BNP Paribas Open 2023: Maria Sakkari vs Petra Kvitova preview, head-to-head & prediction | Indian Wells
Match details
Fixture: (7) Maria Sakkari vs (15) Petra Kvitova
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Indian Wells, California, USA
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $8,800,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Maria Sakkari vs Petra Kvitova preview
Maria Sakkari and Petra Kvitova battled through their fourth-round encounters to set up a quarterfinal showdown against each other at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
First to book her spot in the last-eight, Sakkari fended off a spirited Pliskova in a marathon tussle — prevailing 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 after two hours and 43 minutes on the court.
The scoreline, however, was hardly surprising given that the Greek player has been pushed the distance in all her matches this week — she was a three-set winner over Anhelina Kalinina and Shelby Rogers. Against a big name like Kvitova, she is set to face another stern test.
Kvitova, meanwhile, also took the scenic route to her win over third seed Jessica Pegula. Having made a blistering start to the match, Kvitova found herself at one-set all within an hour on the court. The Czech then dug deep to come back from a break down twice and save four match points to close the encounter in a third-set tiebreaker 13-11.
The win over Pegula marked an extraordinary fourth consecutive top-5 win for Kvitova, who has also matched her best performance at Indian Wells by reaching the quarterfinals.
Maria Sakkari vs Petra Kvitova head-to-head
Sakkari leads Kvitova in their current head-to-head with a slender 4-3 advantage. The Greek won the duo's latest meeting, which came at the same venue 12 months ago.
Maria Sakkari vs Petra Kvitova odds
(Odds to be updated soon)
Maria Sakkari vs Petra Kvitova prediction
A happy hunting ground for Maria Sakkari, Indian Wells has seen the Greek win eight of her last nine matches. That said, a closer observation of her results would tell the whole story.
While she posted big wins over quality opponents like Paula Badosa, Elena Rybakina and Kvitova herself during her run to the finals last year, she has had to struggle hard against lower-ranked players this year.
Some of the chinks in Sakkari's armor may once again come to the fore when she plays against a powerful opponent like Kvitova.
The Greek has not been able to assert herself from the baseline as much in her matches this year and has been pushed onto defense far too often. On the other hand, Kvitova continues to go after her shots no matter the match situation a strategy that has reaped rich dividends for her.
The one area of concern for Kvitova has been her hit-and-miss serve. When putting the first delivery, the southpaw has soared and if she finds her range in that department, she could prove too strong for Sakkari to handle.
Prediction: Kvitova to win in two tight sets