid performer on the surface for many years and will look to keep it going in Madrid. Her first match here was solid, so now it's about adding to that.

Head-to-head:

Sakkari and Stephens played only once, which is a bit of a surprise considering how long both have been in the sport. The Greek player won that meeting. It happened in 2022 on hard, and Sakkari won in three sets.

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On clay, Sakkari is likely to have this a bit easier, but the recent form of Stephens makes me think that it might be a bit more complicated. The conditions in Madrid should help Stephens, but we'll see whether she can use them to her benefit.

Prediction:

Overall, I think Sakkari should win this match. The Americans can complicate the matchup in various ways, but for the most part, it should be the Greek who will have the upper hand. Sakkari should eventually find a way to overwhelm her opponent.

Prediction: Maria Sakkari to win in two sets.

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