Maria Sakkari vs Nao Hibino WTA Singapore Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Sakkari to edge out qualifier & reach quarter-finals

Andrew Hendrie

Editor

Last updated: Thu 24 Sep 2026 01:35

Andrew Hendrie 1 hour ago

Share this article

Maria Sakkari vs Nao Hibino predictions for Thursday's WTA Singapore R2
Hibino on seven-match losing run at tour-level vs top 50 players - but has covered a +5.5 line in all seven defeats
Good value on Sakkari prevailing in three sets
The match is scheduled to start around 10.30pm AEST on Thursday September 24

Maria Sakkari v Nao Hibino Live StreamWatch live online at bet365 > Tennis > WTA Singapore. T&Cs apply. Watch and bet Starts in To use the Live Streaming service you will need to be logged in and have a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours. Note, under Australian law, Live Streaming is exempt from Parts 3 and 4 of the Broadcasting Services (Online Content Service Provider Rules) 2018.

Maria Sakkari vs Nao Hibino WTA Singapore Tips, Prediction & Live Stream

Chasing some value in this Singapore Open second round clash, with Nao Hibino tipped to cover a big +5.5 line and Maria Sakkari to prevail in three sets.

Maria Sakkari vs Nao Hibino WTA Singapore Tips, Prediction & Live Stream
Sakkari vs Hibino Stats & Trends
Sakkari vs Hibino Head To Head
Maria Sakkari Form Analysis
Nao Hibino Form Analysis
Sakkari vs Hibino Live Stream

Some interesting trends that I want to get behind for this showdown.

Hibino is on a seven-match losing streak against top 50 players at tour-level dating back to April 2024. She's also 13-49 lifetime, highlighting her long-term struggles against this calibre of opponent.

However, the 31-year-old has covered a +5.5 line in all seven of those defeats, so she's consistently putting up a good fight and being competitive.

Hibino has a tricky game and she's come through back-to-back marathon matches, so she's restored some confidence in Singapore.

Sakkari is far from her best, but she's won her last four matches vs players outside the top 100 and should be able to weather any storm Hibino throws at her.

The Greek also has the matchup advantage, winning both previous encounters between the pair.

So the main play for this one is Hibino to cover with a +5.5 start, with a smaller stake on a three-set win for Sakkari.

Sakkari vs Hibino Stats & Trends

Sakkari has won eight of her last 12 matches
Sakkari has won her last four matches vs players ranked 100+
Hibino has lost her last seven tour-level matches vs top 50 players
Hibino has covered a +5.5 line in all seven of those defeats, with six coming in three sets

Sakkari vs Hibino Head To Head

Sakkari leads 2-0, with both wins coming at the Australian Open.

Year	Tournament	Surface	Round	Winner	Score
2024	Australian Open	Hard	Round of 128	Maria Sakkari	6-4, 6-1
2020	Australian Open	Hard	Round of 64	Maria Sakkari	7-6(4), 6-4

Maria Sakkari Form Analysis

2026 WTA Record: 21-18
WTA Singapore Record: 1-0
Current Ranking: No. 33
Career-High Ranking: No. 3 (2022)

Sakkari remains a far cry from her lofty heights of 2022, where she hit No. 3 in the world following runs to the semi-finals of Roland Garros and the US Open.

The Greek hasn't been past the fourth round of a major since, but after dropping out of the top 50 earlier this year, has rebuilt her ranking to be on the cusp of a top 30 return.

It's been a solid last couple of months, with Sakkari registering an 8-4 record, making the final of Athens and the third round of Wimbledon.

It took Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek to knock Sakkari out of Toronto and CIncinnati, but she would have been disappointed with a 1-6 7-6(4) 6-2 second round defeat to Yuliia Starodubtseva at the US Open.

Sakkari got back to winning ways in her Singapore Open debut, recovering from an early break to ease past Linda Fruhvirtova 6-4 6-1.

Nao Hibino Form Analysis

2026 WTA Record: 1-2
WTA Singapore Record: 1-0
Current Ranking: No. 190
Career-High Ranking: No. 56 (2016)

It's been a decade since Hibino reached her career-high ranking of No. 56, but she continues to plug away on the ITF circuit in an effort to get back into the top 100 and beyond.

Those efforts have been somewhat rewarded this week in Singapore, where Hibino first qualified into the main draw before registering a 7-5 3-6 6-4 victory over Kristina Mladenvovic in the opening round.

That was Hibino's first WTA main draw win of 2026 and now she will be targeting a first tour-level quarter-final since October 2023.

However, to snap that near-three year sequence, Hibino will need to overcome a daunting seven-match tour-level losing run against top 50 opponents.