Guadalajara Open 2023: Maria Sakkari vs Emiliana Arango preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Maria Sakkari vs Emiliana Arango
Date: September 21, 2023
Tournament: Guadalajara Open 2023
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Panamerican Tennis Center, Guadalajara, Mexico
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize money: $2,788,468
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video
Maria Sakkari vs Emiliana Arango preview
Second seed Maria Sakkari will square off against Emiliana Arango in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Guadalajara Open on Thursday.
Sakkari defeated Storm Hunter in straight sets to make it to the third round, where she faced Camila Giorgi. The Greek was off to a quick start as she built up a 5-0 lead in the first set. She stumbled while trying to wrap up the set and dropped a couple of games at that point.
However, Sakkari got back on track and broke Giorgi's serve to close out the set. The World No. 9 trailed 2-0 in the second set but raised her level as she reeled off six consecutive games to win the match 6-2, 6-2.
Arango scored wins over Anastasia Potapova and Sloane Stephens to book her spot in the third round, where she was up against Taylor Townsend. The Colombian was 5-2 down in the first set but staged a remarkable turnaround as she bagged five games in a row to claim the set.
Townsend responded by nabbing the second set in a decisive manner, in which she dropped just one game. She also struck first in the third set, as a break of serve helped her amass a 4-2 lead. However, Arango once again fought back as she swept the next four games to win 7-5, 1-6, 6-4.
Maria Sakkari vs Emiliana Arango head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between the two players, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Maria Sakkari vs Emiliana Arango odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Maria Sakkari vs Emiliana Arango prediction
Arango looked down and out multiple times in the previous outing but eked out a gritty win over Townsend and reached her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal. However, she took a medical timeout towards the end of the third set. So, if she's not fully fit going forward, she could have a tough time against Sakkari in the next round.
As for the Greek herself, she moved past an erratic Giorgi quite comfortably despite a couple of minor hiccups.
This match is quite important for both players, as Sakkari could be one step closer to securing a WTA Finals spot, while Arango would crack the top 100 of the WTA rankings.
Arango's got a good forehand that helps her stay in the rallies, but she mainly uses it to defend well rather than attack. Sakkari's game looks quite stable in all aspects at the moment, and she has the skills and the experience to get past the young Colombian without breaking a sweat.
Pick: Maria Sakkari to win in straight sets.