Maria Sakkari vs Anhelina Kalinina Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Rome

Prediction published on 11/05/2024, 02:19  by Daniel Ngulu in Tennis Predictions

Fifth seed Maria Sakkari will take on 30th seed Anhelina Kalinina in the third round at the Italian Open. The winner will then play Victoria Azarenka or Mayar Sherif for a place in the quarter-finals. Maria Sakkari defeated the qualifier Varvara Garcheva by the loss of just four games to begin her sixth campaign in Rome. The Greek number one is a former Italian Open semi-finalist, achieving this feat in 2019. She was eliminated in this very round last year and will be eager to not suffer the same fate twice in succession. Sakkari, who defeated Kalinina last year at Indiana Wells, has now won 20 of 29 matches this season. Eight have been on clay, a surface she excels on. Advancing to this round has bumped the 2024 Indian Wells runner-up to seventh in the live ranking.

Anhelina Kalinina made the Rome final last season. It was her best achievement at a WTA 1000 event and she will be eager to go one better this year. The Ukrainian defeated compatriot Lesia Tsurenko in the second round. Kalinina had surged to a two-game lead in the first set before Tsurenko was forced to withdraw from the match with injury. The fortuitous victory allowed the 27-year-old to tie her season record at 12-12. Kalinina has had a topsy-turvy campaign but has managed two semi-final appearances in Austin and Rouen. She has also compiled a 5-3 record on clay, a surface that she dominates. Despite claiming the fourth win in her last six outings, Kalinina has plummeted a massive 25 places in the live ranking. Losing 585 points has her ranked 56th in the world.