The second of the two round robin groups in singles and doubles will play their opening matches on Thursday. The singles group features four WTA Finals debutantes: Aryna Sabalenka, Maria Sakkari, Iga Swiatek, and Paula Badosa. None of those players have won a Major, or even appeared in a Major final. However, these were four of the most consistent performers throughout 2021, and all four are threats to claim this title in a wide-open field.
Round robin play will continue in singles and doubles for the first six days of the tournament, with the semifinals to begin on Tuesday, November 16th, and the championship matches on Wednesday, November 17th.
Each day, this preview will analyze the most intriguing matchup, while highlighting the other matches on the schedule. Thursday’s play gets underway at 2:00pm local time
Maria Sakkari (4) vs. Iga Swiatek (5) – 2:00pm
Sakkari is on the brink of a top five debut, thanks to a 36-18 record this season. While she failed to win any titles, she achieved her first two Major semifinals, at Roland Garros and the US Open. Swiatek reached a peak ranking of No.4 in September, and was the only WTA player to reach the second week of all four Slams. She went 35-13 in 2021, and won two titles (Adelaide, Rome). But Iga is yet to achieve success against Maria. The Greek has claimed both their encounters, which occurred earlier this year. In the French Open quarterfinals, Sakkari upset to defending champion in straight sets. And two months ago in the semifinals of Ostrava, Maria again prevailed in straights. Based on how this young rivalry has gone so far, with Swiatek yet to secure a set, it’s hard not to favor Sakkari.
Other Notable Matches on Thursday:
Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Paula Badosa (7) – Like Sakkari, Sabalenka reached her first two Slam semis this year. She accumulated 44 wins, and two titles. Badosa nearly matched that tally with 41 wins, and also took two titles. Three months ago in Cincinnati, Badosa outlasted Sabalenka in a third-set tiebreak.
Su-Wei Hsieh and Elise Mertens (3) vs. Alexa Guarachi and Desirae Krawczyk (6) – Hsieh and Mertens teamed up mid-season, winning Wimbledon and Indian Wells. Guarachi and Krawczyk also started their partnership after the year began, and prevailed in Strasbourg back in May.
Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova (1) vs. Sharon Fichman and Giuliana Olmos (8) – The Czech team won their third Major as a team at Roland Garros, as well as Olympic gold in Tokyo. Fichman and Olmos were the champions of the Rome Masters.
Thursday’s full Order of Play is here.
