A once 96-woman draw at the WTA 100 in Madrid has dwindled to four as the champion of one of the most prestigious clay court events on the calendar will soon be crowned. The event has been filled with high-level matches that have left us with the world’s best set to duke it out in the semifinals. No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka and No. 9 seed Maria Sakkari know each other’s games well and will meet in their most high-stakes match yet. Both women overcame set deficits in the quarterfinals to reach this point, but who has what it takes to push themselves one step closer to the title?
WTA Madrid Semifinal Prediction
Aryna Sabalenka vs Maria Sakkari
Head-to-Head: Sabalenka 5-3 Sakkari
Tennis fans are in for a treat when Aryna Sabalenka and Maria Sakkari square off in the WTA Mutua Madrid Open semifinals. The two have matched up eight times over the last four years, more often than not producing incredibly tight encounters. This will be their first meeting on clay.
Sabalenka has played some of the best tennis on the WTA Tour this season. She holds a 28-4 record since the new year and captured her maiden Slam title in Melbourne. She is 7-1 on the clay this season, with her lone loss coming to Ig Swiatek in the Stuttgart final. Sakkari has not been as dominant as her counterpart but holds a respectable 19-8 record this year.
Both women possess elite power from the baseline that the altitude in Madrid has enhanced. We should see a match filled with high-level groundstroke rallies, typically rewarding the player that goes for broke. Despite a poor serving performance in her quarterfinal match, Sabalenka has found success with her first serve this year. I believe she will win enough free points on her serve while putting constant pressure on the Sakkari serve to force a few costly breaks.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
