Aryna Sabalenka vs Maria Sakkari Prediction – Tennis Picks 10-29-2023

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka begins her quest for the year-end No. 1 ranking at the 2023 WTA Finals with a meeting against Maria Sakkari. The match will be played on Sunday, October 29, 2023.

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek can only meet in the semifinals of the 2023 WTA Finals at the earliest. The Belarusian also avoided a group stage matchup with Coco Gauff whom she lost to in the US Open final. Sabalenka has been the WTA’s best player this season, and the WTA Race justifies her case in that accomplishment, scoring the most points of any player this season. With three titles to her name this year, including a maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, Sabalenka will be one of the top favorites to leave Cancun with the WTA Finals crown.

Maria Sakkari, meanwhile, was not a qualifier for the 2023 WTA Finals. But an injury to Karolina Muchova meant that the Greek (the first alternate), who finished ninth in the race, earned entry through the back door. And Sakkari could make the most of that chance. The Athenian was triumphant during her last trip to Mexico, winning the prestigious WTA 1000 tournament in Guadalajara. She calls Mexico her “second home” and make no mistake, she’ll be fired up to play her best tennis again. But will the power of Sabalenka be too much to handle?

A look to at the head-to-head, and it is Sabalenka who has dominated this matchup, 6-3. She has won the last two meetings. In fact, the six times Sabalenka has defeated Sakkari, the Greek managed to win just a set. But Sakkari did have the answers during their meeting at last year’s WTA Finals where she earned a shock round-robin win. At the same time, It is pertinent to note that Sabalenka has lost just ONE opening match at a tournament this year (in Rome to Sofia Kenin). Fighting that kind of consistency is something that is likely to be out of reach for Sakkari. Back the Belarusian to record an emphatic opening win.