Miami Open 2023: Maria Sakkari vs Bianca Andreescu preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match details
Fixture: (7) Maria Sakkari vs Bianca Andreescu.
Date: March 24, 2023.
Tournament: Miami Open 2023.
Round: Second round (Round of 64).
Venue: Miami Gardens, Florida, United States.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt.
Prize money: $8,800,000.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel/TC Plus | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Maria Sakkari vs Bianca Andreescu preview
World No. 10 Maria Sakkari will take on 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in the second round of the 2023 Miami Open on Friday.
Sakkari's strong start to the season saw her help Greece reach the semifinals of the United Cup. However, she was stunned by Zhu Lin in the third round of the Australian Open.
Following consecutive semifinal appearances at the Linz Open and the Qatar Open, Sakkari lost in the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. At the BNP Paribas Open, she defeated Shelby Rogers, Anhelina Kalinina, Karolina Pliskova and Petra Kvitova to make the last four.
Sakkari faced her old rival Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals, but lost to her in straight sets. As one of the seeded players in Miami, she received a first-round bye.
Andreescu, meanwhile, kicked off her campaign in Miami against fellow US Open champion Emma Raducanu. An early break of serve put the Canadian 3-0 up in the first set. She held on to the lead until the end of the set to clinch it.
The eighth game of the second set was pivotal as Raducanu managed to break Andreescu's serve on her seventh break point. The Brit then served out the set to level the proceedings.
Both players had a few break point chances early on in the third set. Andreescu eventually raised her level as she claimed four games in a row to win the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
Maria Sakkari vs Bianca Andreescu head-to-head
The two have split their previous two meetings evenly to tie head-to-head at 1-1. Sakkari won their last meeting at the 2021 US Open in three sets.
Maria Sakkari vs Bianca Andreescu odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Maria Sakkari vs Bianca Andreescu prediction
Maria Sakkari has lost as many matches as Bianca Andreescu this season, but has twice as many wins as her. The Greek fought her way to the semifinals at Indian Wells, scoring four consecutive three-set victories before she was shown the door.
Andreescu outlasted Raducanu in the first round here and had quite a few positive takeaways from the match. Her serve helped her in critical moments and she was able to impose herself during baseline exchanges as well. However, the Canadian went 3/11 on break points, which was slightly worrying.
While Sakkari won their previous showdown, Andreescu won their first meeting, which took place in Miami. Both of their matches went the distance, with the victor needing three sets to get over the finish line.
At her best, Andreescu has been able to incorporate more variety into her game than Sakkari. However, the Canadian's level fluctuates quite a bit during matches these days. The Greek, on the other hand, has been more consistent of late, which gives her an edge to come out on top in this contest.
Pick: Maria Sakkari to win in three sets.