Madrid 2023: Paula Badosa vs Maria Sakkari preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (26) Paula Badosa vs (9) Maria Sakkari
Date: May 1, 2023
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open 2023
Round: Fourth Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor clay
Prize money: €7,652,174
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Paula Badosa vs Maria Sakkari preview
26th seed Paula Badosa will take on ninth seed Maria Sakkari in the fourth round of the Madrid Open.
Badosa entered the WTA 1000 event following a quarterfinal run at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. The Spaniard received a walkover to the second round where she beat Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to set up a third-round clash against sixth seed Coco Gauff.
Badosa produced a dominant performance to thrash the American 6-3, 6-0 and book her place in the fourth round of the Madrid Open.
Maria Sakkari entered the Madrid Open after a first-round exit at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Being a seeded player, she received a walkover to the second round of the WTA 1000 event and started by beating Arantxa Rus 6-4, 6-4.
The Greek then took on Spanish wildcard Rebeka Masarova in the third round and lost the opening set 6-3. However, she fought back in the second and won it by the same scoreline to force the match into a tiebreaker.
Sakkari gained momentum in the final set and raced to a 4-1 lead. Masarova showed some resistance but the Greek was not to be denied, winning 6-3 to seal her place in the fourth round of the Madrid Open.
Paula Badosa vs Maria Sakkari head-to-head
The head-to-head between the two is currently tied at 1-1. Their last meeting came in the semifinals of the 2022 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, which Sakkari won 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.
Paula Badosa vs Maria Sakkari odds
All odds are sourced from BETMGM.
Paula Badosa vs Maria Sakkari prediction
Sakkari may be a higher-ranked player, but Badosa's recent performances will give her an edge coming into this match. The Spaniard recently reached the quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where she put in a tough fight against Aryna Sabalenka.
Badosa won 28 out of 44 points (63.6%) on her serve in her last match against Coco Gauff while winning 30 out of 46 return points (65.2%). The Spaniard loves to play aggressive and hit her shots with a lot of power, but she is also a pretty effective counterpuncher thanks to her stamina and movement on clay.
Sakkari has served nine aces so far during the Madrid Open and will look to serve more of those against Badosa. The Greek is a powerful hitter but will have to make sure not to serve too many double faults or hit too many unforced errors.
Eventually, the more composed of the two will come out on top. Badosa has looked in good touch lately and there is a strong chance of her coming out on top and reaching the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open.
Pick: Badosa to win in three sets.