28th July 2024, 13:00
Paris, France
World number 8 Maria Sakkari will be playing her first game of the Olympics tournament against Danka Kovinic. Both players have faced each other 4 times in the past and the h2h is tied between them. Maria Sakkari heads into this match as the favorite to win for obvious reasons. Her opponent Danka Kovinic is currently ranked 668th on the WTA ranking.
Maria Sakkari
Greek player Maria Sakkari made her way into the Olympics court as she begins her campaign in the round of 64 stages. Maria Sakkari will play her opening match against Danka Kovinic, and the h2h data both players have played 4 matches against each other in the past.
Maria Sakkari has been ranked as high as world No. 3 by the WTA, which she first reached on 21 March 2022, thus being the highest-ranked Greek player in history alongside Stefanos Tsitsipas. She has claimed two singles titles on the WTA Tour, including a WTA 1000 title at the 2023 Guadalajara Open. She played in the 2021 Olympics and finished in the quarterfinals.
Danka Kovinic
Danka Kovinic of Montenegro is an international who is due to meet Maria Sakkari in her inaugural match at the Paris Olympics. Danka Kovinic has a lot of experience playing Maria Sakkari because the two have played each other four times, with Danka Kovinic victorious twice.
She reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 46 on 22 February 2016 and peaked at No. 67 in the WTA doubles rankings on 20 June 2016. Danka Kovinic participates majorly at the ITF Circuit, and she has won 14 ITF in Singles, 4 in doubles; also, she won 1 ATP title in doubles. This will be her first appearance in the Olympics tournament.
Expert Betting Tips
It looks like a pretty straightforward match, with the difference between both players being massive when it comes to form and experience. Maria Sakkari weapons are baseline game, powerful serve, and forehand. She is agile and fast around the court. Danka Kovinic can pride herself on consistent groundstrokes; with a solid backhand, she also has good tactical awareness. On the surface, though, clay should give Kovinić a slightly better chance; she is comfortable on the surface. On hard or grass courts, it is expected that Sakkari's power and athleticism give her a large advantage.
Looking at the recent form, head-to-head record, and styles of play, Maria Sakkari seems to have an upper hand in the match. She has solid games power-wise and physically against Kovinić, who could face difficulty in matching the speed and aggression Sakkari possesses.
- Danka Kovinic Games Under 6.5 Games at 1.615 Odds
- Maria Sakkari (-6.5) Games Handicap at 1.66 Odds
- First Set Over 8.5 Games at 2.10 Odds