Canadian Open 2023: Aryna Sabalenka vs Petra Martic preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Aryna Sabalenka vs Petra Martic
Date: August 9, 2023
Tournament: Canadian Open 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Montreal, Canada
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $2,788,468
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - Sportsnet, TVA Sports | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Aryna Sabalenka vs Petra Martic preview
World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka will lock horns with Petra Martic in the second round of the 2023 Canadian Open on Wednesday.
Sabalenka started the season on a winning note, first capturing the title in Adelaide and then lifting her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Her unbeaten run came to an end in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Sabalenka then reached the final of the BNP Paribas Open, but lost to Elena Rybakina, while her Miami Open campaign ended in the quarterfinals. The Belarusian also reached the final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix for the third year in a row, but lost to Iga Swiatek.
Sabalenka then defeated Swiatek to win the Madrid Open. She suffered her first early loss of the season at the Italian Open as she crashed out in the second round. The 25-year-old rebounded by making the semifinals of the French Open and Wimbledon.
Martic, meanwhile, took on Cristina Bucsa in the first round here. The former breezed through the opening set as she claimed it without losing a single game. The second set started with three straight service breaks, with the Croat coming out on top to go 2-1 up. She then held on to the lead to win the match 6-0, 6-4.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Petra Martic head-to-head
The two have split their previous couple of meetings evenly to tie the head-to-head at 1-1. Martic won their last encounter at the 2019 Zhengzhou Open in three sets.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Petra Martic odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Aryna Sabalenka vs Petra Martic prediction
Martic scored a rather solid win over Bucsa to begin her challenge in Montreal. She'll need to maintain the same intensity against Sabalenka, who has been one of the best players on the tour this year, in the next round.
Martic was able to outfox Sabalenka the last time they met, which was almost four years ago. The Croat's all-court game and variety makes her a tough nut to crack. However, her record against players ranked in the top 10 isn't inspiring, having won just eight of her 43 matches against them.
Sabalenka has also transformed into a different player since their last meeting. Instead of just hitting harder and harder when things don't go her way, she has now started making tactical adjustments to get back on track.
Martic is a challenging opponent to deal with, but the Belarusian should be able to get the better of her.
Pick: Aryna Sabalenka to win in straight sets.