🎾 WTA Rome: Maria Sakkari vs Belinda Bencic

🎾 WTA Rome: Maria Sakkari vs Belinda Bencic – Match Preview

🧠 Form & Context

🇬🇷 Maria Sakkari

• Form revival—fragile but real: Ended an eight-month stretch without back-to-back wins with a fourth-round run in Madrid, followed by gritty qualifying wins in Rome—coming from a set down twice.
• Coaching reunion: Reunited with longtime coach Tom Hill, showing glimpses of old fire but still lacking week-to-week consistency.
• Ranking slide: A former top-10 staple now fighting to remain inside the top 100 as pressure and inconsistency take their toll.

🇨🇭 Belinda Bencic

• Post-motherhood momentum: Just six months into her comeback, Bencic is already back inside the top 40 with a string of strong results.
• Impressive return: Won the title in Abu Dhabi, reached the QF at Indian Wells and R4 at the Australian Open and Madrid.
• Form check: Beat Haddad Maia in a tight battle, then rolled through Sonmez and Tauson with clinical precision.
• Rome challenges: Holds a 3–6 record at the Foro Italico and has never advanced past the second round—though she now enters with renewed form.

🔍 Match Breakdown

This matchup contrasts Sakkari’s all-out athleticism and emotional grind against Bencic’s clean ball-striking and tactical precision.

Sakkari’s recent results suggest she's not done yet—her fight through qualifying proves she still has resilience. However, she remains vulnerable on serve, and her confidence can crumble under scoreboard pressure.

Bencic, by contrast, appears sharper with each passing match. Her ability to redirect pace, take the ball early, and remain composed in tight moments has served her well in 2024. She’s finding rhythm quickly despite a long break from the tour, and that efficiency may overwhelm a still-fragile Sakkari.

If Sakkari can turn this into a physical marathon and land a high percentage of first serves, she can trouble Bencic. But based on current form, Bencic looks the more complete and confident player.

🔮 Prediction

Prediction: Bencic in straight sets. Expect disciplined baseline play and point control from the Swiss star, exposing the cracks in Sakkari’s game as her crisis of confidence continues despite signs of life.