Maria Sakkari
7th seed Maria Sakkari takes on 17th seed Karolina Pliskova in the round of 16 of the 2023 Indian Wells on Tuesday.
The Greek star has had to work hard in both the matches she has played so far in the tournament. After receiving a bye into the second round, Sakkari faced Shelby Rogers. The American player dominated and won the first set. However, Sakkari came back strongly and got better as the match progressed, eventually winning the match 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.
In the round of 32, Sakkari squared off against 27th seed Anhelina Kalinina. Once again, Sakkari looked out of sorts in the first set and she lost it 3-6. With her back against the wall, Sakkari made another fine comeback and won the match 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. Both players hit 8 double faults each in this encounter. Sakkari converted 5 out of 11 break points en route to the win.
The former world No. 1 has also had her comeback moment in the tournament. She played Anna Kalinskaya in the round of 64 and lost the first set comprehensively. The Czech veteran bounced back strongly to win the match 2-6, 6-0, 6-4. Pliskova smashed 9 aces and converted 7 out of 8 break points.
In the round of 32, Pliskova started well and won the first set convincingly. She had to battle hard in the second set but her perseverance helped her to finish the match in that set itself. Pliskova won the match 6-1, 7-5 with a win percentage of 75 on the first serve and converting 5 out of 6 break points.
The head-to-head scoreline is intriguingly poised at 3-2 in favor of Karolina Pliskova. Will she double her lead or will Sakkari equal her with 3 wins?
Prediction: Maria Sakkari to win in three sets.
More Tennis news
Follow our dedicated Tennis page for instant Tennis news and updates