Maria Sakkari vs Aryna Sabalenka Betting Tip Sabalenka 2-1 – 26th February 2020

Maria Sakkari vs Aryna Sabalenka
26th February 1430hrs
Tennis – Qatar – WTA
Pick Sabalenka
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: 4/9 odds taken 1851 GMT, Tuesday 25th February

This should be the kind of match that we see a lot more of this season. Two extremely good younger players scrapping it out head to head for progress in a top-tier WTA Tour tournament. This one sees 9th seed Aryna Sablanka battling Greek star Maria Sakkari.

Bet at Bet365

 

Sabalenka in for a battle

Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka looked like a decent outside pick heading into the Doha action this week. There she was with a favourable draw and a big chance to drive to a title.

This is action from the bottom half of the draw and the top half has been stacked with the main front runners for the title. Sabalanka must sense an opportunity in this one.

She opened with a tough battle against Annett Kontaveit but held her nerve to close out the deciding set. Sabalenka is a big hitter and she stepped out in Doha after losing to Simona Halep in the quarter finals of Dubai in the previous week.

In the first round of Dubai, Sablaneka beat Sakkari in three sets. We expect a similarly tight scrap as they get back together for this quick rematch.

Sabalanka leads the head to head 2-1 against Sakkari, having won the last two meetings (Zhuhai 2019 and then Dubai 2020). Two of the three previous comments-together did need a deciding set.

 

Sakkari gaining more and more momentum

The advantage that Sakkari had ahead of this week was a little more time to prepare, having lost in the first round of Dubai against Sabalenka. But before that the Greek player had started to really pick up her form.

There was a round of sixteen place at the Australian Open which she took and she followed that up with a semi-final in her very next tournament. Sakkari lost in the final four of St Petersburg against Elena Rybakina.

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She is a gritty, tough customer, but the one area of her game that does need developing is her service. She has only won 67% of service games this season and 64% of first serves. The former stat is well below that of her opponent.

 

Maria Sakkari vs Aryna Sabalenka Betting Advice

It is well worth looking at three sets in his one. Sakkari just don’t go away lightly and can get something on the board. We expect the match win, however, to go to Sabalenka just because her service game is the better of the two.

 

 

The Belarusian could just have the edge overall in the service game department. This is a player who has beaten the likes of Simona Halep and Elise Mertens this season. Oh yes, and Sakkari.

 

The best betting odds for Maria Sakkari vs Aryna Sabalenka

Maria Sakkari to win: 7/4 at Bet365
Aryna Sabalenka: 4/9 at Bet365