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Belinda Bencic vs Maria Sakkari Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Overs tipped; Sakkari value as underdog
Belinda Bencic and Maria Sakkari square off in the first round of the WTA Rome tournament. Bencic has made a remarkable comeback in ranking, while Sakkari is aiming to regain her former glory under the guidance of coach Tom Hill. Despite Bencic's strong season, her record in Rome is poor. Sakkari, previously struggling, shows signs of improvement, making her a potential contender for an upset. This clash is poised to be exhilarating, as both players bring their distinct strengths to the court.
- Belinda Bencic vs Maria Sakkari predictions for Wednesday's WTA Rome R1
- Sakkari back working with Tom Hill, has won five of her last six matches
- Bencic has never been past R2 in Rome with a 3-6 record
- Both previous meetings between the pair have gone the distance
- The match is scheduled to start around 11.00pm AEST on Wednesday May 7
Expired
Maria Sakkari (Photo by Getty Images)
Belinda Bencic vs Maria Sakkari Tips, Prediction & Live Stream
One of the eye-catching matches in the first round of WTA Rome sees former top 10 players Belinda Bencic and Maria Sakkari face off on Wednesday.
- Belinda Bencic vs Maria Sakkari Tips, Prediction & Live Stream
- Head To Head
- Belinda Bencic Form
- Maria Sakkari Form
- Live Stream
These two players have been going in opposite directions lately. Bencic has experienced a rapid rise back into the world's top 40 after being ranked outside the top 900 at the end of 2024, while Sakkari's ranking has plummeted to No. 81 after failing to win back-to-back matches from August 2024 to April 2025.
In saying that, there's a couple of reasons why I favour Sakkari to pull off the upset here. First of all, the Greek showcased some improvement last week in Madrid, defeating Jasmine Paolini on her way to the R16. Secondly, Sakkari is recently back working with former coach Tom Hill, who guided her into the top 10 and Grand Slam semi-finals. Additionally, Bencic has never played her best tennis in Rome, failing to go beyond the second round in the Italian capital.
Head To Head
Currently level at 1-1. Sakkari prevailed 2-6 6-4 6-3 in the 2020 St Petersburg quarter-finals before Bencic edged out a 6-7 6-4 6-4 victory in the 2022 Berlin semis. With both matches going the distance, Over 20.5 total games is backed in Rome.
Belinda Bencic Form
It's been a tremendous season for Bencic, with the Swiss compiling a 21-8 record and rising back to a current ranking of No. 39 in the world.
Bencic's highlights have included winning the Abu Dhabi 500-level title, along with reaching the Indian Wells quarter-finals and the fourth round of the Australian Open, breaking back into the world's top 40 after being ranked 900+ at the end of 2024.
The 28-year-old had a solid Madrid Open, reaching the fourth round before going down to Coco Gauff.
Bencic hasn't played well in Rome throughout her career though, losing six of her nine matches at the tournament and never advancing past the second round.
Maria Sakkari Form
It's been a demoralising fall from grace for Sakkari over the last couple of years, with the Greek dropping outside the top 80 - and she could fall even further after this tournament if she doesn't match her R16 finish from last year.
Sakkari has repeatedly suffered early exits at the majors over the last few years, while she failed to win two matches in a row from the 2024 US Open through to last month.
However, the 29-year-old might just be in the early stages of a resurgence - Sakkari has won five of her last six matches coming into this contest, reaching the Madrid R16 with good wins over Paolini and Magda Linette, while she also qualified for the main draw in Rome.
The last time Sakkari was forced to qualify in Rome, she advanced all the way to the semi-finals back in 2019.
Live Stream
Watch and bet on Belinda Bencic vs Maria Sakkari live tennis from Rome.
You can watch and bet on the match live at Unibet > Tennis > WTA Rome with the action available to stream on desktop and mobile.
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Verdict
Bencic has struggled in Rome throughout her career, posting a 3-6 record and never going past the second round.
Sakkari is back working with old coach Tom Hill and has won five of her last six matches, while she's also a former semi-finalist in Rome - the Greek offers value here as she looks to continue her mini-resurgence.
Over 20.5
Total Games
$1.76 - 2 Units
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Sakkari Win
H2H
$2.90 - 1 Unit
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Ahead of the Game.
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Sakkari 2-1
Set Betting
$6.50 - 1 Unit
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