The world No. 6 Maria Sakkari takes on the world No. 38 Marie Bouzkova in the semi-finals of the Guadalajara Open on Saturday.
Maria Sakkari
The 27-year-old came into the tournament on the back of a couple of losses. However, she has managed to throw the upsets out of the window and show her class at the Guadalajara Open.
In the round of 32, she produced a solid display to ease past Marta Kostyuk in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. Danielle Collins gave a good account of herself against Sakkari in the round of 16. After winning the first set, the American star couldn’t capitalize and it coincided with a terrific comeback from her opponent. Sakkari won the match 5-7, 6-3, 6-3. In the quarter-finals, the fourth seed took on the talented Veronika Kudermetova. Sakkari won the first set convincingly before Kudermetova turned up in the second set. The riveting clash eventually ended 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in favor of Sakkari.
Marie Bouzkova
In a season of more misses than hits, this result will give Marie Bouzkova a lot of confidence. The 2022 Prague Open champion came into the tournament on the back of a second-round exit in Flushing Meadows. So far, she has shown her potential en route to the semis.
Bouzkova played her first match in the Guadalajara Open against compatriot Tereza Martincova. The former won the match with relative ease with a score of 6-2, 7-5. In the round of 32, Bouzkova outclassed Camila Osorio during a win in straight sets 6-3, 6-1. Liudmila Samsonova turned on the heat against Bouzkova in the round of 16. The world No. 22 bageled Bouzkova in the first set. However, the tables turned as the second set commenced. Bouzkova won a closely-contested second set and eventually won the match 0-6, 7-5, 6-3. The 24-year-old faced Anna Kalinskaya in the quarter-finals. The Russian youngster was trailing 2-5 in the first set when she was forced to retire and Bouzkova advanced to the semis.
Head-to-Head and Prediction
The head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 2-0 in favor of the Greek tennis pro. Sakkari defeated Bouzkova at the 2021 Canadian Open after the Czech was forced to retire midway through the second set.
Prediction: Maria Sakkari to win in three sets.
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