Tokyo Olympics 2020: Elina Svitolina vs Maria Sakkari Preview, Head to Head and Prediction

Tokyo Olympics 2020: Elina Svitolina vs Maria Sakkari Preview, Head to Head and Prediction

Ukrainian superstar and newlywed Elina Svitolina faces Maria Sakkari in the Round of 16 at a tournament where she has famous history, knocking out Serena Williams in 2016

World number 6, Elina Svitolina will be up against world number 19, Maria Sakkari in the third round of the Women’s singles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Elina Svitolina vs Maria Sakkari: Match Details

Tournament2020 Tokyo Olympics
MatchElina Svitolina vs Maria Sakkari
RoundRound of 16
DateJuly 27, 2021
VenueAriake Tennis Centre, Tokyo, Japan
SurfaceHard Court

Elina Svitolina vs Maria Sakkari: Preview

Elina Ukraine
Elina Svitolina will be looking to improve her quarter final showing at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Svitolina has not had the best record at Grand Slams this year after being knocked out in the fourth round at the Australian Open, the third round at the French Open and second round at Wimbledon, where she played last before flying to Tokyo. Like most of the other players, she last played on hard court at the Miami Open where she lost in the semi final against eventual champion Ashleigh Barty. She does, however, have history at the Olympics, defeating then world number 1 Serena Williams in the second round of the 2016 Rio Games

Sakkari has reached four semifinals this year, with one of them coming at Roland Garros and one at Miami. She has also started off the 2020 Olympics on fire, knocking out the dangerous Anett Kontaveit in the first round and brushing aside Nina Stojanovic 6-1, 6-2 in the second.

Elina Svitolina vs Maria Sakkari: Head to Head

Maria Sakkari
Maria Sakkari has a 2:1 winning record against Elina

The pair have faced off thrice, with all the meetings coming in 2019 and 2020. While Svitolina took the 2019 Wimbledon third round match, Sakkari has won the other 2 matches, both on tour at the Silicon Valley Classic and the Ostrava Open.

Elina Svitolina vs Maria Sakkari: Prediction

Elina Svitolina
Elina Svitolina has had to battle through her initial rounds unlike Maria

Number 4 seed and newlywed Elina Svitolina comes into the match having won 2 three setters in the initial rounds after having had very less practice time, having flown to Tokyo just a few days after her marriage to Gael Monfils of France. Maria has had a much better start, dispatching both her first and second round opponents within straight sets and has spent much less time on court

Prediction: Sakkari to win a thrilling 3 setter

https://youtu.be/ZzSg30eIgHk

Also read: Here come the pictures! Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina wedding pictures released