Maria Sakkari vs Irina-Camelia Begu Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Mutua Madrid Open

Prediction published on 02/05/2023, 03:04  by Kennedy Kechula | Modified on 02/05/2023 at 06:00 in Tennis Predictions

A first-ever semifinal in the Mutua Madrid Open beckons for Maria Sakkari (ninth seed) and Irina-Camelia Begu (unseeded) after their quarterfinals clash on Tuesday. Sakkari is the favourite to advance as she has won two of the three matches she and Begu have contested and if she indeed does proceed, she will set up a last-four showdown with either second seed Aryna Sabalenka or the unseeded Mayar Sherif. Sakkari has already set her own personal record by advancing this far in the competition with her best-ever result prior to this being a third-round finish in 2021. The current world number nine has dropped one set in the three matches she has played, which was against the wildcard Rebeka Masarova in the third round. She has withstood the pressure of the home crowd to defeat two home favourites in Masarova and Paula Badosa and will be even more confident to prolong her stay past this round. The Greek number one has won 18 of the 26 matches that she has played this season and has made it through to the semifinals in three tournaments already.

Irina-Camelia Begu has been to the quarterfinals in Madrid twice before but unfortunately for her is that she has never been able to advance past this round. She will hope her impeccable start to this year’s edition finally allows her to set a new personal record. Begu has won all three of her matches without dropping a set. Her last two wins have come against seeded players Liudmila Samsonova (14) and Shelby Rogers (33). In her tournament opener, she was able to get the better of former Madrid Open quarterfinalist Karolina Muchova. Her blistering start has seen her jump eight places in the live ranking to number 27. A win on Tuesday will see her move up two more places to number 25 which is the highest she will have placed this season. Begu has won 10 of the 17 matches she has played so far with five of those victories coming on clay.